One of the many secrets to a healthy-looking glowing skin is a proper night-skincare routine. But wait, there are two more - patience and regularity. No skincare routine can produce overnight results, however having a night-skincare routine can set you on the right path for the skin you are confident in. Most of us often neglect the importance of having a night skincare routine. However, it is equally important and should be done regularly.
In This Article
Why is a Skincare Routine for the Night Essential?
After a long arduous day, most of us usually look forward to retiring to our cosy beds, and sometimes it tends to happen with our makeup on. Having a night skincare routine could feel like a hassle if you are doing it wrong. And it is completely unnecessary to devote one hour every night to a skincare routine before bed.
Treating your skin at night can be rewarding, because at night our skin finally gets the chance to repair and rejuvenate from the day-long damages by active production of new skin cells and improving its texture.
During the night, our skin isn't exposed to the various environmental stressors as during the daytime. This makes night a prime time for the skin to revive and allows the skin to absorb the nutrients needed. It is absolutely gruesome to wake up to dull skin and worst - a pimple, if that’s the first thing you notice when you look in the mirror.
Therefore, having a night skincare routine is fundamental in nourishing the largest organ of the body which is exposed to a variety of unfriendly environmental pollutants present in our surroundings during the day.
Our skin is constantly exposed to UV rays emitted by the sun, dirt, and foreign particles present in the air, emitted from vehicles, factories, and other forms of environmental hazards. So it is during the night that one must let the skin breathe and relax by giving it the necessary nutrients which is beneficial in the long run.
Benefits of a Night skin care routine
When speaking about a skin care routine, we often only tend to think about our day skin care routine. But a p.m. or night skin care routine is as important as your day skin care regime if not more important.
Throughout the day, our skin is exposed to constant oxidative stress caused by pollution, harsh UV rays, dirt, etc. But during the night, the skin functions to repair the damage and regenerate. Several studies have also found that melatonin, the sleep inducing hormone, also functions to influence our skin’s ability to repair itself of the damage caused by UV rays and other external skin damaging factors.
Moreover, our cell production and cell turnover is comparatively a lot more than it is during the night.
It is at this time when our skin is better able to absorb the nutrients from our skin care products. A proper night skin care routine can thus help you achieve younger-looking skin with fewer fine-lines, wrinkles and dark spots.
Steps You Should Follow for a Night skin care routine
Some experts suggest that the best time to do your night skincare routine is 10-20 mins before bedtime so that your skin gets time to absorb the products instead of your pillow. Although there isn't a standardised routine, there are, however, basic steps that one must follow:
- Makeup Removal - Makeup removal is a basic and mandatory step of a night skincare routine. Any mild makeup remover with a formula that gets rid of oil-based makeup can help in the process without drying out the skin. Micellar water can also be used instead of a makeup remover.
Micellar water is a non-alcoholic makeup remover that is made up of tiny micelle molecules and purified water. These micelle molecules help pull out oil, makeup, dirt and grime from the skin pores without as much as the need to scrub or rinse your face.
SkinQ’s Gentle Micellar Water developed with active ingredients niacinamide, glycerin and aloe vera helps deep cleanse the skin to remove makeup residues, dirt and grime from the skin pores and results in giving you clean, soft and glowing skin.
- Cleanse - Once the makeup is removed, use a mild to light cleanser to remove the remaining makeup, dirt, and grime. Double cleansing is another way to clean your skin by using an oil first followed by a cleanser ensuring that your pores are properly unclogged from all the makeup, dirt, and excessive sebum that your skin generates during the day.
Formulated with the richness of niacinamide, evening primrose and glycerin, SkinQ’s Acne & Oil Control Serum helps deep cleanse the skin to remove surface oil, dirt and grime while protecting the skin barrier and keeping the pH of the skin intact. It has also clinically proven to calm inflamed and irritated skin and result in glowing, bright skin.
- Tone- Based on your skin type, use a toner that will keep your skin hydrated and prep it for the next steps. Using a toner can prevent your skin from dehydrating. If you have oily skin, toners are especially useful and for those with dry skin, a softener can be used to hydrate your skin.
- Serum: A good face serum based on your skin type can be highly beneficial for your skin as it is designed to protect, hydrate, and nourish your skin. Serums are made of lower molecular weight that gets quickly absorbed into your skin enhancing active delivery. Ingredients like retinol are good for the night skincare routine as it helps to combat fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, and acne.
Serums are yet another skincare formulation with concentrated active ingredients that work by penetrating within your skin. These are lightweight formulations that work as a moisturiser to hydrate, nourish and moisturise your skin, but they are certainly not a moisturiser.
