Nighttime skincare routine: Adopting a good nighttime skincare practice will help you achieve clear, youthful skin that is free of blemishes and pimples. Have you ever wondered what your favorite dermatologists actually do for skin care when they are at home alone and nobody is looking? We also did. In order to find out what products and ingredients work best for promoting and maintaining the health and glow of their own complexions, we turned to top authorities in the field of medical skin care. As if a dermatologist would ever leave the house without sunscreen, some of their responses were predictable, while others were more unexpected. (Have we heard that someone uses a small bar of soap to wash their face? Yep.) While there are some powerful ingredients that few professionals would forego (like the brightening antioxidant vitamin C), their strategies range from straightforward and effective to nuanced and astute.
But regardless of your level of maintenance, there is one lesson that we can all learn from these complexion confessions: You should change up your skin care routine from morning to night. When you awaken, concentrate on shielding your skin from the various light waves, pollution, and sunlight that will unavoidably be coming your way.
Apply more active ingredients, or “worker bees,” as Connecticut-based board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, refers to them, in the evening. Your skin regenerates itself naturally at night, she explains. “At that point, put on the actives rather than the protectors.” So, think about including a retinoid formula that stimulates cellular turnover and helps to smooth the skin’s surface. Additionally, it’s a bonus if you have time to put on a sheet mask while watching the most recent season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
