swaps and trends for glowing skin

Photo credit: Cozy Studio

With spring well underway, decluttering and spring cleaning might be at the top of your to-do list, but don’t forget about spring cleaning your beauty and skincare routine. We got the scoop on the latest expert tips and advice from Priscila Pantosin, an Astoria-based esthetician who owns Cozy Studio, on what to swap and what to add to your routine, as well as insight on the latest skincare trends. From the best cleanser for warmer weather to those lymphatic brushes that are all over social media, here’s everything you need to know for your best glowing skin for warmer days and longer nights.

Q: Starting with the “spring clean,” what should we be tossing out?

Pantosin: This is the time to go through your skincare, hair care, and any makeup that may be expired, because a lot of people don’t know, but makeup can expire quickly. Mascara sometimes has a shelf life of 6 months, so go through everything and make sure what you’re using isn’t expired. A lot of makeup has that little symbol at the bottom that says ‘6 months’ or ’24 months,’ so you can get an idea of when to get rid of it or swap it out.

Q: When we think of spring cleaning, we think of decluttering. Does our skincare routine need a seasonal swap?

Pantosin: Usually, for my clients, the moisturizer and the cleanser are what we tend to swap out.  In the winter, for my sensitive clients or clients that are more on the dry side, I have them use a milky cleanser or a gel cleanser that’s not too foamy, but as the weather starts getting warmer I would definitely recommend to switch to a cleanser that’s just a little bit foamier, to get a little bit more of the sweat away and with the pollen and everything else that’s in the air. Right now, my favorite cleanser is Hail & Hush Quiet Wash. It still gives you that gentle cleanse; it foams up, but it doesn’t leave the skin feeling stripped or dry.

Q: Is it the same idea with our moisturizer too?

Pantosin: It’s the same thing for the moisturizer; for dry, sensitive skin in the winter, I love it when clients use something a little thicker, but then as the spring or summer months start coming up, I would definitely recommend switching to something more hydrating, maybe a little bit more lightweight, so the skin isn’t feeling too overwhelmed. It also depends on how you like your skin to feel-some people like that matte feeling, and other people like a really dewy, glowy feeling. For oily skin or sometimes even normal skin, you do want to switch to something more gel-like or hydrating.

Q: The lymphatic face brush has been very trendy on social media. Is it replacing the Gua Sha?

Pantosin: I think it’s going to be a new trend, because I’ve seen it pop up more in the esthetician groups on Facebook, but it’s essentially the same-just make sure you’re doing it correctly. There’s a lot of good videos where people will show you how to correctly open up the lymphatic areas, and when you’re doing any sort of lymphatic, whether it’s on the face or the body, you have to stimulate the lymphatic nodes and open them up before anything, because, if not, you’re just pushing the lymphatics around, but not really making it exit anywhere. I’ve seen some videos where people are brushing too hard, and the best way to explain how to properly use the brush is that it’s like petting a puppy: gentle but still kind of firm.

Q: We’ve seen these “beauty pillows” with weird cut-outs all over social media. Are they legit or just expensive foam?

Pantosin: I recently switched out my pillows, so now I have a pillow that kind of forces me to lie back and sleep like that, but I love that they’ve come up with a beauty pillow because I 100% believe that a lot of wrinkles or fine lines are caused by our pillow pushing our faces, and if you ever notice any fine lines in the morning, it’s because you’re either sleeping on your side or you’re scrunching your face while your sleeping.

Q: We’ve all seen the “Snail Mucin” craze. What is the new ingredient we should be looking for this spring?

Pantosin: When K Beauty first started gaining popularity in the US, the biggest ingredient was snail mucin; everyone was on the snail mucin wave, so I tried the salmon DNA, and it’s so good. It helps with inflammation, it deeply hydrates, and it targets pretty much any skin concern that people have, almost always. It also hydrates skin, and with any inflammatory conditions, the main thing is hydrating and soothing that inflammation. But I love it, and it’s been such a game-changer for me in the treatment room and for myself. Right now, I’m using Derma Garden PDRN, and you can see an instant glow because it sinks in so nicely, and it just looks so glowy.

To learn more about Cozy Studio or book a treatment, visit their website or follow @cozystudio.nyc.