Category: Product Reviews

My skin is always on the dry side, but as soon as winter rolls in, it’s like my face and body forget how to retain moisture entirely. Between the cold air outside and the dry heat inside, my skin feels tight and uncomfortable. Over the years, I’ve tried dozens of products to keep my skin hydrated and here are my current holy grail items that are helping my skin stay soft:

Face

• Farmhouse Fresh Green Tea Milk Wash Cream Cleanser, $30  
• COSRX Advanced Snail Mucin Power Essence, $20
• Eclat Vitamin C Serum, $8 
• Farmhouse Fresh Three Milk Ageless Moisturizer, $38
• Bioelements Skin Editor, $49 (2-3 times a week)

I throw in some random stuff every so often if I see something fun at TJ Maxx, but these are my ride-or-die products that work for me. I’ve been using the Farmhouse Fresh cleanser for a couple years and it is very gentle and moisturizing. The COSRX is one of my hero products that I’m obsessed with and I use that and then follow it with the Vitamin C serum. If you’re a bit grossed out with the idea of snail mucin, that’s cool. I’ve also tried the Bean Essence serum from Korean skincare brand Mixsoon, which is very similar.

I switched to this moisturizer last summer and it is really great for face AND neck. As for the Biolements Skin Editor, it’s pricey but a little goes a long way. I think my last jar lasted me well over a year. I’d include a nighttime cream, but I keep switching between a few options and they’re all great but nothing super special.

Body

• Farmhouse Fresh Shea Butter, $32

I received this shea butter as a birthday promo from Farmhouse Fresh in the fall and my initial thoughts were that the lotion was too thin to be moisturizing enough for me. And OHMYGOD I was so wrong. This lotion feels lightweight when you smooth it on, but it locks in moisture and keeps my skin silky soft all day and night long. It also smells amazing. My only complaint is that I HATE the glass bottles. Once you get past the halfway mark, it’s so hard to get the lotion out. I wish it was in a squeeze tube.

Hands and Feet

• Gel Heel Socks, $10
• Ancient Greek Remedy Oil, $16
• Snail Hand Cream, $7
• Heel Peeling Mask, $5

Ugh, my poor heels have never been so dry in my LIFE. I don’t know if it’s perimenopause (which apparently everything is at my age), or just random luck, but they have been driving me crazy for the past 6-8 months. I have tried EVERYTHING and the only combo that works for me is to put on the Farmhouse Fresh Shea Butter after my shower, top it with the Ancient Greek Remedy Oil and then throw on the gel heel socks for a bit. I try to sleep in the heel socks, but I end up throwing them across the room in the middle of the night.

The Ancient Greek Remedy Oil is also AMAZING for hands. My poor husband’s knuckles get so dry and alligator-like, so I’ll rub this into the backs of his hands when he needs it, right before he goes to sleep. The first time I did it, he texted me the next day asking me what magic was in the oil. My hands are less terrible, but when I feel my knuckles getting dry I rub in a few drops. I also picked up the snail hand cream at TJ Maxx on a whim and it’s so, so, so good. It moisturizes and soaks in really quickly and I will definitely be rebuying it again.

If you want to get super fancy, try the heel peeling mask. You leave it on for about 30 minutes and then wash it off and go about your business. The heel area of your feet will fully peel over the next week or so and a much softer version of your feet will come out. Yes, the peeling part is gross but gross in a kind of cool way… I used my first pack a couple months ago and was shocked at how well it worked. So I immediately ordered a couple more packs to keep on hand!

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

A couple years ago, I started a series called “Empty’s” where I revisit an item after it’s been used long term, and decide whether I want to repurchase it.

You can find my previous posts here:

• Empty’s – May 2022
• Empty’s – July 2022
• Empty’s – September 2022
• Empty’s – February 2023
• Empty’s – April 2024
• Empty’s – September 2024

Here are the items in my Empty’s bin today:

Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask (here’s the link)

The Olaplex No. 8 moisture mask is an intensive conditioner that you leave on for 10 minutes. I’ve had this bottle for a really long time, since I typically would use it a week or so before I dye my hair at home, thinking it might give it a little extra moisture and strength. With that being said, I actually have no idea if this worked or not. It felt like a lightweight conditioner when I’d put it on and after I washed it out… my hair would feel exactly the same as if I just conditioned it regularly. I’m not planning to re-buy this one at this time, but if I notice any changes in my hair over the next few dye cycles, I may revisit this.

COSRX Advanced Snail Mucin Power Essence (here’s the link)

I tried the COSRX snail mucin on a whim almost a year ago and it is honestly one of my hero products that I will forever purchase. I’m OBSESSED with it. It is said to ‘repair and rejuvenate the skin from dryness and aging, as well as reduce dullness and sooth dehydrated skin’ and it absolutely does. I use this day and night and it helps my dry skin feel normal and super soft throughout the day. As for order: first wash face and pat dry, then snail mucin, then any serums (like vitamin C), then moisturizer, then SPF (during the day). LOVE IT. If I did stocking stuffers for everyone in the world, this would be included. This is a forever re-buy for me!

Canvas candle from Target (here’s the link)

This is one of my favorite year-round scents and it is available at Target. Each season, they change up the container a bit so I pick one that I like, since I tend to reuse them around the house after the candle has finished its job. This particular jar is not my favorite, as the inside film scratched off easily, however the ceramic jars from previous versions are beautiful. This is a re-buy for me… just with a closer look at the containers!

Disclosure: Not sponsored. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.