My Current Top 3 Products for a Cozy Skin and Bodycare Routine (and 2 Honorable Mentions)

My passion for beauty products means much more to me than the artistry of color and a makeup look or my academic interests in ingredients and formula. It is also a means of deep self-care that relaxes my mind, excites my senses, and nourishes my soul, all while addressing any exterior concerns I'm hoping to improve on, But today, I wanted to highlight a few products I have loved both recently and overtime that truly not only seem to do something for me topically but also offer me a sensory and also almost spiritual experience that is truly delightful. Ironically, most, if not all, of these products have very cozy and warm scents, which make them perfect for the Fall/Winter season and would also be great gift ideas if you are already thinking about Christmas and Holiday gift giving.

Inlight Beauty Face Cleanser ($59 USD for 1.52 oz jar at shopbeautyheroes.com) Inlight Beauty is a UK-based luxury organic skincare brand that aims to integrate both the scientific and energetic properties of plants and herbs to protect and heal skin and bring about total-body healing. Even if you are not into more energy-based or aromatherapeutic medicine, the quality of their cleansing balm is without question. It is made of a nourishing-feeling yet lightweight based of coconut, jojoba, and olive oil and beeswax along with some shea butter, which I think helps give this cleanser a very moisturizing yet easy-to-massage texture. And the texture is indeed perfect for a long massage and does not absorb too quickly in the skin, but it does not feel greasy at all. Though I have dry skin, I have to say I was initially skeptical of the coconut oil in this product as the ingredient can sometimes break me out. But the quality of the sourcing and the refining of the coconut oil seems so well done that, I do not get a heavy gritty or overly heavy feeling left on my skin from using this, and, in fact, it does seem to give me the calming, cooling effect that Inlight describes the coconut oil as having, which also seems to help soothe if not heal breakouts.

In terms of further skin restoration and healing their is also antioxidant rich green tea and pain-relieving and circulation-enhancing clove in this blend along with lavender and refreshing lemon peel and ginger to name some of many. It is the clove out of all things that I smell the most along with maybe the rosemary and perhaps the green tea. For all the herbs in here, though, the scent is very mild, but the addition of the rosy yet grounding gently spicy clove is what makes this product such a mood-setter for me and truly stand out. This is a cleanser that contains no emulsifier, though, which means that it won't turn into a milky substance or foam up in away that also allows it to be rinsed off when it makes contact with water. Instead, you will need to steam this off by putting a warm-to- comfortably-hot washcloth over your face and let the steam work off the impurities released by the cleanser and the residue of the cleanser yourself off of your skin. To me, this method of cleansing just makes for an extra indulgent ritual that I thoroughly enjoy, especially on a pamper night or when I want an extra deep yet restorative cleansing experience. Nonemulsifying cleansing balms like this one (and also nonemulsyifying cleansing oils for that matter) can also be used as leave-on moisturizing products too, and wearing a small amount of this as a face balm has also been an extra treat to keep my skin comfortable as it has gotten colder.

May Lindstrom The Jasmine Garden Face Mist ($70 USD for 3.4 oz bottle MayLindstromSkin.com) I'll admit it. Face Mists are not a category of products I regularly explore, and when I do, they are usually at best nice but extremely forgettable. One, however, does distinguish itself as being truly extraordinary, and that is the Jasmine Garden by May Lindstom. For one thing, this is not just a typical face mist you use to spritz your face to cool down and feel refreshed. It does this, but there is also a powerful dose of colloidal silver in this product that is amazing for treating inflammation and stopping breakouts seemingly even before they really come out to the surface of the skin but while actually helping to calm and rejuvenate the skin barrier instead of aggressively stripping it down.

