Watch TV?
Have dinner?
Spend time with family?
Hit the bed?
9 out of 10 will state the above. Unfortunately, most of us ignore taking care of our bodies, particularly the skin at night. Our skin needs some care during the night as well. Most of us will take some time in the morning and use skincare products to safeguard our skin.
We wrongly assume that it is only essential to protect the skin in the morning since we spend time under the harsh sun. At night, we will be inside where there is no sun and pollution. So why bother?
Yes, agreed, you need to protect your skin before venturing out. But it is also important to help the body in the healing process at night. Despite all the precautions, your skin will be exposed to various environmental hazards in the daytime. At night your body becomes relaxed and goes into repair mode. Now, if you help your body during this period, your skin will become healthy sooner.
Luckily, the nighttime skin ritual takes much less time and effort as compared to the morning one. Let’s now look at a few simple skincare routines that you can follow at night for healthy skin.
#1 Apply retinol products
If you are using retinol anti-aging products, then it is best to apply them at night. This is because the component retinoid breaks down when it comes in contact with any visible light (not just sunlight). So applying retinol products just before switching off the lights and going to bed makes total sense. Retinol products are also the best medicine for promoting the renewal of collagen. This aids in fighting skin thinning, fine lines, and crepey skin. They also help in treating acne and fighting age spots.
#2 Apply a layer of glycolic acid
Another component that stimulates the production of collagen is glycolic acid. It’s an alpha hydroxy acid(AHA) that gives a nice glow and reduces pigmentation on the skin. It’s milder compared to retinol and thus good for younger skin.
Glycolic acid helps to unblock clogged pores and reduce age spots. It is best if you can use a glycolic product that has a pH value of 4.
A word of caution though, if you have sensitive skin, then it is best to avoid products with glycolic acid.
#3 Use face oils
Face oils play a vital role in replenishing your skin lipids and strengthening the skin barrier. When applied in the morning, this oil would give you a sticky and oily look that you would want to avoid, especially if you are venturing out. So the best time to use these oils is while going to bed. Face oils can be applied as a standalone skincare product during the night, or you can add it on top of retinol products to get additional benefits. To boost the skin healing process, you can add a few drops of face oil to your moisturizer before applying them at night.
Again, if you have oily or acne-prone skin, it’s better to avoid face oils as they can be comedogenic and block your pores causing breakouts.
#4 Treat your hands
Do not ignore your hands at night. Follow the below 3 steps for flawless skin in hands –
- Choose an ointment that is rich in lanolin.
- Soak your hands in warm water for 5 minutes
- Apply the lanolin-rich ointment liberally on both hands and cover them with cotton gloves.
This will give you remarkable results. If you are allergic to lanolin, then use a hand cream formulated especially for dry skin.
You can also treat the age spots on your hand using a glycolic acid cream or lotion before you apply the lanolin ointment. This way, it can tackle both rough hand skin and liver spots at the same time.
#5 Don’t ignore your feet
Most of us give very little importance to our feet as they are protected most of the time. However, we forget the fact that a lot of pressure is applied to our feet throughout the day, and they need some help at night. So the best time to treat your feet is when you are at rest. You can prep your leg for pedicure by applying glycolic acid cream, which chemically exfoliates the rough foot skin.
Apply the glycolic acid lotion to your feet after your evening bath and cover the feet with socks. It helps to fight rough and thick soles by loosening the adhesion between the dead skin cells. You can also use lanolin-rich creams to treat your feet.
#6 Keep your face clean
Never sleep with your makeup on. If it happens once in a while, but don’t make it into a routine. Most beauty products clog the pores in the face and don’t let the air go through the pores. This can be an open invitation to many problems like inflammation, acne, itching, and many more.
First, clean your makeup by using any oil-type cleanser. This removes both dirt and makeup from the skin. Then use a gentle face wash to remove the excess dirt and residues. Even if you have no time to apply night skincare products, at least sleep with a clean face.
#7 Eye Cream
The eyes and skin around your eyes are very thin, and they do not have any oily glands in them to produce a protective barrier. So if you don’t use any skincare products for your eyes during the nighttime, even if you have a healthy 8 hours sleep, you will end up having a pulpy and tired eye. So make sure to use an eye cream at night and massage the skin around your eyes for a few minutes.
