Hello moisture, my old friend…
By contributor Allie White.
I live in an apartment that was built over 100 years ago —1901, to be exact. Yes, it’s got that pre-war brownstone charm people can’t seem to get enough of, but it’s also got creaky floors, doors that don’t actually fit in their frames, windows that let in as much air as they do sunlight, and ancient radiators.
That last one is a real killer, seeing as how extremely old heating systems like mine only have two options: on or off. There’s no regulating how hot a room gets; the alternative to sweltering warmth is…freezing cold air. As someone who firmly believes it’s much easier to make yourself warm than cool yourself down, this winter, I’ve opted for the “freezing cold air approach.” With my radiators turned off, I’m not at risk of burning the heck out of myself if I accidentally brush up against one nor am I likely to wake up drenched in sweat because the one in my bedroom has decided it’s time to pump out 95-degree steam heat. Instead, I plan to comfortably — if not bulkily — exist under layers of clothes and blankets until April.
However! This plan is not foolproof. While my body might be more comfortable, my skin certainly is not. In fact, my skin would much prefer the subtropical, steam-filled option if given a vote. Alas, my skin does not get a vote and so, with the precise combination of wool socks, long underwear, sweaters, and hats perfected, it was time to turn my attention to soothing the dry, itchy, generally uncomfortable state of my winter skin. Read on for the products I’m swearing by these days (some of which might even make it into my regular post-winter rotation).
Saving Face
I live in an apartment that was built over 100 years ago —1901, to be exact. Yes, it’s got that pre-war brownstone charm people can’t seem to get enough of, but it’s also got creaky floors, doors that don’t actually fit in their frames, windows that let in as much air as they do sunlight, and ancient radiators.
That last one is a real killer, seeing as how extremely old heating systems like mine only have two options: on or off. There’s no regulating how hot a room gets; the alternative to sweltering warmth is…freezing cold air. As someone who firmly believes it’s much easier to make yourself warm than cool yourself down, this winter, I’ve opted for the “freezing cold air approach.” With my radiators turned off, I’m not at risk of burning the heck out of myself if I accidentally brush up against one nor am I likely to wake up drenched in sweat because the one in my bedroom has decided it’s time to pump out 95-degree steam heat. Instead, I plan to comfortably — if not bulkily — exist under layers of clothes and blankets until April.
However! This plan is not foolproof. While my body might be more comfortable, my skin certainly is not. In fact, my skin would much prefer the subtropical, steam-filled option if given a vote. Alas, my skin does not get a vote and so, with the precise combination of wool socks, long underwear, sweaters, and hats perfected, it was time to turn my attention to soothing the dry, itchy, generally uncomfortable state of my winter skin. Read on for the products I’m swearing by these days (some of which might even make it into my regular post-winter rotation).
Saving Face
I’ve always been a little afraid of face oil: it took a long time for me to trust that adding oil to my routine wouldn’t turn my combination skin into even more of an oil slick. I’m a true believer now, but only at night. Oil during the day? Not my thing, no thank you.
Until.
The fateful day I heard about a product from one of my all-time favorite skincare brands that contained one of my all-time favorite hydrating ingredients that ALSO CONTAINED SPF. One day of wearing Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 from Supergoop! and I had officially converted from my “oil only at night” rule.
Not only does this face oil come with built-in SPF (you know, for all the sun I'm definitely getting sitting inside all day), but its star ingredients are hydration royalty. Squalane boosts hydration, hyaluronic acid delivers long-lasting moisture at a molecular level, and ceramides work to keep it all locked in by fortifying the skin barrier. The fact that it’s an oil is just icing on the cake: it goes on smooth, melts into skin, and makes putting anything over it (makeup, more moisturizer) an absolute dream. Not only did the skin on my face no longer get that horrible too-tight-to-move-from-dryness feeling, but it also didn’t feel too oily despite using an oil in the AM. My skin was — and remains — as soft and supple as it is during the halcyon days of humidity-packed summers.
A Better Body (Butter)
Until.
The fateful day I heard about a product from one of my all-time favorite skincare brands that contained one of my all-time favorite hydrating ingredients that ALSO CONTAINED SPF. One day of wearing Daily Dose Hydra-Ceramide Boost + SPF 40 from Supergoop! and I had officially converted from my “oil only at night” rule.
