Bedtime is very important to your skin. It’s a time for renewal and repairing, so it’s essential to build the best nighttime skincare routine that you possibly can. But the exact products to apply before you go to bed may differ based on your skin type. This article will give everything you need to know to create your own custom skin care routine and get a glowing complexion – while you sleep.
If you have dry skin
You’re dealing with dry patches? Here’s how to battle that problem before going to bed. First, cleansing with a hydrating cleanser and gently patting your skin dry. Apply a serum with botanical ingredients and then apply a night cream with ingredients like glycerin or a product containing sunflower or chamomile oil.
These ingredients have a great reputation for boosting moisture, and sunflower oil especially has been said to be rich in vitamin E. You can also use fast absorbing Bio-oil which are very soothing. And be sure to avoid anything with alcohol, because it can make your dryness even worse.
If you have oily skin…
Start of with a cleanser that has salicylic or glycolic acid. Both of these ingredients are acne-fighting ingredients. Pat dry, then apply a oil-free lotion or gel with the word “mattifying”’ on the label.
When picking out your products, look for ingredients like tea tree oil (a known antibacterial), glycolic acid (a gentle exfoliator), and hydrating hyaluronic acid. But take note: don’t dismiss moisturizer because it’s actually important to not over-dry the skin and the skin responds by pumping out more oil.
However, you can avoid thick, occlusive ingredients like cocoa butter, shea butter, and petroleum, as well as alcohol-based products and sodium lauryl sulfate.
If you have dull skin…
Don’t skimp on your exfoliation. Dull skin results from the dead skin cells piling up on the surface of skin. Chemical exfoliants like AHA are better than physical ones.
Your next step, is to hydrate your skin. Dry skin looks dull. So after you remove all those dead skin cells that serve as a barrier, your skin is more accepting of hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
To keep skin moisturized, you should stay away from drying ingredients like alcohol and witch hazel.
If you have blotchy skin…
Blotchy skin is usually inflamed skin, and people try to fix it by over cleansing and over scrubbing, which only makes things worse. The key here is soothing that surface. To do this, your skin should be cleaned with a gentle, pH balanced cleanser and then using a moisturizer that contains lipids like ceramides, which will help repair the skin’s barrier.
Chose cleansers and creams that have ceramides and look for ingredients that have redness reducing qualities. Cucumber, green tea extract, and certain probiotics (healthy bacteria) can all decrease redness and help restore the skin barrier.