Evening Skincare Routine

Yes, there is a difference between your morning skin routine and your evening skin routine.  Why is there a difference, well the primary goals of the routine are different.  In the morning many of the products we apply are meant to protect your skin from the elements: UV radiation, population, etc.  At night, we are trying to renew and repair the skin. 

This blog will outline the key steps to a night routine.  There is always variation depending on the person and what he/she is trying to achieve but these are basic guidelines.

Night skincare routine

A nighttime routine is essential in any skincare regimen.  It helps our skin renew and repair from the day.  The order of skincare steps is typically as follows:

1. Cleanse 🧼

2. Serums 💧

3. Moisturizer 🧴

*Notice toner is not a step.  This is a personal choice.  Many people love to use toners as they help remove impurities and prepare the skin for other products.  In my opinion, a good cleanser does the same thing.

Step 1: Cleansing

Cleansing the face is our first key step in any evening routine.  Many cleansers are able to help remove make-up and tinted sunscreens/moisturizers.  If you feel like you need a make-up removal step - that would precede cleansing.  My favorite type of make-up remover is micellar water - as it removes make-up very well, but is actually very gentle on the skin.

If you read our morning skincare routine, you know there are many cleansers on the market.  In the evening, I typically recommend a gentle cleanser.  This is great for all skin types.  This is usually a glycerin-based cleanser or if you want a little active ingredient: a 2% salicylic acid wash.  There are two reasons for this - one, I use a much stronger cleanser in the morning (10% benzoyl peroxide) and thus I do not want to over-irritate my skin; and two, my main goal with cleansing in the evening to remove any dirt/sunscreen/make-up from my face.  **As I have mentioned before, if you are using a retinoid, like tretinoin, at night, using benzoyl peroxide at the same time can inactive the tretinoin. 

Step 2: Serums

We talked about morning serums previously, which can include: Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic acid, Lactic acid, Melantonin, tranexamic acid and glycolic acid (see our Morning Skincare Routine blog).  These serums can be used at night as well but, I recommend a couple different active ingredients at night.  Many of the products that help renew and regenerate our skin cannot be used during the daytime as they can be sun sensitizing.

The two main evening active ingredients are:

• Retinoids

• Retinols

What is the difference - they sound the same? They are both Vitamin A derivatives.  A retinoid is typically going to be stronger than a retinol.  Retinoids and retinols have great anti-aging properties such as boosting collagen production and causing faster cell turnover.  Retinoids also have an added benefit of helping with acne, reducing pore-clogging and helping with acne scarring.  

So why doesn’t everyone just get a retinoid serum/cream/gel.  Well, the downside to being stronger can mean the side effects are more noticeable - specifically dry skin, peeling and retinoid dermatitis.  Anyone with dry, sensitive skin should not start with a retinoid.  It is better to ease into the Vitamin A derivatives with retinol and work your way up to a retinoid over time.

There are many retinoids out there - most are medical prescriptions.  Unfortunately, if you do not also have acne, your insurance will not cover them for anti-aging purposes.  One of my favorite things to tell patients is about GoodRx.  GoodRx is a coupon-based app that helps you find the lowest price for medications when your insurance does not cover them (and it is sometimes even when it does cover them).  Prescription-grade retinoids do vary in strength: the lowest (most tolerable) being either tretinoin 0.025% or Aklief (trifarotene) and the strongest (most drying) being tazarotene.  The important thing to remember with retinoids is that it does not matter how strong your retinoid is, it matters that you are using one.  Eventually, they will all get you to the same place but it will take more time with weaker formulations.  If you try to use the strongest retinoid and your skin is peeling and you hate and are inconsistent with application - you are not going to get the results you want and would be much happier and better off with a more mild form.

**You should not use any Vitamin A derivatives during pregnancy or breastfeeding

** Bakuchicol - is a terpenophenol that helps stimulate cell turnover and is also an antioxidant.  It is not a retinoid or retinol. 

Step 3: Moisturizer

If you have oily skin and feel like your retinol or retinoid does not dry out your skin - consider yourself lucky and you can decide whether or not to skip this step. 

For the rest of us, moisturizers are an essential step to being able to use a retinoid consistently.  Lipid or ceramide-based creams are very effective at sealing in moisture.  There are several overnight masks that I often recommend to my patients when dryness is a big concern, especially in winter time.  Overnight masks often have more ingredients to help repair the skin barrier.  **EltaMD makes a great overnight mask we often use in clinic.  One thing I would not recommend is coating your face in ointment - this can clog pores and cause a lot of acne break-outs.  It is okay to patch small areas of dry flaky skin, but I personally do not think this should be your full face moisturizer. 

These are the 3 foundation steps for a night skincare routine.  If you are just starting out, I would focus on trying to be consistent with these 3 steps every night.  If you already mastered these main pillars of skincare, you can always add-on with an eye-cream or additional serums, but just remember, sometimes less is more.

If you have any questions or would like a personalized skincare routine, please call Aislyn Dermatology at 719-992-0127 or make an appointment online.