Nighttime Skincare Routine

 

Last week, we discussed morning skincare routines, but what do you do with your face at night? Many of us have applied makeup and worn it throughout the day, while others of us have had to deal with the elements hitting our faces throughout the day. Whatever your circumstances, just like having a morning skincare routine is crucial to the overall health of your skin, likewise, having a nighttime routine is just as important.

 

Applying skincare products in the proper sequential order is pertinent to benefits received by the skin. Not applying your skincare products in the proper order could cause skin irritation, unwanted drying and other issues. Our skin is there to keep this out, however there are products that we use on our skin that we want to penetrate its layers. That is why it is important to apply them in the right sequential order to ensure that items designed to open the pores are opening them before items that you want to penetrate the skin and not items that are meant to clean on the surface.

 

When applying products to the skin, you want to start with the item that has the thinnest consistency first and follow with one with a heavier consistency as you get further into your regimen. It helps to look at it as from thin to thick. Begin your regimen with products that have ingredients that penetrate the skin like those found in serums that contain antioxidants and then follow up with products that are made to sit on the skins surface such as emollients and humectants, mostly found in moisturizers.

 

 

Skin is known to repair itself at night so your routine should treat the skin. At night, it is a good idea after a long day to exfoliate the skin. If you find that during the day, your skin experienced irritation, then at night it is a good idea to hydrate and protect it.

 

Start with a double cleanser. This will ensure that your skin is rid of any makeup residue, dirt, or grime from the days activities. If you wear makeup, it’s a good idea to remove your makeup with a makeup remover and then follow up with a gentle cleanser. You can also try what is called a double cleanser in which you clean your face using a cleansing oil first which dissolves your makeup and then wash your face again using a regular cleanser.

 

Next, get a toner and apply to the face, just as you would in your morning routine. Some individuals find layering skin care boosters at night to be helpful in the overall health and wellbeing of their skin. This can be achieved by using mists, essences, beauty waters and hydrating serums. They are meant to hydrate as well as nourish skin that has been dull, dry, or in need of hydration.

 

After the toner, you want to apply an eye cream. Eye cream serves to protect the eye area from other skincare products. You would apply it before applying any other skincare treatment to the face. This helps aid the eye area from things that could potentially be an irritant.

 

Once you have your eye cream in place, you want to put on any treatments, serums and or peels. Skin repairs, restores and regenerates while we sleep, which is why most skincare treatments are instructed for application prior to sleep. As a rule of thumb, tailor your skincare needs to the immediate needs of your skin in the moment. When you apply too many unnecessary steps, this leads to irritation of the skin and you are less likely to achieve the results that you want.

 

Finally, finish up your night routine with a moisturizer or night cream. Many individuals will use the same moisturizer for their night routine as they do for their day routine. Generally speaking though, night moisturizers are thicker and heavier because they are designed to be absorbed over the course of several hours. When you use a heavier moisturizer at night, it creates a protective coating on the skin and it prevents water evaporation while you sleep.