Our bodies need time to rest and recuperate, and that includes our skin! Nighttime skincare routines can be confusing and are often forgotten, but they are essential for maintaining healthy, beautiful skin. Keep these tips in mind each night as you move through your routine, and you’re bound to wake up feeling fresh and rested!

Always Moisturize

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!! Your skin needs it once a day at the very least. A common misconception about moisturizers is that they suffocate the skin during sleep and clog pores. This is totally, absolutely false! Skipping your night cream leaves the skin bare, which allows the natural oils to evaporate, resulting in dry skin buildup. While we rest, our skin’s defenses against the environment are down, allowing active, beneficial ingredients to permeate deep into the skin’s layers and give your skin cells the nutrients they need.

Don’t Wait to Wash

Most people wash their faces right before bed, which is definitely beneficial and acceptable, but some researches have found that washing the face earlier in the night may be more beneficial! The skin cells have a built in clock – they start their natural repairing process when the sun goes down. So, the sooner you are able to wash the day’s dirt off of your skin and apply your moisturizer, the more time your skin will have to heal and absorb all those beneficial ingredients.

Change your pillowcases

This is especially important for those with acne prone skin. Since your head, face, neck, and sometimes hands touch your pillows all night, those fabrics absorb your natural oils. Those can then be transferred back to your skin the next night, so even though you are going through your nightly routine, your pillowcase may be sabotaging you.

Elevate Your Head

Do your eyes appear puffy when you wake up? This could have to do with fluid retention. Try sleeping with your head on two pillows (yes, this will take some getting used to) to encourage fluids to drain from your face. Try also applying an eye cream or serum (like our Rejuvenating Eye Serum) in the morning to help get rid of that puffy, tired look. Just be sure to avoid getting any products to close to the lash line as any products that fall into the eyes can also cause irritation and puffiness. Drinking enough water throughout the day is very important as well – the body retains less water when it is properly hydrated!

Use Baby Washcloths

Regular washcloths can be extremely harsh on our sensitive faces. Even if you don’t have particularly sensitive skin, it’s still a good idea to be gentle! Save the exfoliation for days when you wash with an exfoliating scrub, accidentally over exfoliating is very harmful to the skin.

Get Your Rest

Beauty sleep is no joke! While you’re awake, gravity forces fluids and blood flow downwards. When you sleep, the body evens itself back out and makes tiny repairs all over – including the skin. Try to allow yourself 7-8 hours of sleep a night to give your body time to do its job, you won’t regret it.