Easy Nighttime Beauty Rituals for Great Skin

A good night’s sleep goes a long way toward maintaining our body’s overall functioning and health. It’s no surprise, then, that missing out on sleep can negatively affect our focus, mood, energy levels, and, of course, our skin. Indeed, one of the best ways to prevent wrinkles and under-eye circles is to get 7-8 hours of good sleep every night. That said, there’s more to maintaining great-looking skin than just catching the right amount of sleep. If you want to get the most out of your time asleep, it’s worth taking some simple skincare steps prior to hitting the hay. Let’s go over some easy and effective nighttime beauty rituals for great skin.

How to Care for Your Skin at Night

Give Your Skin a Clean Slate Before Bed

It may be obvious to some, but going to bed with an unclean face is a recipe for breakouts and other issues. The dirt and oil left on your face will end up on your pillow and then back onto your skin. If you often wear makeup, the first step of your nightly routine should be to completely remove it. For these purposes, you’ll want an effective, but non-irritating makeup remover wipe or solution. The best products not only get rid of the makeup on your face, but also cleanse your pores. So, even if you don’t wear makeup, many of these products can simply act as facial cleansers. Whenever cleaning your skin, rub gently, rinse thoroughly when required, and pat your face dry to avoid irritation.

Remember to Moisturize

After thoroughly cleaning your skin, it’s a good idea to moisturize it. The aforementioned makeup removing/facial cleaners remove excess oil on the skin, sometimes leaving it dry and unprotected. By moisturizing your skin nightly, you hydrate your skin and help it retain some much needed moisture. And if you have sun damaged skin, aging skin, chronically dry skin, etc., moisturizing before bed (and in the morning) is even more important, preventing the formation and deepening of wrinkles, relieving itchiness and inflammation, and more.

Act Against Acne

Those with acne-prone skin know how difficult it can be to prevent and treat breakouts, as well as clear acne scars. Fortunately, applying certain products before bed can accelerate the acne reduction/prevention process. When we sleep, our body’s functions slow down, allowing our parasympathetic nervous system to make repairs and restore some balance to our bodies and skin. So, by deploying the right acne treatment for your skin type just before bed, you can further speed up this repair process. In other words, your acne treatment may be more effective while you sleep than it is during the day.

Loosen Up: Massage Your Face and Scalp

Your nighttime ritual shouldn’t just include cleansers, moisturizers, and anti-acne products — it’s also worth performing some physical actions. Namely, consider massaging the skin on your face and scalp. Doing so can help relieve some of the tension in your skin that leads to wrinkles and lines. Moreover, massaging your face prior to applying your skincare products can help them better absorb into your skin. As for your scalp, giving the top of your head a good rub can help you wind down for sleep and may also stimulate hair growth.

Shield Your Eyes

Going to sleep is a natural way to give your eyes a rest. But what about the skin around and underneath your eyes? Unfortunately, these thin areas of skin lack oil glands, which is why they tend to darken and crease (especially if you’re not getting enough sleep). To reduce eye wrinkles and puffiness, you might invest in a quality anti-aging sleep mask made from silk. If the comfort isn’t enough of a plus, these masks can reduce wrinkles and lines around the eyes in as short as four weeks.

While it’s important to take great care of your skin during the day, establishing and maintaining a pre-sleep skincare ritual will set you up for success when you’re awake. Plus, the scents and sensations of your nightly routine may help you sleep better — certainly a win-win! Here at Premier Dermatology Partners, we are dedicated to helping patients find the best products and routines for their skin. To learn more about our providers and all the services we offer, contact us today.