Skincare is an essential part of one’s daily routine. Though a proper skincare routine is important year-round, the winter season introduces dryness and cracked skin which makes skincare a must.

Having the right products to keep your skin healthy and moisturized seems like an easy feat, but with all of the harsh ingredients in so many of our skincare products, it can be difficult to know what is the best option for your unique skin type. In order to get more tips and tricks on how to maintain a healthy glow through this frigid winter, we spoke to skincare experts and customers to gain insight on what is new and popular for routines that reflect the seasonal change. 

Skincare expert and Aesop employee, Jasmine Boubas, explained some of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy glow. She also described different skin types and what one should look for or steer away from if they have dry or oily skin. Aside from face washes and moisturizers, Boubas discussed what sets Aesop apart from other skincare brands. 

“Aesop mainly focuses on the botanical extracts in ingredients. We don’t use any synthetic fragrances, no parabens, no silicones,” Boubas said.

Boubas also touches upon the importance of being ethical in creating skincare. Aesop is a cruelty-free company, making it an ethical choice for people who try to steer away from animal-tested products. 

Julie Glikin is a regular Aesop customer who swears by their face masks. 

“I use the blue chamomile hydrating mask from Aesop. It’s super hydrating and it has a lot of vitamins and nutrients that work really well for my skin,” she said. 

Glikin stated that even though the prices are slightly higher for these products, they are very worth it. One of the perks of buying from Aesop is that employees supply customers with a generous amount of samples. This gives people the opportunity to decide whether a certain product works for their skin type before splurging on the full bottle.

Aesop offers great, cruelty free products but other students are using other products in their winter routine. Jade Nolan, a recent DePaul alumna, told us about her skincare routine and she must have products for winter. 

“I try to stay moisturized my favorite product of all time is rosehip oil,” Nolan said. 

She recommends the ordinary rosehip oil available at Sephora, which costs around $10 for a 1oz. bottle compared to Aesop’s $75 .9 oz. bottle. 

“I am a strong believer in oils but be careful about how much you’re using because you may turn out greasy if you use too much,” she said. 

She’s a fan of Aesop but says the price deters her from using the products, which are in the upper price range of skincare products.  

“I also really love how this mask makes my skin feel it’s like I can feel it working,” Nolan said. 

As college students constantly on the go, we forget the importance of keeping our skin healthy.  Nolan stressed the importance of using products that work that also aren’t really expensive. She recommends places like Marshalls, Sephora, and Ulta as places where you can get good products at lower prices. 

Aesop’s pricing may seem steep to some, but to its regular customers, it provides them with great quality products that are worth the price. One of their most popular items, elemental facial barrier cream, comes in one size,  2.1 oz., and sells for $60. The Barrier Cream is extremely rich and a little bit goes a long way. The Barrier Cream is most popular during the winter as it’s rich and thick formula provides a literal barrier on the face that protects against wind-burn and harsh environmental conditions. 

Living in Chicago means having to transition into harsh winters, sometimes abruptly. As people begin their seasonal clothing changes, it’s important to hold skincare to the same standard. 

Chicago is home to a wide variety of skincare brands. Many of these brands stress the importance of having a balanced skincare routine, that involves the right type of face wash, toner, and moisturizer to finish. These steps are important in cleansing, prepping the skin and finally, hydrating. 

When buying skin care products, it’s important to know the value of ethically made products and the price that comes with non-animal-tested products. On the other hand, price does not define the quality of skincare as it is subjective to different types of skin. In order to get the best experience, people can benefit from trial-and-error when trying new products. 

Many skincare brands realize the importance of this and will often offer many samples for people to test which ingredients work best with their skin type. Try to establish your own routine, use these samples to see what works for you and what doesn’t. 

Research is a key factor in keeping your skin nice as well, if you want to use Aesop products, try finding out which skin care products work for you is hard but sites like Beautypedia give expert and customer reviews so you can see what gives you the best results for your money.