Yes —Your Oily Skin Needs Hydration This Winter, Too
I feel like everyone talks about having dry skin and then there I am — shining like a grease ball by the end of the day. Sure, I have some dry spots but overall my skin is pretty oily in my t-zone.
But in spite of that, I still need to keep my skin hydrated. It may seem hella moisturized since it’s oily but when your skin is dehydrated, it can overproduce oil to try and fix the problem itself. Since I’ve started taking care of my skin and using hydrating products, I’ve noticed a huge change in my oily skin. And in the winter it’s crucial that you step your routine up even more because of how cold and dry the air is.

Here is what I’ve been using for my oily skin that’s saved my face and given me the best skin of my life in the freaking winter:
1. Glossier Solution: I tried this when it first came out and I did not like it. I felt like it irritated any acne spots I had and that it hurt my moisture barrier. So I set it aside. But over the past month, I’ve given it a second chance. And I believe it’s done wonders for my skin. Because your skin can get drier in the winter months, it’s important to exfoliate to get rid of all those dead skin cells building up. And with my heavier moisturizers, the Solution helps get any of the residual gunk out of my pores. My skin texture is more even and my redness has gone down around my cheeks. I love this stuff.
2. Thayer’s Toner: So this one is kind of a funny story. I’m a Rose scent all the way. It’s my fave. We’re tight. But over the summer I bought the cucumber spray and I meant to keep it in my purse to refresh throughout the day. And then I remembered I HATE cucumber. I only eat it in sushi but otherwise I want nothing to do with it. Especially the smell. So imagine my DISGUST spraying cucumber concentrate directly into my face. Anyways, I ran out of rose and figured I bought this so I should just use it. Every morning and night I hold my breath, spray, and wait til it absorbs to breathe again. But the important thing is that IT WORKS. My skin feels fresh and clean and ready for more products.
3. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid: I let this run out without timing a backup delivery and I’m seriously missing it. Hyaluronic acid is a super-hydrator. It retains 1000x its weight in moisture. It leaves your skin feeling plump and supple. This is great for me because I don’t have to cake on too much moisturizer. This does like half the job so I’m not overapplying moisturizer.
4. Laura Mercier Infusion de Rose Nourishing Oil: I use this every night before bed so my skin is extra moisturized and can repair while I sleep. It’s light which is rare in rose oils I’ve tried. Normally they feel heavy and like they’re clogging my pores. But not this one. Since I’m oily, I don’t use this in the morning. But at night, it does wonders for hydration.

5. Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Night Cream: I recently purchased this to replace my sample of the Kiehl’s face cream and I love both. But the Cetaphil requires so little to fully moisturize my face. This jar is going to last me a LONG TIME. It’s thick without weighing my skin down and it makes sure my face is properly hydrated before bed. It says it's for dry skin but I use it anyway since my skin is a little drier in the winter and I'm looking for as much moisture at night as I can get!
4. e.l.f. Daily Moisturizer: This is my daytime moisturizer. It’s pretty new to my collection but I like it a lot so far. The packaging is brilliant and it’s a giant size for the price point ($8). It smells like citrus and doesn‘t make my face feel like I’m greasing it up before applying my makeup.
5: Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve and Lip Balm: This is just important for everyone regardless of their skin type. MOISTURIZE YOUR HANDS AND LIPS SO THEY DON'T CRACK. I’ve been a lot better about moisturizing my body and wearing lip balm this winter and it’s made me a lot less itchy and irritated.
That‘s it! I’ve finally found the right combination of products that have given me hydrated, supple, and even skin consistently for the first time ever. My skin is a lot less oily than it used to be and I wear a lot less makeup so my skin can actually breathe now. I don’t feel weighed down or like my products combined with my makeup are making the situation worse. They keep my skin hydrated so I’m not overproducing oil and I am supremely grateful 🙌🏼 What products are you using for your oily skin this winter? Let us know!