I know that winter has arrived when my lips desperately start craving lip balm. In Korea, you can feel the winter coming through your skin. Your skin gets stretchy and dry, not to mention the redness and irritation. After many years of struggling with the drastic changes from season to season in Korea, I finally figured out the perfect winter skincare regimen that’ll help you keep your skin strong and healthy to survive the extreme winter. Be prepared—it’s a (winter) jungle out there!

• New Ways to Exfoliate

You are not wrong if you realized that your skin has somehow lost its glow these days. In the dry winter season, your skin is more reluctant to absorb the skincare products and the products just roll and pill off your face. You’d think that since your skin has lost its moisture, it’d be excited for all the nutrition coming its way, ready to take it all in. But the problem is the dead skin cells! Dead skin cells get worse in the winter and without proper exfoliation, you are likely to just waste the good product by applying it to the dead skin cells. 

1. ✔︎ Try Black Sugar!

Black sugar is the exfoliator perfect for winter. Exfoliator with black sugar as its main component usually exfoliates the skin physically by scrubbing off the dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. Because dead skin cells pile up faster during the winter, you might want to try exfoliating with a physical exfoliant for a quicker result. Not only does black sugar offer you the immediate peel but it moisturizes your skin as you exfoliate. 

• Ampoules and serums never go wrong

Ampoules and serums are powerful boosters for your skin packed with active ingredients. Due to higher concentrations, the texture is rather thick compared to regular moisturizing lotion or toner. 

✔︎ Propolis is always right

To put it in simpler terms, ampoules are emergency kits for your skin. It comes in small bottles and just one or two drops of it is enough to work its magic. Want to know which ampoules to use? Why not start off with propolis? Propolis ampoule is a go-to K-beauty skincare item for anyone who is in need of strong, resilient skin. 

• Cica means care

Your skin needs time to heal especially at a time like this. When I say heal, I literally mean heal its wound. Your skin gets minor scratches that may not be visible by the bare eye from the strong, cold wind and cannot heal properly due to the lack of moisture in your skin. The perfect remedy is cica-cream. Cica- (or “Centella asiatica”) has been used originally as ointment for scars and wounds that has evolved into a K-beauty skincare revolution.

• Water, water, water! 

Remember to stay hydrated in the winter and drink lots of water. But wait, how about water for your skin? Make sure that your skin also stays hydrated with Hyaluronic Acid. Using products with Hyaluronic Acid is like drinking water for your skin, allowing the moisture to go straight to your skin.