When night approaches and you start to wind down after a long day, there’s still a few things that you should take care of. For instance, following a beneficial nighttime skin care routine can help repair any damage that has occurred to your skin throughout the day. It can also help you prevent future breakouts while treating any current blemishes that you have. We understand that spending an extra five or ten minutes taking care of your skin each night can keep you from falling asleep faster, but you’ll be happy that you too the time to take care of your skin. You’ll end up looking healthier and younger the longer that you follow your routine.
Why is a Night Skincare Routine Beneficial?
South Asian and Indian skin can be very sensitive and temperamental at times. Over the course of the day, pollution, exposure to the elements, sun exposure and fluctuations in hormones can all negatively affect the skin. The night hours while you’re sleeping are a great time to take advantage of the opportunity to repair your skin. If you can get into a routine of washing your face and applying a few specific products, you’ll notice a complete change in how your skin looks. Your body produces more melatonin at night when the sun goes down. This melatonin is important when it comes to your skin repairing itself, and combining a natural melatonin production with a high-quality skin care routine is optimal.
What Should Be the Best Night Skin Care Routine?
Not everyone has the same skin type, but we’re going to discuss a general process in regarding to nighttime care. You can tailor your own routine to your specific skin type. Generally speaking, you should stick with the same process each night for the best results. Let’s take a look at the products that you should be using and in what order.
Cleanser
Regardless of what kind of skin type you have, it’s important that you use a cleanser to remove dirt, oil and other grime that’s accumulated on your face over the course of the day. It’s ideal that you wash your face once in the morning as well as once at night before bed. You can add in another cleansing during the middle of the day if you have very oily skin that’s prone to breakouts or you have worked out. It’s imperative that you don’t leave sweat on your skin.
There are countless cleansers on the market, and you’ll want to pick one that benefits your skin. You can choose a cream cleanser if you have dry skin that is prone to irritation. A micellar cleanser will work well for very oily skin that needs a deep cleaning in the pores. Just stay away from products that contain alcohol or other strong chemicals that can irritate the skin. Even oily skin can become irritated if you’re not careful.
Using Micellar Water as a Cleanser
Micellar water is a product that has recently become quite popular. It’s basically a water-based products that uses micelles, or oil-based particles to provide a deep clean and remove any makeup that you still have on your face. It’s really effective, but it also is extremely gentle. You don’t need to scrub your skin or soak it in micellar water. Simply swipe a cotton ball soaked in it across your skin. Look for a product that hydrates if you’re prone to dry or irritated skin. There are also micellar varieties that are beneficial for oily skin and sensitive skin.
Eye Cream
The skin that is around your eyes is very sensitive, as well as thin. You should always use a different product around your eyes than you would on the rest of your face. Most people choose a gentle anti-aging eye cream as part of their nightly routine. This will help to minimize the appearance of any fine lines or wrinkles that are developing as you age.
An eye cream that is designed for nighttime use will often contain melatonin to help you unwind after a long day. Other beneficial ingredients include Vitamin A, Vitamin C, ceramides, retinol and hyaluronic acid.
When applying your eye cream, make sure that you’re as gentle as possible. If you’re using your finger, your ring finger actually provides the gentlest touch. Use a tapping motion rather than rubbing the product into the skin. Some products include an applicator that helps you apply the cream in a gentle motion moving outwards from the corner of your eyes. This can also help to improve the blood flow to this area.
The Benefits of Serum
Serum is a product that a lot of people skip as part of their night skin care routine steps, but this can be a very beneficial product to use on a regular basis. Serums typically contain some very nutrient-dense ingredients that can help to reverse aging, prevent aging, repair your skin, hydrate and much more.
Nighttime serums can contain ingredients like melatonin, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. The right application is important. You should apply some of the serum to your hands to warm it up a bit. Massage the serum onto your face gently moving your hands upwards. When you apply a product in circular motions or by pulling down on your skin, this can speed up the aging process by helping gravity make the skin sag. You should also apply serum to your neck and chest.
Spot Treatments
If you are experiencing a breakout or even have one pesky blemish that’s getting on your nerves, you can treat that spot without having to apply a product to your entire face. Spot treatments usually contain ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. These two ingredients will dry out the spot while preventing another breakout in that area.
Moisturizers
Skin that is dry can look very red and irritated, flaky and it can be prone to breakouts just like oily skin is. After you’ve cleansed your skin, it’s time to provide hydration. The right nighttime moisturizer will help to seal in the serum and eye cream that you’ve applied. You should look for a product that contains ingredients such as peptides, Vitamin E, niacinamide, chamomile and hyaluronic acid.
Applying moisturizer with a bit more vigor is acceptable. You want to make sure that your skin is properly absorbing all the hydration that you’re providing it with. Provide your face with a gentle massage during the application process.
The Importance of Melatonin in the Best Night Routine for Face
We’ve talked a bit about including melatonin in your nighttime skincare products, but we want to explain a bit more in detail why this can be such a great ingredient to look for when you’re shopping around. Melatonin allows you to repair your skin optimally while you sleep. It’s that little extra boost that your routine may need in order to achieve the look that you want. There are certain times of the year when this boost is necessary. After a long summer, your skin may need a little healing and extra hydration regardless of whether or not you used an SPF product to protect your skin. The winter months can also be very drying and irritating because of cold temperatures and extreme winds.
