I’ve always had oily skin. The type of skin that desperately calls for an oil-absorbing sheet or two by the afternoon. But this winter, I was faced with skin I had no idea how to care for - dry, flaky skin. At first I ignored it, thinking it would go away, but it persisted. So I though, ok, i’ll just double up on moisturizer. But that didn’t work. My skin was parched and needed intense moisture - fast! So, I changed my entire skincare routine. The exfoliators and deep cleansers I used before were pushed aside in favor of gentle cleansers and natural oils. Instead of using a clay cleanser, I used an oil or cream cleanser, followed by vitamin e oil. At night, I even applied moisturizer over the vitamin e oil, to prepare my skin for the cold, dry night ahead.

But changing your skin care isn’t always enough. I found that my powder mineral foundation was just too drying, leaving my skin a flaky, imperfect mess. So I started experimenting. The beautiful and talented makeup artist Bobbi Brown suggests mixing and created your own foundation - so I tried just that. I began mixing some of my mineral powder with a bit of moisturizer, and voilà - my perfect tinted moisturizer. I still used the powder foundation to conceal imperfections, but I wasn’t covering my entire face with powder (which can accentuate dry spots). Now, I’m happy to say my skin has returned to normal. To be sure it stays flake-free, I’m going to continue to use a more moisturizing foundation and gentle skincare products - at least until summertime and my oily skin returns!

My must-haves:

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil               Vitamin E Oil