The jasmine itself is also known for having a gently purifying effect and also adding firmness while rose extract lends some properties of Vitamins C and A for overall skin brightness and improved barrier function and some antioxidants, which are also brought by the cacao extract in the product. Yes, there is actually real cacao resin in this product, so if you see little brown bits floating in the beautiful pink juice that is this mist, don't be scared and know that this is what it is. Just remember to shake the bottle before using to make sure the resin is evenly distributed through all the oils in the product. The scent of this resin and beautiful flowers is truly something absolutely alluring to me, so much so that I truly wish May Lindstrom would come out with a perfume or maybe a body oil that smelled like this. But alas, this is a wonderful thing to spray on your skin as a toning step or over or under oils and creams to help them absorb even more deeply into your skin for an extra kick of moisture in the form of the kisses of the droplets in this mist.

Klorane Fig Leaf Shower Gel ($18 USD for 13.5 oz bottle KloraneUsa.com) : I often struggle to find shower gels that do not overdry my already dry skin. I dislike shower creams and creamy body washes because I often just don't feel as fresh and clean after using them. Plus, their slick texture can often make the shower feel slippery and also clog my drains super easily. A perfect compromise for me though for a bath and shower product that leaves me fresh but not at all dried out is the Klorane Fig Leaf Shower Gel. It is free of sodium lauryl sulfate-- a very common and often super drying ingredient that gives bubbly shower gels and bath soaks and shampoos and cleansers a really high lather, yet it still suds up and gives me a great clean feeling. The formula is also enriched with organic cupuacu butter, which is a moisturizing ingredient I have used in some facial skincare products before but have not yet known about any for the bath. I think this ingredient really helps keep my skin comfortable despite the lathering clean of the gel and often not itchy or dying to slather my body in lotion afterwards, though I do still generally follow up with body cream eventually. The comforting yet cleaning feel of this is something I've really come to love and appreciate for the relative rarity that it is. And the lovely sweet fig smell (also containing a slight whisper of freesia) is a unique and even somewhat decadent take on a fresh scent that I feel makes it a great choice for all times of year.

*** Honorable Mention #1 *** Maison Louis Marie 04 Bois de Balincourt ($93 1.7 oz perfume $29 0.33 oz travel spray) : Not exactly skincare or bodycare, but I want to make note of a lovely, understated elegant perfume before we close this article out. Belgian perfume house and candlemaker Maison Louis Marie makes some of the smoothest, comforting scents I've ever smelled, and 04 Bois de Balincourt is the bestseller for a reason. A simple blend of mellow sandalwood (not too rosy, too spicy, or too sour) grounded with a just a kiss of dusty cedarwood and sweet amber combines with a soft cinnamon and dense rich nutmeg to create a close-to-the skin cocoon that just feels like a hug. With the cinnamon and nutmeg, I am gently reminded that Holiday and Christmas cookies will be in our ovens soon and that alone just makes this fragrance feel comforting. Rest assured, though, that the scent itself does not smell or feel overly sweet or foody, it is a subtle twist to give this chic scent a twist if character as the overall composition both invites people closer and draws the wearer deeper into themselves for days and nights out and in.

*** Honorable Mention #2*** Live Botanical Moon Cycle Balm ($38 USD for 2 oz jar www.livebotanical.com) As the name of the product implies, Live Botanical's Moon Cycle Balm was created in mind for addressing aches and pains for the female during her menstrual cycle with circulation-boosting and allegedly hormone-balancing and stress-reducing herbs, including rose, rose geranium, cinnamon, frankincense, and clary sage. But as someone with muscular problems outside of her cycle, (and is nearing the end of her cycles overall) I can tell you that this blend can help anyone dealing with physical pain. The warming effect of the cinnamon paired with powerful relaxing property arnica really helps to reduce tension and the herbal, grounding aroma of the frankincense and geranium is something I find so soothing and always puts me in a state conducive to a good night's rest. Sidenote, clary sage has often been purported in certain cultures to promote deeper and more prophetic dreams, I can't say whether that is true or not, but it is certainly fun and interesting to think about and might add some extra depth, physically and beyond, for the long winters' naps to come.

So there's a rundown on a few of my most feel-good skincare and body products that I am loving at this moment. Of course, I love experimenting and probably will curate more like this in the future, so please stay tuned. What are some of your most indulgent, feel-good, smell-good items?