Whether it’s after a long night of fun or a long day of work, it’s tempting to fall into bed telling yourself, “I’ll take care of my skin in the morning.” Although you may do just that, the advice of professionals: don’t.
From the time you clean your face in the morning until the time you go to bed at night, your skin is exposed to UV rays, air pollution, dirt and other irritants. At the same time, dead cells have accumulated on top of your skin. Left undisturbed, skin saboteurs degrade facial tone and texture, and accelerate visible signs of skin ageing. “If you want to have gorgeous skin in the future, the choices you make today, and tonight, will make that happen,” says Dr Austin. “Adding a night-time component to your daytime skin care routine will help your skin stay radiant longer.”
Bedtime Story: What Skin is Doing While You Sleep
Magical things happen at night. When we sleep, our bodies naturally use the downtime for skin self-renewal and repair:
Cells Rebuild – Your internal body clock signals your skin cells to regenerate more rapidly while you sleep. That hard work takes nutrition from the inside and the outside. “Topical Vitamin C-based products have shown themselves to be very effective in a variety of skin care studies, providing significant visible improvement in 12 weeks,” reports Dr Austin.
Skin Lets Down Its Guard – Properly cleansing your skin in the evening gives it a chance to stop fighting against the onslaught of impurities it encounters throughout the day. It also rids pores of the accumulated dirt and oil that can lead to acne breakouts. “Cleansing your skin doesn’t mean abusing it,” cautions Dr Austin. For patients with irritated skin prone to redness, she recommends specialty cleansers such as Avene Antirougeurs Clean Redness-Relief Cleansing Lotion.
Glands Switch to Low – Your sebaceous glands produce sebum, the oily, waxy substance that keeps your skin lubricated and protected during the day. Those glands take a break overnight, causing your skin to lose moisture and become more susceptible to dryness, itching, and irritation. “Avene Xeracalm Replenishing Balm is an intense moisturiser,” says Dr Austin. “It’s an excellent choice for anyone experiencing dry, irritated skin.”
Things Get Hot – Do you feel cool as you drift off to sleep and then throw off your covers as the night wears on? It’s because your skin reaches its highest temperatures overnight. Unfortunately, the increased heat may make you feel cosy, but it dries out the skin and contributes to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. “A hydrating mask is a luxurious way to moisturise dry and dehydrated skin,” says Dr Austin.
Breaking the Barrier – Sensing that it’s safe from external irritants as you ready for sleep, your skin barrier relaxes. This allows various types of skincare products to be absorbed more effectively and deliver improved benefits. “Products with skin brightening properties are especially useful at night,” says Dr Austin. “They work more effectively because they’re not competing with the skin pigment-triggering effects of the sun.”
Have we got you excited about making changes to your night-time skin care routine? You can get started right now on our website and online store where beautiful skin and expert advice are always just a click away.