Senti Senti 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

When thinking about the holiday season, often it is associated with warmth, quality time with loved ones, and gift-giving! However, the lead-up to these festivities can also be associated with the stress that comes with browsing websites or stores trying to find the perfect gift; Secretly asking for someone's favorite hobby, guessing a shirt size, or questioning if the gift is even “their style” can be overwhelming. What if we told you that we have a way to ease your stress while holiday shopping!?

This holiday season, whether you’re trying to shop for the ultimate skincare nerd, or a newbie to K-beauty we have the ultimate holiday gifting guide for you! From K-beauty must-haves to superstar products that may have escaped your radar, there is something for everyone!

We’ve compiled 4 different guides to cover as many bases as possible; The Holiday Traveler, The Seasonal Fanatic, The Winter Essentials, and New Year, New Routine! Hopefully, these guides can be useful to you while you shop for the holidays.

The Holiday Traveler

Have a loved one that’s always on the go? They’re traveling to see loved ones and you don’t know a good travel-friendly gift? We’ve got you covered! Show them you care about their health and wellness by offering them one of our gift sets, or even providing a more personalized routine for them with any of our travel minis!

When shopping for someone with oily or acne-prone skin we recommend the Kaine Travel Set. This all-in-one set ensures your loved ones can give their skin the love it deserves, no matter where they may be! This set comes with their gentle BHA Rosemary Relief Gel Cleanser to refresh the skin and cleanse acne-causing bacteria. They’ve also included their Kombu Balancing Ampoule Toner for nourishment and deep hydration. For moisturization, their Green Calm Aqua Cream has a light-weight gel texture that soothes the skin of irritation, reduces redness, and provides a perfect layer of moisture to end your routine. Lastly, no AM routine is complete without sunscreen! Using Kaine’s Green Fit Pro Sun Sunscreen ensures a non-sticky experience while protecting the skin from UV rays that can irritate or inflame acne. Kaine has also provided a convenient carrying pouch to carry their routine and other essentials while traveling!

For dry/sensitive skin the Dear Klairs Skincare Trial Kit is perfect for optimal barrier protection. This kit includes an oil and cream cleanser for the perfect double-cleansing routine on the go; Using their Gentle Black Fresh Cleansing Oil in your night routine helps remove excess dirt and sebaceous filaments that may have built up during the day. Following it up with the Gentle Black Facial Cleanser leaves the skin thoroughly cleansed without that dry or stripped sensation. The addition of their Rich Moist Soothing Serum is non-greasy and leaves the skin deeply hydrated all day. Finishing off strong, their Rich Moist Soothing Cream repairs the skin barrier while providing rich nourishment; a perfect routine to consider for any skin type when traveling to colder climates.

If you're looking for a set that suits mature skin, or attempting to find a gift for someone looking for products that aid in well-aging skin then the Some By Mi Retinol Intense Kit is the perfect way to get started! This kit includes their Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum formulated with retinol, retinal, and bakuchiol, this serum improves skin elasticity and smooths out skin texture. For a milder experience their Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream only includes retinol and retinal yet is still effective in reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Both the serum and eye cream have been formulated to achieve the best results without the dryness or irritation that is often associated with retinol products, leaving the skin rejuvenated but still plump and hydrated.

While mini kits and sets are perfect as gifts on their own they may feel a bit restrictive. For a more personalized mini routine, you can mix and match with any of our travel-sized single products to ensure your loved ones are gifted a perfectly personalized routine.

The Seasonal Fanatic

Know anyone who loves the change of the seasons? Specifically when the crisp cool air can be smelled from a light breeze and when the rustle of branches drops colorful leaves. The type of person who decorates their home and listens to holiday music as soon as the temperature drops?

This gift guide is curated for those who love to incorporate seasonal fruits, flavors, and scents into their everyday lives (no matter how early it may seem); through foods, candles, perfumes, and even skincare!

This holiday season your gifts can include functional and festive skincare from our Pumpkin Patch! This collection highlights pumpkin as an exceptional ingredient formulated in a variety of products that will benefit every skin type:

Starting with the I’m Pumpkin sheet mask, the pumpkin in this mask has been formulated to hydrate the skin and provide antioxidant benefits by healing free-radical damage. This mask is good for any skin type but is most beneficial for normal to oily skin types. When looking for pumpkin products that contain active ingredients for even better benefits you can choose between the Plump-kin Retinol Eye Cream  or the   Plump-kin Retinol Eye Patches. These products hone in on pumpkin's well-aging benefits with the addition of retinol boosting its ability to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The gentle formulation of the eye cream is suitable to be applied all over the face, and the convenience of gel eye patches allows for a cooling experience to reduce puffiness for the under eyes. While most skin types can greatly benefit from both, the Plump-kin line is best recommended for mature skin. A perfect way to add nourishment to the skin is with the Pumpkin Pack ; With up to 61% of pumpkin extract (and other hydrating ingredients like honey extract, propolis extract, and royal jelly extract) this sleeping pack offers rich nourishment for a healthier skin barrier, as well as deep hydration perfect for the winter time! While it has a jelly-like texture and can be enjoyed by every skin type, the pumpkin pack is best suited for dry and dehydrated skin. Finally, a way to experience the best of what pumpkin has to offer is the Pumpkin Spice Box Set which includes the pumpkin sheet mask (2 each), pumpkin retinol body cream, and pumpkin hand cream. A way to enjoy all the enrichment pumpkin has to offer for your whole body!

This section of the gift guide offers a wider range of products, allowing you to gift and enjoy the different scents of the holiday season in more festive packaging and gift sets. These are our  Holiday Specials!