What is the Best Natural Night Skincare Routine?
Not only does glowing skin allow you to look and feel your best, but you can skip a lot of the cosmetic products that you usually use each morning. A fresh and natural face is more beautiful than any face you can apply. In order to achieve gorgeous and flawless skin, your night routine is important. You should skip those harsh chemical-based skincare products that often do a lot more harm than good. Let’s look at some of the best products and techniques that you can use which are more natural-focused.
-Your Lifestyle Choices
Aside from picking some great skincare products to use during the nighttime hours, you should pay close attention to the lifestyle choices that you’re making. For instance, diet is very important. What you eat directly affects your skin. Your skin requires a careful balance of vitamins and minerals in order to heal and look its best. The healthiest skincare diet you can find avoids things like refined sugars, processed foods and fatty foods. These options can clog your pores, increase your sebum production and make you breakout. Stick with lean protein like fish and chicken, work in whole grains, and load up on fresh fruits and vegetables. Hydrate yourself with regular water; staying away from things that can dehydrate you like coffee and soda with caffeine.
Exercising on a regular basis can boost the quality and look of your skin. When you workout or do yoga on a daily basis, this helps to flush toxic substances from inside of your body. Purifying the blood will help your skin stay clear and youthful. Not to mention, regular aerobic activity will boost your heart health and naturally lower your cholesterol levels.
-Using Milk on Your Skin
Milk has been used for skin care since the 7th century (in Japan). If you apply milk in a very thin layer on the surface of your skin and massage it in gently, your skin will appear much brighter, have a more even look and remain hydrated. This remedy works really well if you have acne scars or dark skin spots that need to be addressed.
-Vitamin E Mixed with Glycerin
Glycerin is an ingredient that’s often used in cosmetics and beauty products, but you can also use it for nighttime skin care. Use one teaspoon of glycerin along with one capsule of vitamin E to make a concoction of your own. Once they are mixed together thoroughly, you will apply the mixture to your face; rubbing gently. Work the mixture into your skin in circular motions, and don’t wash your skin until the morning. This is something you won’t want to do nightly, but making it a biweekly occurrence can lead to glowing skin.
-Almond Oil
Some women have difficulty finding a moisturizer that hydrates their skin without causing breakouts or other issues. You can use plain almond oil to tend to dry skin. It only takes about five drops of the oil massaged onto your face to produce results. Do this each night, and leave the almond oil on until morning. Almond oil has the potential to increase the blood flow to the surface of your skin, which helps heal and rejuvenate.
-Honey
Honey is totally natural, and it is very beneficial for the skin. Choose a raw honey that doesn’t have any additional ingredients or flavorings, and apply it to the skin in a very thin layer a few nights per week. You should leave it on for approximately 20 minutes before washing off with cool water, and pay your face dry. You can apply any other serums or creams that you usually use before bed as well.
-Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice that you can take in capsule form, tea form or cook with it. It has great benefits for the skin, which means that you can apply it directly to your face as part of your nighttime routine. If you’re looking for a natural scrub to use a few nights each week, mix together equal parts of turmeric and sesame seeds. You can use a little bit of milk or honey to make it into a paste. Scrub it gently all over your face, and you can let it sit on the surface of the skin for a few minutes if you would like. Then, rinse with cool water, and pat dry.
-Organic Store-Bought Products
Coming up with your own masks, packs and scrubs using ingredients from your own pantry is a lot of fun, but you might be more interested in purchasing store-bought products. Something that’s already made for you to use on your skin is specifically formulated. You don’t have to worry if you’re mixing things properly. Organic skincare products are made without the use of unsafe chemicals. The ingredients are generally naturally sourced from organic materials that are produced without the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, etc. You won’t find harsh fragrances or preservatives in these products.
Simplified Skin Anti-Aging Night Cream
You can provide your skin with anti-aging during the nighttime hours by way of Vitamin C, Vitamin B5, rosehip oil and cocoa butter with Simplified Skin Anti-Aging Night Cream. It’s a very thick product that will work hard to hydrate and protect your skin while you’re sleeping. Despite how thick it is, it’s non-comedogenic so you don’t have to worry about it clogging your pores. This is a gentle product that is formulated to be very effective.
Alitura Night Cream
Alitura Night Cream is an organic product that contains ten percent botanical hyaluronic acid, raw manuka honey, chlorella, camu camu, shisandra, royal jelly, edelweis and rosehip seed oil. These ingredients will work hard at night to rejuvenate your skin while providing necessary hydration. It is designed for all skin types and for all age groups.
How Do I Choose a Night Skin Cream?
The most important thing to take into consideration when you’re choosing a cream or product for night use, is what kind of skin type you have. You should think about whether you have dry, oily or combination skin. Then, think about your age. Everyone can benefit from an anti-aging routine, even someone that is in their 20s and has flawless skin without any wrinkles. Essentially, it’s never too early to start taking care of your skin and preventing wrinkles and fine lines. It’s nice to get recommendations from people that you know regarding what worked for them, but you have to take your own skin into account.
