My Current Facial Moisturizers for Winter: Popular and Luxury Brands

By all indicators, this has been a mild winter in Massachusetts. The snow held off until February, so unless it continues into April, heaven forbid, I guess I can’t complain too much. But of course I will complain some. I’m getting ready to go out and shovel again. We got another 3-4 inches. Here’s the winter wonderland that I woke up to this morning!

Although the temperatures are not as cold (they’re in the 30s and 40s) as they used to be when temps in the teens and twenties were the norm, I still switch to more hydrating facial moisturizers for winter. Here are the moisturizers I’m using right now on tops of a variety of essences and serums.

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Coola Classic Sunscreen Unscented Moisturizer for Face SPF 30

I’ve written about this lightweight, greaseless organic sunscreen previously, but it is still part of my daily routine so I thought I’d mention it again. I do want to mention that this product uses chemical sunscreen ingredients that account for its very lightweight consistency.

I use this sunscreen when I go outside to protect my skin from the sun being reflected off the white snow. In summer, I wear it on its own, but I use it in winter in conjunction with one of the three moisturizers I’m going to talk about.

Coola Classic Sunscreen Unscented Moisturizer for Face SPF 30 is available at Ulta Beauty and Nordstrom among other retailers for $36 for 1.7 fl.oz.

Dr. Jart Water Drop Hydrating Moisturizer

I received this one ounce travel size tube of  the  Korean brand, Dr. Jart Water Drop Hydrating Moisturizer, in one of my subscription boxes, most likely Sephora Play or Birchbox, both of which sell the product. I’m a fan of Dr. Jart Premium BB Cream so I was eager to try this out.

It’s a cloudy, greaseless gel cream. A small amount covers my face, and it dries to a smooth surface rather than a rich, dewy feeling. It contains hyaluronic acid, and makes my skin feel hydrated and protected. When my skin feels very dry, I sometimes use it on top of another more traditional feeling moisturizer, and doing that is like sealing in the first moisturizer with a second moisture barrier. It may sound weird but it works to keep my winter dry skin hydrated. In the warmer weather, wearing it on its own will be fine.

Here’s how the Dr. Jart Water Drop technology is described by Sephora:

“This lightweight, refreshing moisturizer features a special emulsion system with droplets packed full of brightening and nourishing ingredients. The innovative formula bursts into tiny water droplets when applied—providing instant hydration and brightening dull, lackluster skin. Great for all skin types, it relieves dry, sensitive skin, revitalizes, and prevents visible signs of aging with concentrated antioxidants for a healthier-looking complexion. ”

Dr. Jart Water Drop Hydrating Moisturizer is priced at $36 for 3.3 fl.oz. No parabens, sulfates, phthalates. Sold at Sephora, Birchbox, on the Dr. Jart website.

Bellatorra Cellular Repair Night Cream

Bellatorra is a luxury, research-oriented skincare brand. Their fig-scented Bellatorra Torra48 Cellular Renewal Complex Advanced Facial Moisturizer is one of my favorite skincare products of all time.

Bellatorra Cellular Repair Night Cream is a beautiful new addition to the fabulous Bellatorra skincare line.

One of the fabulous things about Bellatorra skincare is that it is time-released so once you apply it, it’s working from the inside out to help your skin repair itself. In fact, Cellular Repair works for 48 hours by delivering encapsulated versions of my favorite ingredients retinol, glycolic acid and sodium hyaluronate to the deepest layers of the skin. It restores the communication process between different parts of the skin so that the skin can regenerate, repair, plump, and get moisturized. I’m making a concerted effort to prevent my skin from drying out this winter, and Bellatorra Cellular Repair Night Cream is doing some of the heavy lifting so to speak!

This night cream is very thick. I use a paddle to take a small amount from the jar and apply it to my skin after my serums. Because I use so little, it is long lasting. Though it’s a heavy cream, it isn’t greasy at all. Although it is positioned as a night cream, if I am going to be spending time outdoors like I am today when I go out and shovel, I will apply Cellular Repair Night Cream specifically because it is heavy and nourishing.

Bellatorra is expensive, and I know it is out of reach for a lot of us, but it is without peer IMHO as a night cream. If it is within your budget, remember it when Barney’s has their Spring Beauty Bag event that requires a $200+ purchase. Bellatorra Cellular Repair Night Cream is priced at $385 for 1.7 fl.oz. Available on the Bellatorra website as well as at Barneys.

Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Extra Light

I first was introduced to Sulwhasoo, Korea’s No. 1 Skincare brand, at HMart, the big box Korean supermarket not too far from where I live. I stopped into one of the beauty stores within the market, and the sales associate tried out a cushion foundation on me and sent me home with a few samples of Sulwhasoo skincare products.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Extra Light via one of the PR companies that I work with. Like Bellatorra, Sulwhasoo is a luxury brand as well as a research-oriented brand. You can see the luxury immediately with the gorgeous golden packaging.

When I opened the golden jar, I was instantly hit with the scent of ginseng. If you have ever been to a Chinese herb shop, the distinctive scent of ginseng will be familiar to you. If you haven’t, ginseng is a relatively strong herbal fragrance. I could see that it might be polarizing. But I like it, and it disappears on contact. Ginseng is known for its “youthening” (is that a word?) properties. Many people take ginseng capsules or mix the herb with water to create a tea. Ginseng is also known for making older skin act more like young skin as well as protecting skin from environmental damage.

Here’s what Sulwhasoo says about the ginseng in the Renewing Cream: “Compound K, a precious anti-aging ingredient found in ginseng roots, delivers deep nutrition and helps revitalize the skin from within. Ginsenoside Re extracted from ginseng flower is 6 times more concentrated than that of previous products and helps protect the skin against harmful elements.”

Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Extra Light is a lighter version of their popular Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Ex. The new Extra Light truly is lightweight, a fluffy cream that feels almost like a serum that’s no longer a liquid but that has changed form into a souffle-like cream. Unlike Dr. Jart Water Drop that forms a smooth coated surface, Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Extra Light gives my skin a dewy, moisturized feeling that I love. It feels instantly nourishing. In fact, according to the research reported on their website, Renewing Cream was most successful in moisturizing skin and repairing damage to skin. I also like the fact that they tested this anti-aging product on women, age 42-56, rather than on 20 year olds.

Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream in the regular and extra light forms are part of a Concentrated Ginseng Renewing line of products including Serum, Essential Oil and Eye Cream. The 2.02 fl.oz. jar of the Extra Light Renewing Cream that comes with its on golden paddle is priced at about $220. Sulwhasoo is available through the Sulwhasoo website, at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and at the HMart in Burlington MA and perhaps other HMart stores as well.

I am also attaching a video from Sulwhasoo that shows the steps for facial massage. Although the model is very young, facial massage is something that women of all ages including me should be doing. In fact, Cynthia Rowland who makes the Lip Pump that I’m giving away on my blog now (enter here) is a big proponent of facial massage. Check it out and try it yourself!

Allison Cohen

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