Switch up skin care this winter
If summer beauty is all about bronzing and glow, then winter is the time to nourish and moisturize. Beauty brands are tapping into a demand for products that are as natural as possible — ideally vegan and often from different cultures — with effective ingredients formulated to soothe, soften, tighten and tone. And once your skin is set, don’t forget to add a little holiday sparkle. Here are some products you should check out.
Alaffia
Pulling beauty secrets from other cultures is the modern way of beauty, and the West African brand (whose name is a greeting that means “peace, health and well-being”) mines its indigenous ingredients — kola nut extract, moringa seed extract and baobab oil — for its Age Defying Face Scrub. $18, Whole Foods Market and alaffia.com
Silk Therapeutics
Liquid silk is one of a dozen ingredients in the Hydra-Rich Advanced Moisturizing Cream from the doctor-founded brand that has silk as a core component of all its products. The new cream, created specifically for fall, uses collagen molecules to seal in hydration. $120, silktherapeutics.com
Daily Concepts
Dry brushing is as much a beauty conceit as it is a wellness one. The Detox Massaging Brush buffs the skin, removing layers of dead cells and generally helping with circulation. $18, Bed, Bath & Beyond and dailyconcepts.com
Crude
The skin-care brand turns the idea of cleansing on its head by taking soap out of its products to go vegan and plant-based. The body wash, for example, is made from sunflower oil, aloe vera and essences of lime, lavender and bergamot. The Convert Kit, $135, includes several items. livecrude.com
MDNA Skin
Beauty rollers are the hot skincare tool at the moment. A top-ofthe-line roller from the brand co-founded by Madonna, beauty company MTG and Italian spa destination Montecatini doesn’t use a battery and has a pair of carbon spheres said to help firm the face. $200, barneys.com
Tatcha
To keep those lips particularly soft, the San Francisco-based brand (it’s based on the geisha principles of beauty) recently bowed its Kissu Lip Mask. The gel-like product is based on the ancient Japanese beautifying technique of chopped peach seeds mixed with oils to repair chapped lips. In addition to peach seed extract, the mask contains camellia oil and three types of rose extract. (The product is currently sold out but will be replenished in the next few months. Or try getting your hands on a limited-edition $68 holiday gift set containing the lip mask.) $30, tatcha.com
Bite Beauty
Fun for yourself or as a gift is the limited-edition Astrology by Bite Mini Set, featuring a dozen shades of the brand’s Amuse Bouche lipsticks. The zodiacthemed colors are made using edible oils to help nourish and fruit butters to hydrate. $75, sephora.com and bitebeauty.com
Pixi
Retinol has long been recommended by dermatologists to help with skin concerns such as hyperpigmentation and fine lines. The cult fave brand recently launched its Retinol Tonic, a light-yet-potent liquid said to endow the skin with a pretty glow. $15, Target and pixibeauty.com