It’s the start of the new year, so let’s review some of my most loved products from 2023. Today’s focus- skincare favorites! Below I have listed some of my personal favorite skincare products from last year, in no particular order. All of these items were new to me in 2023, and they have all become a part of my normal routine.
Before we start- a couple notes about my skin. I definitely have combination skin. I tend to get oily in my T-zone and struggle with occasional breakouts in these areas. However, I also struggle with dryness (especially during winter), so finding a balance between hydration and acne control is a big focus for me. Everyone’s skin is different! These products are just what work best for me.
Skincare favorites of 2023:
1. Foreo Luna Mini 2
What is it: The Luna Mini 2, is a face cleansing device made by the Swedish beauty brand Foreo. As you can see in the picture above, the tool is small (aka travel friendly) and features soft touchpoints of varying sizes. Although you cannot see it in the picture, the back also has larger touchpoints. The tool vibrates as you cleanse your face, and you can choose between eight different intensities. As you cleanse, the device pauses to let you know when to move on to a different area of your face. The total cleansing process takes only one minute, so it is easy to incorporate into a daily routine.
Why I love it: I wear makeup almost every day, so I feel that it is really important that I thoroughly cleanse my face every night. Personally, my skin has never felt cleaner than after using this tool. The Luna Mini 2 is made of silicone, which is more hygienic than other nylon bristle cleaning brushes. As someone who is prone to acne on certain parts of my face, this is a big plus.
The battery also lasts so long! I have had my Luna Mini 2 since spring of 2023 and have used it twice a day, every day since then. I have only had to charge it one time, that’s it.
2. COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
What is it: This snail mucin essence made by Korean beauty brand COSRX is exactly what it sounds like- an essence composed of 96% Snail Secretion Filtrate, or snail mucin. That may sound gross to you, but it has over 66,000 reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. It also went viral on social media in 2023, and for good reason.
Why I love it: This essence is SO hydrating, but not at all greasy. It soaks into my skin quickly and works well under makeup. There is no scent, it doesn’t irritate my skin, and I am personally not bothered by the fact that it is made of snail mucin (as long as I don’t think about it too much). Right now, it is part of both my morning and nighttime skincare routines, which I think has helped me stay hydrated during the dry winter months.
Note: If you try this product, I suggest applying it when your face is still slightly damp after cleansing. I find that this helps the product absorb more evenly into the skin and lock in more moisture.
3. COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream
What is it: Sticking with the snail theme, this moisturizer is composed of 92% snail mucin. Also from COSRX, it is thicker than the essence mentioned above and slightly more sticky/slimy. Like the essence, this moisturizer is also fragrance-free.
Why I love it: This moisturizer is very hydrating and always feels soothing on my skin, even when my face is dry, tight, or irritated. Also, like the essence, it absorbs into the skin very well. So well, in fact, that I also wear this under makeup and have never had any issue with it when applying products over top.
4. COSRX Hyaluronic Acid Cream
What is it: This ultra-rich hyaluronic acid cream, also made by COSRX (are you sensing a theme here?), is the heaviest of the products I have mentioned so far. It does not contain snail mucin, so it has a very different texture from the previous moisturizer. To me, it feels like a rich night cream. It is also fragrance-free, like the other COSRX products mentioned above.
Why I love it: Again, this is so hydrating! This cream feels very rich to me, so I don’t use it every day and I don’t use it under makeup. For me, this is what I turn to when I want my skin to feel extra hydrated when going to bed (like “I want to look like a glazed donut” hydrated).
Note: A little goes a long way! Just a tiny bit of this cream moisturizes my entire face. When I use too much, and I definitely have, I end up looking very oily. This is why I only use this product at night.
5. Ice Roller
What is it: This one is pretty self-explanatory! The ice roller I have is from Flawless and you can find it here. There are also a lot of other brands that make very similar rollers. I personally like the pastel pink color of this one.
Why I love it: I wasn’t sure that using an ice roller would really do anything. I just thought it would feel nice in the morning before doing my skincare. It definitely does feel nice, but I find that it also de-puffs my face. You know the feeling when you wake up and can tell that you’re puffy- this helps with that!
6. Face Washing Wristbands
What are they: You know how water runs down your arms when you cleanse your face? These little wristbands fix that problem. I have these ones from Amazon. The pack I got includes four pairs of wristbands in different colors. They’re super cute and do their job well.
Why I love them: My reasoning here is pretty simple- water running down my arms and into my sleeves really irritates me. Thus, I am a big fan of these little guys. I use them every day!