When looking for body care that’s appropriate for the season there is the I’m Lovely Ginger Snap Hand Mask. Shea butter, honey, and ginger extracts from the festively packaged hand mask has a sweet scent that ensures you have hydrated and healthy hands with holiday spirit! The holiday spirit doesn’t have to stop at hand masks, we also offer the I’m Lovely Candy Cane Foot Mask with pepper oil to give an aromatherapy sensation while still hydrating and soothing the skin for the perfect winter pamper session. Box sets are not limited to just our pumpkin patch, there is also a Deja Brew Coffee Box Set your loved ones can enjoy! This set has a coffee sheet mask (2 each) rich in caffeine for plumping and firming aging skin, and depuffing eyes. A perfectly paired coffee gel mask helps with softening skin and brightening up the complexion. Lastly, the set also includes a hot chocolate hand cream for soft hands that leave a sweet scent that matches the season. This box set is great for all skin types, but is best for those looking to brighten up their skin tone. For mini skincare routines there is also the Pore Christmas Gift Set and the   Barrier Christmas Gift Set that help to target different skin concerns all in festive packaging and incredible price!

Starting with the pore set, this includes the Rosemary Relief Gel Cleanser and Rosemary AHA Night Serum this is the perfect combo to even out texture by exfoliating the skin and combating acne causing bacteria while still reducing redness, irritation, or inflammation from active acne. This can benefit any skin type looking for a gentle exfoliation step, but is best for oily and acne-prone skin. On the other hand the barrier set focuses more on hydration and barrier repair through the power of kombucha! The set includes the Kombu Daily Hydrating Cleanser and Kombu Barrier Ampoule, both great for daily use to repair a damaged skin barrier or to strengthen it from free-radicals and the colder winter weather. This set can be perfect for all skin types, but will be most enjoyed by dry and dehydrated skin types.

The Winter Essentials

No matter the skin type, this guide puts an importance on adapting our skincare routine to our skin concerns, as well as adapting to the climate that changes through the seasons.

For this guide there is a heavy emphasis on fermented ingredients, pantheons, ceramides, beta-glucan and collagen. As well as thicker serums, moisturizers and toners for barrier strength, nourishment, and deep hydration to maintain the skin healthy, and prevent the colder climate from damaging the skin.

In the colder months double-cleansing can be difficult since it may cause excessive dryness in some skin types. The following is a series of cleansers that pair well with oil cleansers but can still be enjoyed and effective without an oil cleanser. For cleansers we recommend gel cleansers that oftentimes have cleansing agents that are more gentle on the skin and won’t give a stripped or dry sensation afterwards. Cream cleansers that don’t have much of a lather (from more gentle cleansing agents) and even milky cleansers that don’t lather at all and instead emulsify are a great option to simultaneously cleanse the skin of impurities while still nourishing it and leaving it hydrated. 

Moving on to toners, they are often skipped in most of the year but can prove to be greatly appreciated during the winter! Thicker toners rich in fermented ingredients, panthenol, and even snail mucin are a great way to add moisture back into the skin for a stronger barrier. 

An essence is an easy way to layer more hydration. This step will include products rich in texture and will sometimes even feel like a serum itself! Containing well-known ingredients like propolis and hyaluronic acid, these essences can provide an essential hydration boost to the skin. Usually, oily to combo skin types will want to avoid an essence since they may feel too heavy on the skin, but we’ve included a good range of textures and finishes that every skin type can enjoy!

Now onto the serums and ampoules! These will usually have a higher concentration of ingredients like panthenol and collagen to maximize the water your skin retains. Serums and ampoules also focus on a specific skin concern and so you can still address your skin's needs without losing out on any of the ultimate hydration! 

To seal in all the good moisture from the previous steps we recommend heavy moisturizers that will (in some cases) feel almost like a balm! Packed with ceramides or collagen, these are the moisturizers we recommend as a great winter essentials gift:

In the daytime, especially when you’re out gift shopping for the holidays, it's important to apply sunscreen (yes, even in the winter!). In areas with snow, UV can refract from the snow (and become stronger) and still cause damage to the skin! While we’ve been emphasizing the importance of heavier or thicker products, sunscreen can still be super hydrating without being heavy or overwhelming on the skin.

To reset the skin and provide it with more rich nutrition, you can include masks with bifida ferment, multiple types of hyaluronic acid, and as always…collagen! 

If you want to maximize the hydration you can get out of your routine, at nighttime you can include a sleeping mask  to not only lock in all of the moisture you applied, but also to provide your skin with hydration throughout the night! 

New Year, New Routine!

Our final guide now focuses on looking towards the future! Switching up your skincare routine to include ingredients or products for a better and healthier skin for the upcoming year!

As you're shopping for gifts you may have questions about what the most popular products are, whether they are viral sensations or trending products frequently purchased in-store. We have compiled the most popular products  at Senti Senti in almost every category in hope that you can find a favorite you might like to gift, or be gifted!

Maybe the person you’re shopping for already has, or has tried these products before and you’re looking to gift something more unique, or just looking for a product that’s not well known but managed to slip under the radar. Here are a few of our staff’s favorite products of the year that you can consider as part of your gift.

Now that you’ve browsed through some options, hopefully this can give you a better idea on what to look out for during your shopping travels! A lot of consideration has gone into creating this ultimate gift guide for you, but we know it won’t be able to answer all of your questions or concerns. If you would like to browse our full range of products you can come in-store and get assistance from any of our beauty advisors for a more personalized gift basket.

However you choose to shop this holiday season, our staff at Senti Senti are sending you all the best of luck during your holiday shopping and our best wishes during the holiday season!