By Kendall Farr, Licensed Esthetician, SPADA Skincare
Our skin is our largest organ and its’ facility for cellular repair – every single night- is miraculous. But it needs some help to function optimally and this means using the right cleansing and moisture for your skin type. Basics: Your skin needs to be very clean to fully support the cellular turnover that regenerates it (and keeps it looking good). And your evening routine should be a little different than your morning routine. Think of it this way, if your daytime skincare is all about protection then your nighttime routine should support vital skin repair.
Five ways your skin functions at night:
- Skin cells have the lowest water content (cleansing, misting and moisture are critical to replace daytime water loss).
- The skin’s natural barrier function decreases (meaning your skin let’s down it’s daytime defenses and will absorb more moisture and nutrients – providing you give it what it needs).
- Your skin’s detox enzymes are released (it’s clean up time).
- The rate of cell growth and division increases.
- DNA repair and renewal processes are active.
Who doesn’t want to fuel this kind of consistent nightly repair? It’s as simple as cleaning your face consistently (Yes, every night. No slacking.) And using what delivers effective formulations into your skin.
Here’s the correct order for application:
1. Double Cleanse Your Face And Neck
Again, your skin is busy repairing itself all night. As you sleep, your skin is producing lovely, fresh new cells that restore your skin. Double cleansing your skin aids in the process.
Recommended here: Use two different types of cleansers:
- For your first cleanse use a light, easily emulsified oil cleanser like G.M. Collin’s Phytoderm Cleansing Oil. Here’s the benefit: oil attracts oil, which is why light cleansing oils work for all skin types – even for oily skin. They remove dirt, pour clogging pigment from makeup, tough-to-budge SPF, and excess sebum all without stripping your barrier of its essential oils. An oil cleanse keeps the skin hydrated and balanced because it works as a solvent that gently dissolves ‘the day’ from your face and neck.
PRO TIP: Apply the oil to dry skin. Let the solvents in the cleanser attach themselves to any pigments, remnants of SPF, dirt, and emollients from moisturizer to properly break them all down. After you’ve massaged it in for about 30 seconds, wet your fingers, and massage it through once more. Rinse with water and give your skin a wipe with a washcloth to remove any remaining oil.
- Your second cleanse is your deep cleanse. This is what sweeps away any remaining dirt, impurities, and pollutants along with the 30,000 to 40,000 cells your skin sheds every day! This is also the step that really opens your pores and readies your skin for a night of vital repair. Use a cleansing formula that’s best for your specific skin type whether a cleansing milk that addresses things like dehydration or sensitivity or a gel formula that’s best for oilier and acne prone skins.
PRO TIP: Move through your routine quickly. You have about a one-minute window after cleansing to apply your next product before your skin starts to lose moisture.
Step 2: Toner
- Toners are probably the most misunderstood category in skincare but they are very important to use because they have two vital functions. They remove any residue from your cleanser and they also remove hard water residue (a mess of chlorine, salt and minerals). When hard water residue dries down on the skin, it’s like you’ve spread a liquid soap on your face – and left it unrinsed. Always use an alcohol-free toner (love don’t remove your natural oil) as they’re gentler and more hydrating than any oil stripping alcohol -based formulas which can also be drying and irritating, especially to sensitive skin types.
- Apply all over the face and neck using a toning cloth or cotton rounds to avoid product waste. Leave it damp on the skin and move on to your next step.
Step 3: Mask (Optional)
A few times a week, I recommend using a mask to boost the skin’s moisture. Masks are ideal for re-setting the skin (calming, hydrating) especially if you’ve been on an airplane, wearing more makeup than usual, had a lot of sun exposure, or are experiencing breakouts. After cleansing at night, apply a mask and leave it on anywhere from 5-20 minutes. Rinse well.
You can alternate between a few different masks depending on what your skin needs. G.M. Collin’s Glow Mask has a creamy texture and functions as a ‘vitamin cocktail’ to infuse skin that feels very dry with a reviving combination of A, C, and B3. For skin that is parched and stressed from a lack of water G.M. Collin’s Aqua Mask delivers a thirst-quenching combination of essential minerals that soothe and hydrate the skin.
Step 4: Serum
At night your skin is more permeable so it’s able to absorb products more efficiently. And that’s when you want to add a serum. Think of a serum as what does the heavy lifting in your routine. Serums are formulated for the deepest penetration with a tiny molecular structure that can reach your cells. That deep penetration makes it possible to stimulate your cells to turnover faster, make collagen and elastin, repair your existing stores of collagen, hold water in your cells, and much more.
Step 5: Moisturizer
It’s important to understand that while serums are designed for the deepest penetration, moisturizers provide an important ‘sealing function’ that protects your barrier from moisture evaporation. They also deliver effective skin-changing ingredients but do so at the surface to mid-level layers of the skin. Your esthetician can help guide you to the right ingredients and weight to experience deep hydration and glow. A night cream can be creamier, a little weightier than a day cream – but honestly, a cream that works at night can be anything that contains the skin-changing agents you need most- that doesn’t contain SPF. It’s a myth that a cream should be heavier to have an any effect on fine lines and wrinkles. Just be sure to choose something formulated to support your skin type and condition.
Step 6: The Case For Eye Cream
If you are not using a specialized cream for your eye area- it’s time. The skin around the eyes is significantly thinner than the skin on the rest of the face- up to 10 times thinner. This is delicate skin that’s less elastic and lacks the fat and oil production of the rest of the face – making it vulnerable to earlier signs of aging like wrinkling, and dryness. Choose a formula that is instantly absorbed like G.M. Collins’ HA Filler Eye Contour a powerhouse combination of hyaluronic acid to fill-in lines plus caffeine that addresses under eye darkness and puffiness.
Spot Treatment ( As Needed)
Here’s where you can spot treat breakouts as needed. Using a damp cotton swab or tissue, wipe the breakout to remove any skincare products that you’ve applied. Then, apply the spot treatment and let it dry. That’s it. This method controls drying actives like salicylic acid from spreading around your face along with the emollients in your moisturizer – which can be irritating.
Step 8: Face Oil (Optional)
This is a fantastic method for protecting against moisture evaporation especially for skin that is very dry and sensitive. This is also a step that most people get wrong by using oil before moisturizer (blocks your moisturizer from absorbing into the skin), mixing it with your moisturizer (the molecule weights don’t mix – so absorption doesn’t function) or using oil instead of moisturizer ( limited absorption). Use an easily absorbed formula like the blend of Argan and Maracuja oils found in G.M. Collin’s Essential Infusion Dry Oil as the very last step in your routine. Pat it on top of well-absorbed moisturizer. It acts as a protective seal to keep moisture locked in all night.
To get the most out of your nighttime skincare routine, choose the right products for your skin type and use them as directed and in the right order. This will give you the best results and create the most improvement in your skin while you sleep. After all, it’s called “beauty sleep” for a reason.