We’ve all heard of beauty sleep. There is truth behind the term. It's easy to see how a poor night’s sleep can take a toll on your face. Signs like dehydrated skin, puffy eyes, dark circles, and a dull complexion are clear indicators. That’s because, while we sleep, our bodies go into repair mode, allowing us to recover overnight. The same goes for our skin—those nighttime hours are crucial for supporting rejuvenation and recovery, so we can wake up looking refreshed and radiant. Let’s take a closer look at what happens to our skin while we catch some Z's.

First, we need to understand our Circadian cycle. The circadian rhythm indeed plays a crucial role in regulating sleep, hormones, metabolism, and even mood. It’s fascinating how external factors, especially exposure to light, can shift this rhythm. For instance, blue light emitted from electronic devices, such as computer screens, can disrupt our sleep pattern, making it harder to wind down at night. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and minimizing exposure to bright lights in the evening can help keep our circadian rhythms in sync.

Understanding and respecting our body's natural rhythm can significantly enhance the health and well-being, as our skin cells are governed by this cycle. Of course, our skin goes through various changes throughout the day and night, which will influence how we care for it. Here are five ways to enhance your nighttime skincare routine for noticeable morning results.

Cleanse your skin thoroughly before calling it a night

The first step to optimize the effectiveness of your evening skincare routine is proper cleansing. This helps remove makeup, sunscreen, and impurities from the day, ensuring that the ingredients in the serums and creams applied subsequently penetrate the skin effectively. For oilier skin types and anyone wearing makeup, a double cleansing is recommended to remove both surface debris and ensure no residual oils or particulate matter remain on the skin.

 Shop

Exfoliate two to three times weekly

To remove any keratinized cells that can block pores and impair the penetration of ingredients, exfoliation should be performed two to three times per week, depending on the skin type and the age of the person. The skin’s natural exfoliation cycle slows down as we progress in years. However, allowing skin cells to be released by exfoliation will boost the skin’s natural renewal cycle.

Shop

Incorporate age-defying ingredients

Repairing peptides, retinol, and AHAs and BHAs are ingredients relied upon at night for pro-aging. Retinol is known to slough off dead skin cells, an effect that accelerates the skin’s natural exfoliation process. AHAs and BHAs work by gently breaking the bonds that hold dead cells together, promoting their gradual exfoliation. Since these ingredients can make the skin more sensitive to the sun, it is recommended to apply them at night and use SPF daily to protect the skin from increased sun damage.

Learn more about retinol here, and about AHAs/BHAs here.

Seal in hydration and moisture

While sleep is incredibly beneficial for our skin, there’s a small catch—we naturally lose moisture overnight. Transepidermal water loss occurs as we sleep, therefore skin requires extra hydration to stay supple and smooth. Starting with the application of a nighttime moisturizer tailored to the skin’s type and condition(s) is key. It is also the perfect time to use a richer moisturizer that might feel too heavy during the day.

Shop

Pay special attention to your eyes

The skin around the eyes is thinner and more delicate than the skin on the face, as it has very few sebaceous glands that secrete sebum to hydrate the skin. It is, therefore, more at risk of becoming dehydrated. As the skin is more fragile and vulnerable to external stressors and because our skin naturally loses moisture overnight, give the eyes some extra TLC before bed to prevent signs of fatigue, like puffy eyes and dark circles.

Shop

In the morning, the skin takes on its 9 to 5 job as a natural barrier against the outside world. We can further enhance our morning skincare routine to maximize the appearance of our skin and help protect it from sun exposure, pollution, and stress.

Begin by cleansing the skin to eliminate any overnight oils and impurities. Next, prioritize serums that contain antioxidants, like Vitamin C, to shield the skin from environmental stressors, throughout the day. Then, apply a day cream and eye contour treatment tailored to the specific type and condition(s) of the skin. Finally, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect against UV damage.

To keep skin radiant and glowing, adjusting the application of day and night products is a must, as we go through seasonal changes, life altering changes, and as we progress in years.

Our best recommendations come from our aestheticians, who understand the skin type, conditions, and special concerns and allow you to put your best face forward!