By a show of hands, how many of you go straight to bed at night without so much as taking your makeup off? Keep them up—higher—let me see—so I can whip them with a ruler…lol. No seriously, if your goal is beautiful skin and to fight off the signs of aging, you have to have a solid nighttime skincare regimen. Why? Because skin goes through the process of repairing itself at night and you want to feed it with things like antioxidants. Not last night’s smoky eye.
While your routine will vary based on your specific skincare needs, here’s a basic blueprint to follow:
1. Remove makeup. A cleansing makeup wipe like Ole Henriksen Truth to Go Wipes or Yes to Blueberries Age Refresh Brightening Facial Towelettes will remove powder, foundation, lipstick, blush, and most eye makeup. For tough-to-remove makeup like mascara or waterproof liner, an oil-based remover will do the trick (as will plain ole baby oil).
2. Cleanse. To get rid of any excess makeup and dirt accumulated throughout the day, you’ll need a cleanser that gets your skin clean without stripping it of its natural oils. Your cleanser of choice will depend on your skin type, but ones like Fresh Soy Face Cleanser and Perricone MD Nutritive Cleanser work on all skin types.
And if you really want to get things clean (six times cleaner than your bare hands), try the Clarisonic Skincare Brush. You’ll notice an improvement in skin texture and tone as well because your skincare products will penetrate the skin more effectively.
3. Treat. A treatment for your specific skincare issue is an integral part of your routine. If you have acne, try a spot treatment containing 10% benzoyl peroxide (if you’re a teen) or 2% salicylic acid (if you’re an adult–it’s less drying).
For hyperpigmentation a skin lightener containing either hydroquinone or kojic acid will come into play to help improve skin tone over time.
4. Moisturize. Regardless of your skin type, the skin needs moisture to increase lipid (cells that have moisture binding properties) levels, boost collagen production (what gives skin its youthful appearance), and to increase cell turnover (the process in which dead skin cells are shed). A good nighttime moisturizer will be antioxidant-rich and will typically be thicker in consistency than your day time moisturizer.
Some to try: Reviva Labs Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C Ester & DMAE Cream and Clinique Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizer.
And there you have it—a basic night time regimen to follow. Over time and with routine use, you’ll notice an improvement in your skin texture and tone.
