5 Ways To Take Your Bedtime Skincare To The Next Level

Are you looking to give your skin more than the basic (but vital) nighttime cleanse and moisturize? Goody, then you’ve come to the right place.

Picture the scene: you’re getting ready to turn in for the night and going through your pre-bedtime motions. PJs are on, teeth are cleaned, hair is brushed (just us then?) and your face and neck have been cleansed and moisturized. All good stuff. But is a basic cleanse and moisturize really enough to encourage great skin? Or can you do more?

Nighttime is actually a super important time for your skin because while the rest of your body is at rest your skin gets crazy busy trying to heal itself from the pressures of daily life. Day after day things like pollution, stress, a less-than-ideal diet and UV radiation produce damaging free radicals in your skin which, if left to their own devices, attack collagen and elastin and ruin your skin’s youthful mojo. Of course, topical antioxidants like vitamin C plus that all-important sunscreen are great ways to ward off free radicals but still, some of them are going to get through, and your skin needs time to recuperate.

The good news is that all of this rejuvenation and reparation happens overnight when you’re sleeping. When your body rests, blood flow to your skin increases, collagen production accelerates, your natural antioxidant system kicks in and your skin’s barrier function restores itself ready to fight another day. If you miss out on your valuable sleep, therefore, your skin is starved of enough time to get all of this important work done. And your skin will suffer because of it. Studies show that people who get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night generally have way healthier skin than those who sleep for five hours or less.

There is no one perfect nighttime skincare routine that suits all, but you can definitely do more for your skin than wash your face and slap moisturizer on before you hit the sack. Don’t get us wrong, cleansing and moisturizing morning and night is great – and extremely important – but why stop there when just a couple of extra minutes could result in so much more for your skin?

Read on for five ways to up the ante in your nighttime skincare routine… and enjoy way better skin as a result.

1. Give Double Cleansing A Go

Let’s get one thing straight: double cleansing isn’t always necessary and can actually be too stimulating if you use harsh, overly drying products. However, if you choose your products wisely and like to wear a good amount of makeup during the day or are prone to particularly oily skin that feels pretty grimy by the evening, double cleansing can be a very effective way to give your skin the clean slate it deserves before bed.

What is double cleansing? Well, it simply means cleansing your skin twice. First, you use an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup and sunscreen, then you followed this with a water-based formulation to wash away other surface debris and help target your skin type or concerns.

Being gentle is always the preferred way to cleanse and it’s even more important when you’re doing the job twice. So avoid harsh ingredients like sulfates and parabens because these can really over-do it, leading to excessive dryness, irritation and even breakouts. All of our cleansers are free of such nasties, so don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

Also, don’t forget your neck. It’s just as important as the rest of your face and often goes unloved. That’s a mistake you don’t want to make.

2. Try An Exfoliating Treatment

Most people exfoliate in the morning in a bid to freshen up and brighten their skin ready for the day. And this is great. However, exfoliating in the evening is also a fabulous way to help lift away any impurities from your skin to allow the rest of your nighttime skincare routine to penetrate your skin more effectively. It’ll also kick-start the regeneration process which happens overnight, encouraging cell turnover and boosting collagen production. Nice touch.

After cleansing, try our new 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant which is totally non-abrasive and specifically formulated with sensitive skin types in mind. It combines three of the best exfoliating acids for brightening skin tone, unclogging your pores and creating a more even, smoother texture. What’s not to love?

Apply it two or three times a week, but remember not to use it on evenings when you’re applying a retinol product – that combo can be way too stimulating for your delicate skin!

3. Target Your Biggest Skin Concerns

OK, now it's over to you to think about what your skin really needs. And this is where targeted facial serums come into their own. Do you want to nix pesky breakouts? There’s a serum for that. Maybe you have some pigmentation you’d like to get to grips with? Yeah, there’s a serum for that, too. Basically, whatever your needs, a facial serum has you covered.

Serums are an incredible way to incorporate potent, active ingredients into your skincare routine because they’re thinner and more lightweight than regular moisturizers. This means they’re able to deliver ingredients way more effectively, targeting your specific issues by getting underneath the surface where all the good stuff happens.

We have plant-powered, science-backed serums to cater for all tastes, skin types and concerns. From our awesome Peptide Facial Serum which is perfect for hydrating the skin and targeting premature aging through to our Tea Tree Super Serum+ for brightening and clearing out your pores, rest assured, we’re here for you.

4. Show Your Eyes Some Love

The skin around your eyes is thinner and far more fragile than the rest of your face. It also contains fewer sebaceous glands so it can feel and look pretty dry without due care. This is why eye creams are such a great choice for helping to nourish and hydrate the skin while warding off fine lines in this delicate area. And applying one at night is very wise.

Tapping eye cream around your eyes before bed gives your skin something to help kickstart the regeneration and rejuvenation process. Big thumbs up for that. Not only that, but if you apply it in the morning, it can interfere with your under eye concealer and makeup, whereas there’s no chance of that at bedtime.

Sure, you’re welcome to apply an eye cream both morning and night – as long as you give it a good few minutes in the morning to sink in before applying makeup – but if you prefer one or the other, nighttime is your best bet.

Try our new Depuffing Longevity Eye Cream to target aging and help reduce dark circles and pesky under eye baggage.

5. Moisturize Your Lips & Hands

Taking care of the skin on your face and neck is obviously vital before bed. But it doesn’t stop there. In fact, nighttime is an incredible time to give your hands, lips and even your feet a little extra attention. They’re going to be still (for the most part) as you sleep, plus they're totally surplus to requirement for at least the next seven hours, so what better time to lavish them with moisture?

Apply a rich, buttery cream or lotion to cleansed hands and feet just before you jump into bed, and smear your favorite lip balm over your lips. Make sure to apply it just over the edges of your lips as this area can often feel the driest.

And we're done here.