Creating an Evening Skincare Routine

Deciding what products to use throughout the day can be difficult. After you determine your skin type and basic regimen, there are specific products to use in your morning skincare routine and another set of products to use in the evening. At night your skin is in repair mode and recovering from the day. Products should be deep cleansing to remove residue from the day as well as revitalizing and skin concern focused. An ideal routine is outlined below.

How to Create a Nighttime Skincare Routine

1. Pre-Cleanse – After a day of being out in the elements, it is necessary to remove all makeup, oil and debris collected. Essential Cleansing Oil and Gentle Makeup Remover are the first two steps of everyone’s nighttime routine. These two products will thoroughly remove all makeup and residue on the skin.
2. Cleanse – You can either use the same cleanser you use in the morning or you can choose a different cleanser based on your skin concerns and preference. For example, I use Purifying Gel Cleanser in the morning to remove any oil buildup from the night and Gentle Cream Cleanser in the evening to help soothe and calm my easily sensitized skin.
3. Tone – Be sure to always follow cleansing with your skin type specific toner so you receive the additional benefits of your toner and help prep the skin for the rest of your skincare.
4. Correct – At night is when skin replenishes skin cells and repairs DNA, so it is the perfect time to apply concentrated serums. Any serum with retinol, hydroquinone and/or hydroxy acids in the formula should be used at night because these ingredients can increase skin’s sensitivity to sunlight. After applying a serum with retinol, wait 30 minutes before applying moisturizer, so the serum has enough time to penetrate. If you have multiple skin concerns like hyperpigmentation and acne & breakouts and you use more than one serum, apply lightest to heaviest or alternate your serums each day. For example, I have a few skin concerns: breakouts, texture, aging and redness. I use Renew Serum to address texture, aging and breakouts 2 to 3 times per week, Corrective Soothing Serum to help calm my skin 2 to 3 times per week and I use Brightening Serum 1 to 2 times per week to help diminish dullness.
5. Eyecare – Whether you use the same eyecare product morning and evening, it is important to treat the delicate eye area twice a day.
6. Moisturize – This is an important step for all skin types, including oily. Many people choose a heavier weight moisturizer for nighttime use. If you normally use a lightweight moisturizer in the morning, you could switch to a midweight moisturizer for your nighttime routine.

Optional Add-Ons for Your Nighttime Skincare Routine

1. Spot Treat – If one of your concerns is acne and breakouts, a step to be added into your nighttime routine may be to spot treat. I would recommend applying your acne spot treatment following Step 5 (Eyecare).
2. Mask – Adding a mask to your weekly skincare regimen can be extremely beneficial because they deliver ingredients beyond the superficial layers of the epidermis. I recommend adding a mask to your routine 1 to 3 times per week following Step 3 (Tone). Depending on the type of mask, you can also replace Step 6 (Moisturize) with your mask and sleep with it on.
3. Exfoliate – To remove dead skin cell build-up and stimulate cell renewal, add an exfoliant into your skincare regimen 1 to 3 times per week. You can exfoliate in the evening after Step 2 (Cleanse).

Once you consistently perform your nightly skincare routine, you’ll find it difficult to go to sleep without doing it. Using a personalized home care regimen daily and receiving professional treatments will help you achieve your skincare goals.