The product itself should be lightweight, but pack a lot of nutrients and benefits into its composition. You’ll want a good ingredient list comprised of vitamins, peptides, amino acids and collagen. You want your skin to be able to breathe through the product as you sleep. Look for something that advertises itself as being noncomedogenic or hypoallergenic. Fragrance-free products or products with natural and mild fragrances are beneficial as well if you’re trying to avoid irritation.
Choosing Your Skin Cream Based on Skin Type
Night skin care routine creams are made very differently based on the skin type that they’re being used on. What a person with sensitive skin needs is quite different than what someone with oily skin needs. Let’s take a look at what you should be looking for based on what type of skin you have.
-Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin should never have a thick product on it. You want to choose something that is very lightweight so it can be absorbed easily. The skin needs to be able to breathe. Stay away from products with strong ingredients, even those that are natural or organic. Fragrance-free products are better, and you should think about incorporating ingredients into your products like neem, aloe vera, tea tree oil, chamomile, lavender and cucumber.
-Oily Skin
Oily skin can be tough to treat at night because you want to dry out those blemishes while still hydrating and rejuvenating your skin. You’ll want to stay far away from anything that has oils in it, such as coconut oil, sesame oil, shea butter or cocoa butter. While these ingredients are great for other uses, your oily face isn’t one of them. Better options would be rosehip, hemp, pumpkin seed oil and grape seed oil.
-Dry Skin
Very dry skin needs a thick layer of moisture that will protect, hydrate and heal the skin. Shea butter is a great product that will help hydrate, but it also creates a barrier on the skin that prevents moisture from evaporating out of the skin. Products with glycerine are also beneficial if you have very dry skin.
Choosing a Night Cream Based on Your Age
Taking your age into account is important when it comes to your night face routine. Don’t assume that you should skip a night product just because you’re in your 20s or early 30s. Though, your needs from a nighttime skin product will be different depending on what age you are.
-Skincare in Your 20s
If you’re trying to choose a nighttime product for your skin and you’re in your 20s, look for something that contains mild and basic ingredients like honey and aloe vera. These ingredients will help hydrate and soothe the skin without having to tackle anything like fine lines or wrinkles.
-Skincare in Your 30s
Once you’re in your 30s, this is a very important time to start looking for products that contain anti-aging benefits like retinol, ceramides, amino acids and antioxidants.
-Skincare in Your 40s
You may start to see some signs of aging popping up once you’re in your 40s, and your skin type may start to change a bit due to hormone changes (pre-menopause or menopause). Opt for a product that has soy extract, vitamins and peptides.
-Skincare in Your 50s
You’ll notice that your skin is much more dry once you’ve arrived at the age of 50. Your skin loses a lot of its ability to remain hydrated at this age, so look for moisturizing ingredients that can help to replenish moisture while improving elasticity and boost collagen production.
How Do I Choose a Nighttime Serum?
Serums are great to use for a well thought out night time skin care order. They provide with exactly what it needs, and it can be easily absorbed throughout the nighttime hours. The ideal nighttime serum should be ultra concentrated. It’s only going to take a few drops to get the results you’re looking for. Because of this, expect a serum to be one of the more expensive products that you invest in.
-Serum for Dark Spots
If you’re looking to even out your skin tone, look for a serum that has high concentrations of Vitamin C and licorice root extract and niacinamide. A serum should be packaged in a dark colored bottle in order to protect the nutrients that are inside. This is how you can tell the quality of a product.
-Serum for Dry Skin
Dry skin can be caused by a number of things like exposure to the elements, lack of hydration and sun damage, but the problem is essentially that your skin barrier has become damaged. You can use a serum to repair your skin if it includes ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerine.
-Serum for Anti-Aging
Reverse those fine lines and wrinkles with serum ingredients such as retinol, hyaluronic acid and ceramides. You may also want to consider a time release formula for the most benefits possible.
How is a Nighttime Cream Different Than a Day-Focused Product?
Creams which are designed for night skin care routine use often contain ingredients that you shouldn’t really use during the daytime. Ingredients such as retinol can be very beneficial to the skin when it comes to the elasticity and firmness of your skin quality. However, it’s more beneficial when you’re sleeping at night. It can make your skin a lot more sensitive to the sun if you’re wearing it in the middle of the afternoon. Vitamin C also has the same effect during the day. Products for night use usually have the potential to boost circulation to your skin while you’re resting, along with improving the hydration in your skin. You may not find the same results during the day.
It’s important to keep in mind that, while you want to develop a beneficial skincare order night, you shouldn’t overdo it. You’ll want to make sure that you have the right products as part of your routine, but don’t use too many at once. Piling on the products one on top of another can end up clogging your pores or preventing the top layer of products from absorbing into the skin. You also have to pay attention to the order that you’re applying your products for the maximum benefits. Simply making sure that your skin is clean and hydrated with the right moisturizer for your skin type can make all the difference.
