As a 49-Year-Old Beauty Editor, Here’s Why Softening Lotions Are The Invisible Heroes in My Skincare Routine
Plus, a list of the ones you’ll have to pry from my cold, silky hands
As a 49-year-old beauty editor, I’ve seen a lot of trends come and go. Sleep masks, see ya later. pH-reactive makeup? I smell a rat. But if there’s one seemingly far-out trend that came and stayed in my personal routine, it’s softening lotions.
And if you’re confused as to what these are, I hardly blame you. The Glow Edit by Glow Recipe does a great job of breaking down the many nuances behind North American toners, Korean essences and Japanese lotions (not to be mistaken with lightweight moisturizers!) One thing they all have in common? Hydration.
That’s probably the biggest difference between Japanese “softening lotions,” which I’d describe as halfway between a watery toner and a goopy serum, and the Sea Breeze we used in the 80s. While retro, vinegary astringents aimed to obliterate any trace of dirt and face oils after cleansing, these slightly thicker hydrating toners are all about bringing moisture back to freshly rinsed skin.
To use, avoid scraping your face with a cotton ball and don’t bother with mists (like spray-on sunscreen, the result is spotty.) I prefer a splash and press method.
Priming your skin
But what may be more important, is the prep that it provides for what comes next, which is why you can consider softening lotions and hydrating toners to be the makeup primer of your skincare routine. The analogy I’ll always remember is: you’d never use a dry sponge to pick up a spill, would you? Once your skin is re-quenched, it allows for better penetration of the serum or moisturizer that follows.
There’s more. Ingredients commonly found in softening lotions like ceramides, Centella Asiatica and green tea help to calm my redness and rosacea that starts to flare with plain old tap water.
And most importantly, it’s the thinnest veil of moisture that your skin could possibly ask for. That means that you can amp up the hydration without increasing any thickness that might contribute to breakouts or “rolling”. (Notably, recent Breaking Beauty Podcast guest Katey Denno called out hyaluronic acid serums as a culprit for makeup pilling.)
Invisible heroes
Particularly in warmer months, you can skip moisturizer altogether and go straight to sunscreen. For water-thin viscosity, choose a hydrating or softening formula that says “toner” or “essence” on the label.
But if you’re dehydrated like I am and you enjoy a little cushion-y plump, get ready to fall in love with full-on softening “lotions,” the all-season, invisible heroes in my skincare routine.
And now, for a handful of my all-time softening lotion faves:
Always in my vanity, this Japanese luxury bottle was my first entree into softening lotions. Honestly I’m not sure if it’s the glycerin or one of the fancier root extracts that’s working, but work it does.
I know, I know, the word “serum” might throw you, but this light weight serum really functions as a first step essence and as the name suggests, “activates” the rest of your skincare routine while re-setting your moisture barrier post-cleanse. Made with traditional herbs and ginseng, a bottle of this Korean icon sells every 10 seconds.
Listen, you’re either a believer in La Mer’s “miracle broth” or you’re not. If you are apt to buying the iconic white pot, don’t skip this first step watery lotion. It’s loaded with the same calming, mineral-rich sea kelp, but the hydrogel texture has a way of waking up skin in seconds.
Far more affordable, this sleeper hit uses fermented mushrooms to help quell morning redness while laying down that first layer of hydration for sensitive skin barriers like mine.
Sigh, another name that will throw you. This ceramide-loaded silky toner from K-beauty stalwart Dr. Jart+ makes my skin feel juicier and plumper on contact, which is why a mini travel bottle comes with me everywhere.
Coming in as the cheapest of the lot, this Korean beauty fan-fave is a total steal and one of my all-time faves. The milky cream-toner, rich in barrier-craving ceramides, peptides and white tea leaf extract, launched a bazillion dupes with good reason. It’s like a big wet hug for my face.
The directions on this British botanical essence say, “Add a few drops in the palm of your hand and take a moment to inhale the aroma.” That’s because the base of glycerin, sodium hyaluronate and aloe contains citrusy face oils that smell like you woke up mid-facial at a spa.
That’s it! Do you do this first step in your own skincare routine? And if so, which one is your fave? Drop me a note below to share the love.