Get the inside scoop on the latest K-beauty news straight from our friends at Soko Glam’s Seoul office. Here, they’re sharing their favorite tips for keeping skin hydrated during the fall and winter.
In recent years, Korea has experienced record-breaking, freezing temperatures. Now that fall is here, I’ve been considering the tips my friends, family members, and work colleagues in Seoul have provided about how to protect your skin from now through the harsh winter months.
Here are three of the ones I’ll be incorporating into my daily life as the weather gets colder.
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Desk Humidifiers
The ultimate wintertime desk accessory is without a doubt the personal humidifier! Small, convenient, and effective, these mini humidifiers help add moisture back into the air.
I first noticed these small humidifiers on the desks of every bank teller at my local bank branch. As the weather got colder, my colleagues also began to set up cute, mini humidifiers on each of their desks.
Sitting at my own desk with a vent blowing out much-appreciated warmth, I couldn’t help but feel that it was also evaporating necessary moisture from my skin. So I stopped by the dollar store and purchased a $5 bright yellow, mini humidifier. It plugs into the USB port on my laptop and emits a fine mist to combat the drying effects of the heater – and I haven’t looked back since.
Oil Mists
Winter skin care tip number two also comes from my co-workers. During the summer we like to keep facial mists on our desks to cool and hydrate our skin throughout the day. But during the winter, I like to switch to a mist that contains oil to add an extra boost of moisture.
My current go-to mist is the d’Alba Piedmont White Truffle First Spray Serum. I like to use this mist in multiple ways, including in my skin care routine and as a make-up setting spray.
Walking outside in the cold and coming indoors to a drier, warm environment can leave skin feeling extra dehydrated, so I also like to keep this product on my desk and mist a couple of times a day.
The types of oils in mists can vary greatly from product to product, so it’s important to find one that works best for your skin type and concerns. For example, the White Truffle First Spray Serum is ideal for dry and combination skin types and contains avocado oil to moisturize. I like that this particular product sprays in a fine mist and adds moisture without leaving an oily feeling on the skin.
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Microfleece Face Masks
In Korea, there seems to be a face mask for each of the four seasons. When the temperatures dip, it’s time to reach for the cozy and fuzzy microfleece face mask. A cousin gifted me two microfleece face masks during my first winter in Seoul, and they have been a game changer for keeping my skin protected from the elements.
Similar to a scarf snuggly wrapped around your lower face, a microfleece face mask conveniently covers your nose and mouth, protecting your skin from wind, cold, and dry air, and keeping your breath warm on even the coldest of days. Plus, since the mask loops around your ears, it stays in place, with no worry of slipping or falling as you go about your day.
Face masks are commonly worn in Korea. If you haven’t worn a face mask in public before, I recommend giving it a try this winter, especially on one of the colder days or when you’ll be spending an extended amount of time outside.
