The best order to apply skincare products at night and in the morning!
Everyone’s skin is different and has a unique set of needs to maintain a healthy, hydrated texture and appearance.
Some of us have dry sensitive skin while others have an oilier texture.
Everyone’s ideal skin care routine is likely to differ slightly, however, there are key tricks and tips that work for most people and can be customised to suit any of your individual skin care concerns.
Each day your skin comes into contact with a number of different impurities, including dirt, makeup, airborne pollutants and bacteria. This can cause a number of skin concerns including dry skin, acne, redness, irritation or even signs of ageing.
Taking care of your skin and maintaining a good skin care routine is just as important as brushing your teeth. You should have a cleansing regime for both the morning and night as your skin comes into contact with different substances throughout a 24-hour period. If you’re not sure on the best skincare routine for the night or daytime, this is where we can help.
Follow the helpful tips in this skincare guide to create the ideal regime for glowing, hydrated and rejuvenated skin:
The Best Morning Skincare Routine
When you wake up in the morning, struggling to turn off your alarm and getting ready for the day, your skincare routine might be the last thing on your mind.
But your skin is important and in order to protect it, your morning skincare routine should be straightforward to prep your skin for the challenges of the day.
Step one: Gentle cleansing
The first essential step of your morning routine should be to cleanse and gently wash your skin. This should wash away any oil and dirt that your skin attracted overnight. However, you should make sure that as you cleanse, you are as gentle as possible and don’t dry out the skin too much as this can remove some of the natural oils which are useful.
You might want to try a gentle toner or foam to gently wipe away the top layer of dead skin without exfoliating too much.
"Cleanse gently or splash with a bit of cool water. You don't want to strip the skin of its natural oils," - Karee Hays, Celebrity Aesthetician
Step two: Serums, gels or creams
Once the skin has been cleansed, you might want to add some gentle serum, gel or eye cream to absorb into the skin. This is particularly useful for those who have sensitive or dry skin and need continuous hydration. Everyone’s skin is different, so you need to find the right routine for you.
Dark Eye All-Natural Eye Serum is highly recommended as it is great for eliminating puffy-eyes, eye bags, dark circles and wrinkles.
You might also want to read our recent blog on Eye Serums & Creams: How & When to Apply for Maximum Benefits!
Step three: Sunscreen Protection
The importance of sunscreen is hugely underrated. Even in cooler climates or cloudy days, sunscreen can still protect and support your skin. The sun’s UV rays can penetrate through clouds, smoke and pollution so you need to make sure you defend your skin.
This will even help fight against early signs of ageing - a perfect element of a skincare routine for people in their 20s and 30s. Some sunscreens are combined with moisturisers so make sure you find one with SPF 30 or higher for your daily skincare regime.
Once you have completed these steps, your skin will be ready for the day. Feel free to add or take some steps away to this depending on your skin type. This is the base of a good skincare routine, but it can and should be personalised to meet your unique needs.
The Best Nighttime Skincare Routine
As your skin has battled with thousands of impurities throughout the day, it is important to restore your skin and let it unwind and rejuvenate overnight. Some of the leading dermatologists and skin experts have recommended the following steps to help revitalise your skin before you go to sleep.
“Be patient. Your skin took a while to deteriorate. Give it some time to reflect a calmer inner state.” ― Jess C. Scott, Writer
Step one: Removing makeup
Removing your makeup is just as important as applying it! You should take time and care when removing your makeup to ensure that your skin is clean and pure before you go to sleep.
Oil-based or water-based cleansers and make-up removers will achieve the best results as they gently wipe away unwanted products from your pores and large areas of skin.
If you want to achieve a home-made result, some dermatologists have recommended coconut oil and a warm cloth. You can also use baby oil, aloe vera, lavender oil, or rose water. This can achieve easy results without the use of harsh chemicals on your skin. Sulphate-free ingredients are highly recommended as they can help balance the pH level in your skin.
“I use omega-3 oil. I love light oil on my skin. It’s one of my favorite feelings in the world.” – Gwyneth Paltrow
Step two: Exfoliate your skin
Exfoliation is an important part of your skincare regime. It removes dead skin and prepares the cells underneath for regeneration. Exfoliating gets rid of dry, dull skin and doing so daily is fine as long as you choose a gentle exfoliant that won't be too abrasive on your face. A good exfoliator will remove dirt and scrub your pores to remove impurities.
Step three: Spot treatments
Breakouts are more likely if you have oily skin because the build-up of oil mixes with dead skin cells and gets stuck in your pores. If you have a blemish, spot or skin concern such as acne, you should look for an anti-inflammatory product to cleanse and purify the area. This can reduce redness and hopefully try and stop them making a reappearance in the future.
If you suffer from oily skin, find out how to prevent it with our guide ‘How to Prevent Oily Skin - A Definitive Guide to Remedies, Skincare & Diet’.
Step four: Moisturise and hydrate
Night-time is when your skin works the hardest; this is because it's when your skin repairs any damage caused during the day and generates new cells. Moisturisers help replenish and hydrate your skin.
Before bedtime, it is useful to apply a thicker, more concentrated moisturiser to properly nourish the skin while you're sleeping. Always remember to apply a thin layer as some face creams can be too rich. If you have dry skin, try a shea-based or jojoba and oil blend.
“A woman is most beautiful when she smiles. Other than that, the most valuable tip I’ve learned is always use a skin moisturizer!” – Beyoncé