In light of the emotional overhaul of the political climate, we thought we’d spend this week on something a little more light hearted, but still important: Taking care of you, via your skin. This is the first of many posts on the subject, promise.
Skincare can be very personal because it borders on hygiene – imagine talking about what shampoo or toothpaste you use – but anyone who has multiple steps in their routine knows that hygiene is not the only factor. Seeing skincare as a reversal of aging is also reductive, and can harbor judgment because others can appear superficial or obstinate for trying to go against a process that appears natural. Let’s just clear the air now (no pun intended) and say that actually, there are a lot of pollutants in the climate that are likely making us age faster than we should. But regardless, skincare is ultimately the external gauge of our physical and mental health.
It’s more than just slabbing products on our face, it’s also remembering to drink water, carving out those 10 minutes to wind down, eating enough good foods, the list goes on.
We each have our own favorite products and regimens but let’s be honest, a lot of those things overlap because of the melanin content in our skin. We have a mutual love for natural products (with women CEOs!) like Tatcha but also the KBeauty contenders are very strong.
Here are some of our favorites at the moment:
Missha Time Revolution Essence – the best dupe for SKII’s pitera essence for ¼ of the price. Yen accidentally discovered this on a trip to Seoul a few years back, and her skin has completely transformed. Tatcha’s plumping essence is also great but the Missha price cannot be beat. Pretty much our favorite thing right now.
Missha All Around Safe Block Sun Gel – we love this sunscreen because it’s refreshing and dries without sticking. Because it’s a chemical sunblock, there’s no white cast which is super important for our skin tone, plus this one has cooling effects.
Tatcha Rice Enzyme Polish - it starts as a powder and foams up amazingly, and does especially well with cleansing tools like the Foreo. We love the way it foams and gently exfoliates.
Neogen Green Tea Cleansing Stick – Yen is especially attracted to novel forms of classic products, so the fact that this cleanser is like a soap bar makes her that much more inclined to like it. It’s also good for travel and works great with cleansing tools. She’s bought one for almost all the women in her family.
Some by Mi AHA-BHA-PHA Miracle Toner – For Mags, as a Black woman in academia, there is constant stress, which of course leads to break outs. Some by Mi toners help counter the effects of the pigmentation and keeps skin tone even by the quick overturn of cells. Mags can’t live without!
Klavuu One Day 8 Cups Aqua Cream (Blue Pearlisation line) – For combination skin, water based moisturizers, i.e. water creams or gels, work best for me. This one is super refreshing, smells great, and doesn’t feel sticky afterward.
Now Omega 3-6-9 Supplements – Unexpected, but honestly, healthy fats are soooo good for you, and this omega combo makes a big difference on skin AND mood. Yen takes this daily and has tried a number of different brands but this one works best for her.
New & Noteworthy find: CosRX Snail Mucin Sheet Masks, antioxidant and nutrients in a mask that you just need to pat into your face after 10 minutes, need we say more?
Essentially, we’re all about quality for money.
Dropping $$$ on La Mer and SKII isn’t really sustainable for a lot of us, especially for items you will use every day, for years on end. These are the items that are working for us, but we are always down to try new things! Let us know in the comments what your favorites are!
Side note: For those of you in academia, you know that this is the point in the semester where everyone is just exhausted. But not only that, it really does feel like there are not enough hours in a day. So please do excuse the slow trickle of content these days!
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