Though we’re right in the midst of hot, sweaty July, your moisturizer should not be getting the same treatment as your coats and sweaters. Everyone knows how important it is to apply skin-quenching creams to dry skin in the winter months. But you may not realize rising temperatures and humidity levels leave our skin particularly vulnerable to dehydration — constant exposure to harsh heat, UV rays, and air-conditioning can strip our skin of its natural oils, making it extra-susceptible to dullness, irritation, redness, and even breakouts.
Over the past few weeks, I noticed my skin was looking particularly red, blotchy, and spotty — a problem that, I realized, might have something to do with the fact that I’d been applying little to no moisturizer and tons of SPF. My skin, I assumed, wasn’t getting the hydration it needed to keep its natural barrier healthy and nourished. But even as someone who leans very dry, all of my go-to creams (like my Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream and my Benton Steam Cream) were simply too thick and rich for this time of year — they each left me looking insanely greasy. So I began searching for a lightweight, healing, and soothing moisturizer that could help calm my spotty skin while locking in a healthy amount of moisture.
It’s no secret that Cosrx makes some of my most tried and true skin-care products — its Snail Mucin Essence and AHA Whitehead Power Liquid have remained staples in my routine for years. But when I saw that is was launching a line that featured all propolis-packed products, I was thrilled. Research shows that when applied topically, propolis — a resinous, gluelike substance made by honeybees — has deeply nourishing, antibacterial, healing, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is why it’s considered a fix-it-all, gold-star ingredient by trusted skin-care gurus like Fifty Shades of Snail and Gothamista.
After some research, I decided to order the line’s “Propolis Light Cream” — a bouncy, gel-based moisturizer that promised to nurture my skin to its healthiest, glowiest state while ensuring it remained “plump with hydration.”
Simply put: The cream evened out and lit up my complexion, quenched my skin without causing any greasiness, oiliness, or slipperiness, and immediately became a staple in my daily routine. Even more impressive than the cream’s lightweight yet effectively moisturizing texture was its healing properties — within about a week of using this cream in the morning and evening, the dark marks and scabs left behind from a recent (and potentially mask-related) breakout had faded away and fallen off, and some redness and sensitivity that I’d had on my cheeks had begun to heal. After weeks of diligent use, this moisturizer has made my skin look more even-toned, bright, bouncy, and perfectly quenched.
As I mentioned, my skin is on the dry to very dry side — so while this might be lightweight for me, if you have oily skin, you might consider it to be more of a medium-rich consistency. However, I believe even oilier skin types would benefit from the intensely nourishing and rejuvenating properties of this propolis-rich cream — just use it once a day instead of twice, in your evening routine.
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