What should a night-time skincare routine include?
Why should your skincare routine differ slightly in the evenings?
The core of any skincare routine, be it in the morning or at night, is the same: you’ll want to cleanse skin, treat it in some way, and end with moisture. However, there are certain tweaks you should make between your AM and PM regimes to get the most out of your skincare.
Learn more about how to build a basic skincare routine.
As a basic principle, the morning should be about washing the night away, and protecting the skin for the remainder of the day, from things like UV rays and pollution. For this reason, hydrating, protective ingredients are best used to keep the skin’s barrier function intact. The morning also revolves around glowing and plumping, and potentially prepping for makeup application. In short, things like Vitamin C and SPFs are morning must-haves
Night-time, on the other hand, is more about washing away the remnants of the day, and prepping skin to repair overnight with certain treatments and active ingredients. This is because the skin works hard at nighttime to regenerate.
What happens to your skin at night?
Night-time is your skin’s moment to repair and restore. As you sleep, hormones like HGH (the human growth hormone) kick in, meaning cell regeneration is at its peak. Skin works to rebuild collagen supplies and repair damage from things like UV exposure and pollution.
It therefore makes sense to turn to regenerative, repairing products that will best support this renewal process.
Which products should only be used in your night-time skincare routine?
As mentioned, the basics at nighttime are the same, but with some tweaks. For example, double cleansing comes into its own in the PM, as it helps to effectively wash away makeup, dirt and impurities from the day, before properly cleaning the face. Richer creams that will repair skin are also perfect for the evening, rather than lightweight lotions and SPFs used during the AM.
There are certain ingredients and products that should only be used at night-time for various reasons. These include:
Retinol Serum: As an ingredient, it is widely known that Retinol is best used at nighttime. This is because it has the ability to make skin more susceptible to sun damage, meaning using it when it’s not light out is advisable. Retinol Serum and Retinol Eye Cream can be easily incorporated into a PM regime, but just remember to slather on your SPF the next morning!
Rosehip Oil: Rosehip Oil has many benefits for the skin, including nourishing tired or dull complexions, tackling uneven skin texture, and regulating oil production. For these reasons, it’s the perfect overnight treatment for skin that needs some extra TLC.
Glycolic Acid: Glycolic Acid is known for reducing pores and blackheads, but it does make skin more sensitive to the sun, so it’s a good one to use at nighttime rather than in the morning. Glycolic Acid Toner is best used after cleansing and before serums. Remember to use SPF in the morning.