Not only does this face oil come with built-in SPF (you know, for all the sun I'm definitely getting sitting inside all day), but its star ingredients are hydration royalty. Squalane boosts hydration, hyaluronic acid delivers long-lasting moisture at a molecular level, and ceramides work to keep it all locked in by fortifying the skin barrier. The fact that it’s an oil is just icing on the cake: it goes on smooth, melts into skin, and makes putting anything over it (makeup, more moisturizer) an absolute dream. Not only did the skin on my face no longer get that horrible too-tight-to-move-from-dryness feeling, but it also didn’t feel too oily despite using an oil in the AM. My skin was — and remains — as soft and supple as it is during the halcyon days of humidity-packed summers.
A Better Body (Butter)
Just like a morning face oil, the idea of body butter also set off warning bells in my head: my only experience with the stuff was last century when a national mall chain that I’ll refrain from naming was pumping body butter out by the ton in every scent you could imagine. As a child of the 90s, you better believe I spent all my allowance on tubs of it, to the point where if I catch even a whiff of faux mango, I revert to my 12-year-old self.
Luckily, the only thing Josie Maran’s Whipped Argan Pro-Retinol Body Butter shares with the old stuff is a name. A follow-up to the brand’s ultra-popular Argan Beta Retinol Pink Algae Serum, this body butter has a whipped cream-like texture and pink tint that make it a delight to use. And with ingredients like allantoin, glycerin, shea butter, squalane, and panthenol, it works to cure even the worst of winter skin woes. Bumpy back-of-arm skin? Gone. Dry-as-the-desert legs? Gone. Crepey chest? GONE. Oh, and it’s fragrance-free, so no weird middle school flashbacks necessary while getting the most hydrated skin of my life.
Sexy Skin
Luckily, the only thing Josie Maran’s Whipped Argan Pro-Retinol Body Butter shares with the old stuff is a name. A follow-up to the brand’s ultra-popular Argan Beta Retinol Pink Algae Serum, this body butter has a whipped cream-like texture and pink tint that make it a delight to use. And with ingredients like allantoin, glycerin, shea butter, squalane, and panthenol, it works to cure even the worst of winter skin woes. Bumpy back-of-arm skin? Gone. Dry-as-the-desert legs? Gone. Crepey chest? GONE. Oh, and it’s fragrance-free, so no weird middle school flashbacks necessary while getting the most hydrated skin of my life.
Sexy Skin
Ok so, this is actually billed as a “sensual moisturizer for moments of intimacy and exploration,” but I’d argue that it’s even better as a full-body moisturizer. Should the mood strike, by all means, keep on keeping on. But if you’re looking for a new way to keep everything head-to-toe soft and supple, it’s a (literally) solid option.
The Sex Stone from Kate McLeod is unlike any moisturizer I’ve ever used before and I’m honestly shocked it took me this long to try a solid version. It really does look like a stone: the solid moisturizer fits snugly in the palm of your hand and slowly melts as you glide it over warm skin. The cocoa butter and five ultra-moisturizing oils (sweet almond, avocado, argan, apricot kernel, coconut) transform into a gorgeous oil you smooth in. And yes, the Sex Stone leaves behind soft, hydrated skin, but it’s also a practice in spending time really listening to your body. When the contours of the stone meet the angles of your body, you really have to pay attention to how you’re using the product, where it’s going, and how it’s physically connecting to your skin. After sitting inside a cold apartment alone all day, the intentional practice is warming in more ways than one.
The Sex Stone from Kate McLeod is unlike any moisturizer I’ve ever used before and I’m honestly shocked it took me this long to try a solid version. It really does look like a stone: the solid moisturizer fits snugly in the palm of your hand and slowly melts as you glide it over warm skin. The cocoa butter and five ultra-moisturizing oils (sweet almond, avocado, argan, apricot kernel, coconut) transform into a gorgeous oil you smooth in. And yes, the Sex Stone leaves behind soft, hydrated skin, but it’s also a practice in spending time really listening to your body. When the contours of the stone meet the angles of your body, you really have to pay attention to how you’re using the product, where it’s going, and how it’s physically connecting to your skin. After sitting inside a cold apartment alone all day, the intentional practice is warming in more ways than one.
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