Suitability of a face serum depends on the ingredients of the serum and their compatibility with the skin type. Despite having the same skin concerns as your friend or relative, a face serum may do wonders for them whilst it may be ineffective for you. This may be because your skin type is different from your friend’s or relative’s.
For oily and acne prone skin, a face serum must contain salicylic acid to help maintain oil production, niacinamide to protect against acne promoting bacteria and also to help calm skin inflammation, and retinol to exfoliate and unclog skin pores thus, prompt increased penetration of other skin care products. A face serum with the active ingredient azelaic acid and aloe also helps to fade acne scars and protect the skin against bacteria.
Dry and dehydrated skin comes with a package of added skin concerns including fine lines and premature ageing. A face serum for dry skin should consist of active ingredients to help moisturise and hydrate skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines, repair the skin barrier and restore skin balance. Serum for dry skin, thus should be formulated with the richness of hyaluronic acid, sodium hyaluronate and vitamin E as these ingredients are the most trusted when it comes to deal with dry skin concerns.
For those with combination skin, a face serum formulated with ingredients including vitamin C and sodium hyaluronate is usually considered the best option. But this list of ingredients is likely to increase depending whether your skin is acne-prone, dry, dull or normal.
If you have the normal skin type then you have surely hit the jackpot of the most preferred skin type and choosing a face serum is likely more easier for you than others. We suggest SkinQ’s Brightening Serum formulated with ingredients such as lactic acid, licorice, kojic di palmitate, malic acid, sodium hyaluronate and aloe.
A serum with these ingredients helps brighten skin tone and improve skin texture while also reducing hyperpigmentation patches and spots.
- Moisturise: Moisturizing your skin is an essential step as it provides your skin with prime nutrients and repairs the damage. As the sebum production is lower at night, hyaluronic acid in night cream can help in retaining moisture and nourish your skin without blocking pores. Get yourself a light, gel-based, oil-free moisturizer.
SkinQ’s Moisture Balm is formulated with the goodness of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, sodium hyaluronate, vitamin E, niacinamide and shea butter to give a soft, healthy-looking and glowing skin. Our Moisture balm treats your skin to repair the skin barrier. It has also clinically proven to reduce dryness, dehydration and skin sensitivity.
- Face Masks: It is advised to use face masks once every two-three days. Face masks work both as a barrier and a sealant. It helps in preventing dirt and dust from evading into your pores, and it helps in locking the other active products to do their work efficiently. Face masks can also be therapeutic and relaxing. There are plenty of face masks to choose from, of which, clay is good for oily skin and masks with hydrating ingredients are good for dry skin.
Face masks are formulated with highly concentrated ingredients that penetrate deep within the skin to give you quick and effective results.
Dull, acne prone or oily skin, at SkinQ we have a face mask for all your skin problems! SkinQ’s face masks are formulated with some of the most loved ingredients of the skincare industry including niacinamide, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, vitamin C, zinc and others.
For those struggling with dull, dehydrated skin, we recommend using our Glow Bright Mask to achieve bright, radiant and glowing skin. SkinQ’s Glow Bright Mask is clinically proven to remove tan, fade dark spots and maintain a healthy skin barrier.
If acne is your main skin concern, SkinQ’s Acne Control Mask is the solution for all your worries. Formulated with salicylic acid, niacinamide, zinc PCA and colloidal sulphur, our acne control mask helps control development of acne, reduces clogging of pores and maintains sebum production to result in bright, clear skin.
SkinQ’s Oil Control Mask, formulated with active ingredients including niacinamide, zinc PCA, tea tree, saw palmetto, mandelic acid and french green clay helps maintain oil secretion and balances the skin. It is clinically proven to unclog skin pores, control breakouts and acne while absorbing the excess sebum produced by your skin.
- Lip Balm: Lips are equally exposed to potential damages, like your skin, to the dirt and grime. A light exfoliant can be used to gently exfoliate and clean your lips making them softer. Apply a lip balm to keep your lips hydrated through the night.
Wrapping Up
Being aware of the environment and the changes in it help us understand why building a skincare routine, for the night and day, is important. A proper skincare routine will not only protect your skin but also help in building a mechanism for healthy skin when you give it the nourishment required.
Therefore, just as it is important to cleanse, moisturize and apply sunscreen before stepping out or even if you are at home to protect your skin and help it defend from substances and particles that harm your skin, it is equally important to build a night skincare routine that helps repair the damages caused by UV rays, dirt, and pollutants during the day.
Wake up to a soft, healthy-looking glowing skin by building a proper night skincare routine.