So, the winter season is finally upon us! It took awhile for it to get colder here in Chicago, which frankly I did not mind one bit, but boy is it finally here and with a vengeance! I mean we went from being somewhere in between 50-60s to 20-30s in a matter of one week, so no bueno. Which brings me to the point of this post: with colder temps comes drier air with it, which means we need to keep our skin in check and stay hydrated! In this post, I will be sharing my skincare routine for the Winter months to keep it healthy and glowy!

Okay, a little background before we begin. Usually my skin is an oily mess in the Spring and Summer season; I mean I get really greasy within hours, no matter what I try to do. However, during Fall and Winter, my skin takes it down a notch and just becomes combination oily, so some skincare reconfiguration is in order. Here's the thing, just because you are oily does not necessarily mean that your skin is moisturized. Some people get oily, but have a very dry and rough texture to their skin once the oil is blotted away. When the winter season comes, I usually try to get a little bit more moisture on my skin and maybe add some brightening skincare product on my skincare, since it's around this time of the year that our skin is prone to looking dull. So unto the products I use:

Cleanser - Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser and Philosophy Purity
- I still use the same cleansers as I do on the warmer months. I use Murad for day time to help me with any possible breakouts and then Philosophy for night time because it's really good at cleansing and cleaning the skin especially if you had makeup on that day.
Toner - Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Toning Lotion and Kate Somerville DermalQuench Liquid Lift
- On warmer months, I tend to only use this toning lotion both day and night, however for the colder months I only use this during the day. For night time, I then use Kate Somerville's DermalQuench spray because it feels very nourishing and moisturizing to my skin and gives it a good glow. It also has anti-aging properties to it, so yay to wrinkle prevention!

Serum - Chanel Le Jour, Chanel Le Nuit, Chanel Le Weekend and Kate Somerville Mega C Dual Radiance Serum
- Chanel Le Jour is what I use as daytime serum-moisturizer hybrid. I like how light it is on the skin and just evens out my skin texture. Le Nuit is the night time counterpart of Le Jour and contains hyaluronic acid which helps restore your skin's hydration and overnight skin renewal. Le Weekend is what I use day and night on the weekends, because it has gentle glycolic acid complex which helps exfoliate and renew my skin. This skincare system is what I consistently use, however, on days where I feel like my skin needs some extra brightening, I use the Kate Somerville Mega C serum which is just filled with so many wonderful brightening ingredients. I can definitely tell the difference the next day!
Moisturizer - Tatcha Pore Perfecting Sunscreen, Tatcha Balanced Pore Perfecting Water Gel and Origins GinZing Moisturizer
- I only use Tatcha Pore Perfecting Sunscreen as my SPF. While it may be cold here in Chicago, it still is sunny and combine that with light reflecting off of snow, and you have an environment where some skin protection is definitely in need. I like the consistency and the matte finish it gives my oily skin. As for the evening, I really like moisturizers but need something that still feels light and so Tatcha's Water Gel moisturizer fits what I'm looking for. I like how it sinks into the skin quickly and helps tighten pores. On some nights, I might decide on switching it out a bit, especially if my skin is looking it a little dull, and bump up my glowiness by using the Origins Ginzing Moisturizer. I like that it has a gel creme consistency, and so it does not feel heavy on my skin.

Masks - Glamglow Supermud and Flashmud
- I use Glamglow Supermud as a weekly mask to just purify my skin and prevent any breakouts from happening. I then follow it up with Flashmud to brighten my skin if I have enough time. If not, I use Flashmud later on in the middle of the week as a follow up mask or midweek mask.
Treatments - Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads and Pete Thomas Roth Acne Clearing Gel
- On weeks where I feel like my skin is extra troubled, because we all have those times, I tend to use these pads as my "toner" as opposed to the regular toners that I use. It both acts as a treatment and toner for my skin. The Peter Thomas Roth Acne Clearing Gel is what I use when I need to spot treat breakout or skin congestions.

I know that these may seem like a lot of products, but because of my combo skin needs, I have to use different products from day to night. You don't necessarily need to do this for your skincare routine. If you are interested in trying out any of them, as always, make sure to try out a sample of the skincare product that suits your skin needs best and feel free to let me know how it works for you!

Also, do you have a favorite skincare product to use during this time of the year?

Winter Skincare Routine