The Korean Moisturizer That Saved My Dehydrated Winter Skin
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This winter, I became one of those lucky people whose skin is somehow both oilyanddehydrated. I’ve always been a bit jealous of people who can wash their faces with hydratingcleansing balms, slather on thicknight creams, and seal it all in with fatty oils. I can already feel pimples forming if I so much as look twice at a rich cream. Even Sofie Pavitt’s, which I initially loved and is supposed to be acne-safe, eventually broke me out. While I’m sure my dry-skin siblings would scoff at me and my envy, at least they can beproactivewhen the temperature dips. Generally, I was always able to skate by, my natural oiliness protecting me from both the elements and my radiator. But winter came for us all this year.
I realized I was in trouble when my skin started feeling really tight. Then came the rough patches on my cheeks. My usually rosy complexion started to veer toward ruddy. I found myself in a catch-22: Should I reach for products that would treat my dry-skin issue but probably break me out? Or keep on with my acne-safe skin care that kept my complexion clear but did nothing to fix mydry skin?
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And then came the death blow:My esthetician, SJ,informed me that my skin was definitely dehydrated.How could I be dehydrated,I thought,when my skin was still shiny?She pressed a bottle of Dr. esthé Dual Barrier Lotion into my hands with a promise that it would cure my winter issues. I had not noticed this brand tucked among her products before. The packaging looked clinical and it was clearly K-beauty, but I had, somehow, never heard of it. “Dr. esthé is a brand based on skin technology and scientific knowledge, focused towards professional skin care,” I read. The lotion also had a blend of ceramides, centella asiatica extract, and dual hyaluronates, plus a healthy dose of glycerin, another powerhouse humectant that draws water into the skin.
I took it home and dutifully dabbed it onto my face before bed. I was expecting something heavy, but the Dual Barrier Lotion was almost silky in texture. It felt lightweight and instantly absorbed, leaving behind just the faintest suggestion of softness. It didn’t feel greasy or leave behind the film I associate with thicker moisturizers. While I don’t usually expect much from amoisturizer, I couldn’t deny it was doing more for my skin than any other workhorse active in my routine. I almost immediately noticed my skin becoming much, much softer. The rough patches and dryness smoothed out, while the redness on my cheeks, always worse in the winter, also calmed down significantly. My complexion was even and, blessedly, breakout free. At my follow-up appointment, eight weeks after she first gave me the bottle, SJ declared that I was “definitely less dehydrated.” Even when the historic arctic blast hit New York City, the ice-cold winds and subzero temperatures couldn’t touch me. The Dual Barrier Lotion kept my barrier calm and protected.
The very best part? The bottle is seven ounces, so I’m set until spring.
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