Most people (dermatologists and skin care professionals included) divide your daily skin care routine into two sections: morning and night. During the day, you’re busy and rushing around, with very little time to think about what your skin is doing. But with your nighttime skin care routine, your skin has roughly seven to eight hours to do nothing but breathe and repair itself.
This period of time, then, is crucial, and supporting your skin with a nighttime skin care routine is incredibly important. It doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming – just consistent. Here are some tips that should help:
Keep It Simple.
There are basically four steps you need to remember to keep your skin looking its best:
- Wash your face.
This is an important first step – don’t skip it, no matter how tired you are. You need to get rid of the day’s dirt, sunscreen, and makeup so you skin can breathe and repair itself. This step will also help prevent clogged pores and the dead skin build-up that gives your skin that lusterless look. Use a cleanser that is compatible with your skin type and will effectively remove all the gunk without stripping your skin of its moisture.
- Moisturize your skin.
And speaking of moisture, it’s important to moisturize freshly cleansed skin in order to help maintain proper skin hydration. Pick a moisturizer specially formulated for your skin type (i.e. dry, oily, combination). Your skin moisture helps maintain your skin’s strength, which, in turn, helps protect your skin from environmental stressors like dryness and irritation. Your nighttime skin care routine should always include moisturizer
- Apply night treatment products.
The hours you spend snoozing are perfect for therapeutic skin care products to work to improve skin problems and prevent others. The seven or eight hours you’re asleep will give these products time to absorb and do their job without risk of accidental smearing or evaporating.
- On occasion – treat yourself!
A great way to unwind after a long day is to treat yourself to a clay mask. There are many different clay masks available that are formulated for different skin types. For example, oily skin would benefit from a mattifying clay mask with eucalyptus, while people with rough skin should use a refining clay mask that gently exfoliates your skin. If your skin is dull, look for a clay mask formulated with charcoal to help illuminate and detoxify.
Don’t rush through your nighttime skin care regimen, focus on your skin’s needs and give it the time it deserves. You’ll not only wake with your skin looking rested and nourished, but a consistent routine can help keep problems at bay and your skin looking its best for years to come.
At Dermatology Associates, we help clients maintain great skin for life through a full range of services, expertise, and skin care products. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you and your specific skin issues, just give us a call or click here to schedule a consultation.
Dermatology Associates offers a full spectrum of leading edge medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology services from offices in Savannah and Vidalia.
