Modern Skin Care With Abuela's Influence: These Latinx Staffers With Different Skin Types Take Us Through Their Beauty Cabinets

As Latinas, we really put so much importance on what our elders say. We carry their words of wisdom and apply them however it suits us best, and skin care is no exception. Growing up, we hear our mamás and abuelas talk about all the things they do to maintain youthful-looking and healthy skin, from religiously removing their makeup before bed to icing their face to tighten up their skin, and all their go-to products to achieve a natural glow.

As a younger Latinx generation, we've taken the old beauty tricks and adapted them to our more conscious routines. We started really looking into what we put on our skin and selecting products based on the ingredients that best suit our skin type. Skin care stopped being one-size-fits-all, and we strive for healthy skin while still honoring and embracing our heritage one way or another.

Below are three POPSUGAR staffers with different skin types sharing what they learned from their own mamás and abuelas about their heritage and their beauty routine. Take a look inside their beauty cabinets, and discover new products you can incorporate into your own routine for 50% off during Ulta Beauty's Love Your Skin event now through Jan. 25.

Skin Type: Combination, sensitive

Skin Goal: Soothe and brighten

"The best advice I got from my Cuban abuela was to wear sunscreen and wear it liberally. She always warned me against sunbathing (she had superfair skin), and I wish I'd listened to her sooner. My dark spots are starting to make an appearance and need a lot of TLC."

To take care of her dark spots, Kelsey relies on Exuviance Vitamin C Serum Capsules (now $35 on Jan. 14). The ampoules are encapsulated so the concentration of spot-reducing ingredients is higher. She keeps her skin hydrated and even-toned with Perricone MD Face Finishing & Firming Tinted Moisturizer (now $35 on Jan. 15) because "it feels like you're applying clouds to your face and never feels heavy."

Kelsey grew up loving spicy food, but after indulging, she always feels her eyes get puffy. That's why she keeps Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels (now $16 on Jan. 16) in the fridge, plops them under her eyes, and it's as if she never ate spicy food. To round out her routine, she uses StriVectin TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream PLUS (now $48 on Jan. 13) because she says the tech-neck struggle is real! "I first started noticing the horizontal lines about a year ago, and the only thing that really made a difference was this neck cream."

Skin Type: Combination

Skin Goal: Renew and hydrate

"When I'm looking for skincare products, I mostly shop for ones that are hydrating," Meki said, because it helps her maintain her beautiful Cuban and Haitian glow. "My mother isn't a product junkie and has always told me to keep it simple. I aim for products that do more than one thing, so I don't have a ton of steps in my routine, and always, always go for moisturizing products."

Meki's favorites include Perricone MD Face Finishing & Firming Tinted Moisturizer (now $35 on Jan. 15) for instant hydration and firming skin over time, and the Too Faced Hangover Good in Bed Ultra-Replenishing Hydrating Serum (now $20 on Jan. 18) under her Perricone tinted moisturizer to replenish her skin for a daytime moisture boost. She also uses Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture (now $38 on Jan. 11) at night since it hydrates for 8 hours.

In the drier months and when she's on-the-go, Meki loves First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Minis in Original and Pink Grapefruit (now $10 on Jan. 22) for long-lasting protection for her dry skin, and intense hydration anytime. "I love that each of these products is aimed to hydrate, plump the skin, and boost elasticity, as well as containing ingredients that I recognize — especially fruits!"

Skin Type: Dry and sensitive skin

Skin Goal: Firm and revitalize

"The biggest beauty and skin advice I've gotten from my abuela is that moisturizing is key and you should do it several times a day," Jackie said. "I love ingredients such as rosehip oil, collagen, and shea. My mother is a big believer in natural ingredients, and I try to incorporate as many of those as I possibly can. Snail essence was huge in my Dominican household."

Jackie trusts COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence (now $11 on Jan. 19), as it helps with her skin's dullness, while the Exuviance Vitamin C Serum Capsules (now $35 on Jan. 14) even out her skin tone.

Then to address those fine lines, she uses Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture (now $38 on Jan. 11) to boost her skin's plumpness and BareMinerals Butter Drench Restorative Rich Cream (now $19 on Jan. 12) to help restore her skin barrier. "I love that these products keep my skin hydrated and glowing during the harsh NYC Winter."