why is your skin so good

How This Googler Gets Her Skin So Good

Photo: Courtesy of Christina Uribe

Skin barriers are having a moment. After years of intense acids, exfoliators, and 12-step routines, many people are taking a look at their skin-care lineups and wondering if they’re doing more harm than good. For Googler Christina Uribe, that moment came years ago. “With social media constantly pushing new products and trends, I started to believe that the more products I used, the healthier my skin would be, so I concocted an elaborate routine that, at its peak, had 12 steps, half of which were canceling one another’s benefits out,” she says. “I was constantly playing product roulette, swapping products in and out, and looking back, it was crazy that I fell into the trap of such a complex routine — it was like playing skin-care mad scientist.” So she joined forces with her best friend, supermodel Emily DiDonato, to simplify her approach to skin care. The result was Covey, their joint brand offering a three-step lineup, all built to work with each other and the skin’s natural functions.

“You want to use the same products every single day and all of the ingredients in your products should work together — that’s how you see results,” Uribe says. And contrary to popular belief, she says, it’s worth investing in a high-quality cleanserThe Covey Routine includes a non-stripping cleanser formulated with soothing aloe leaf juice and anti-inflammatory babassu oil. Even though, yes, it is ultimately on your face for a minute or two and then washed down the drain, Uribe calls it the “foundation” of your entire routine. “If it strips your skin, all of the other products in your routine won’t be able to penetrate your skin as effectively.”

Beyond her Covey products, Uribe always makes room for sunscreen (“Stay out of the sun!”), LED masks (“Since facials haven’t been on the menu for most of this year”), and hand cream (always following hand sanitizer). She breaks them all down below.

The Towels

Photo: Retailer

“Because I’ve been wearing less makeup than ever, I find myself skipping cleanser many mornings and instead splashing cold water on my face. I pat (never rub) dry with Weezie Makeup Towels, which are super-soft and also happen to be really cute, too. They absorb water instantly and somehow always have the same level of fluffiness that your towel has right after you pull it from the dryer. Lindsey Johnson, the co-founder, has also been an amazing mentor to me.”

The LED Mask

Photo: Retailer

“Since facials haven’t been on the menu for most of this year, this LED mask is how I fake it at home. Twice a week, I’ll use the time that was once dedicated to my commute to pop this onto my bare skin while I listen to Jam Session, Tea Time, or Bitch Sesh (I stan all the female hosts of these podcasts. They’ve bought me a lot of joy this past year, which was much needed). I swear by the red setting, which increases blood flow and soothes inflammation. My skin always feels so smooth immediately after, and I won’t lie: It’s a great prop for a Sunday self-care selfie.”

The Serum

Photo: Retailer

“This is my holy grail. Besides not smelling like hot-dog water (it’s totally fragrance-free), it contains 15 percent THD ascorbate, which is a gentler form of vitamin C that’s 50x more powerful than L-ascorbic acid. My sensitive skin loves this: It absorbs instantly and my skin immediately looks plumper. I like (and need!) to keep my routine as simple as possible, and this serum addresses so many things, from generating collagen to reducing dark spots. Since we finalized this formula a year ago, I’ve used it religiously morning and night, and my skin’s never looked healthier. Our products are like my children, so I can’t pick favorites, but if I had to, this one would be it. Don’t tell the others.”

The Moisturizer

Photo: Retailer

“This is my dream Goldilocks moisturizer. It took us a long time to perfect the texture of our moisturizer so it’s not too heavy, not too light — juuuust right. I’d put it on my whole body if I could. Because of ingredients like squalane, glycerin, and sodium hyaluronate, it has the perfect balance of oil-based moisture and water-based hydration. Sodium hyaluronate is a derivative of hyaluronic acid, but has a smaller molecule size, meaning it can penetrate more deeply into the skin to intensely hydrate.”

The Sunscreen

“This sunscreen is the only reason I don’t mind using sunscreen. It’s weightless, easy to blend in, never pills the products underneath it, and never causes breakouts. I first heard about Supergoop! three years ago from my friend Stacy, who has really sensitive skin, and when we went to the beach, she bought a whole bag of Supergoop! products. I’ve tried out a lot of different Supergoop! sunscreens, but I’ve been using this one for the past year and it’s my favorite by far.”

The Lip Mask

Photo: Retailer

“This lip mask is one of those products that I have littered all over my entire life: one in my bag, one on my nightstand, one on my desk. You get the idea. I think Charlotte Cho is a skin-care maven, so anything she does, I pay attention to. My lips are a lot more chapped these days from wearing a mask, and this lip balm includes lactic acid, so it exfoliates to help with the dryness but also hydrates them with honeydew melon — it has the slightest hint of honeydew scent. It also perks up any lip color I put on with just the right amount of glossy finish.”

The Supplement

“I was always skeptical of ingestible collagen, but I’ve had a lot of friends swear by it so I’ve spent the past few years trying a lot of different brands. I’ve been using this one from Tone It Up for the past year, and I do notice a difference in my nail strength and my hair is shinier. I love it because it doesn’t clump and there’s no taste to it. I mix it into my coffee each morning. We all have a lot on our minds these days, so it’s an easy win to know that I’ve already made one healthy choice for the day.”

The Body Oil

“Now that I’m in my 30s, taking care of the skin on both my face and body is a priority for me. My friend told me a few years ago that she loves to put on body oil right after she showers for her self-care moment. Finding a body oil that doesn’t feel oily and sinks in immediately (so that I can put on my athleisure of the day without it sticking to my body) is harder than you think. I’ve tried at least a dozen, and Oui the People’s has a permanent place in my lineup. It includes squalane and has a nice spalike scent.”

The Hand Cream

Photo: Retailer

“If you didn’t spend at least half of 2020 testing a dozen different hand creams to combat all of the hand sanitizer, did you even live? I’ve been using Ouai’s hair-care products for years, so when they launched a hand cream, I had to try it. I appreciate and love great packaging, and Ouai’s hand lotion looks super-chic on my bathroom counter. The smell is a combination of rose, citrus, and amber — but it’s not overpowering at all. The bottle lasts forever, as does the hydration, and I’ve had many people already mention to me how good it smells!”

How This Googler Gets Her Skin So Good