How Important is the Nighttime Skincare Routine?

That is a good question. How important is the nighttime skincare routine and is it more important than our daytime routine?

Let us be honest, don’t we all sometimes shortcut our morning and evening skincare routines?

Busyness, laziness, or simply a desire to do something or be somewhere else can mean that we flit through our skincare routine with a pat and a smear, and we are out of here.

I know I am guilty as charged, especially at night. I leave my nighttime skincare routine until just before bed. The problem with this is that I am often tired and simply want my head to hit the pillow. I do the bare basics, cleanse, revitalise, apply night cream, spray freshener, and hit the sack. Sometimes it is as simple as cleanse and apply night cream.

But that is the wrong tactic, by far.

If there must be a toss-up about which routine to shortcut – morning or evening – let it be the morning routine. A non-negotiable, of course, is applying your sunscreen before heading out the door. That is a must!

Why is the nighttime routine of greater value?

Let’s be clear both routines are vital to a good skincare regimen. However, it is at night that our bodies repair and rejuvenate themselves, and that includes our skin cells. Taking care of our skin before bed with the Essense Miracle Tissue Oil, an Annique Rooibos Serum, and even an overnight masque together with our basic skincare routine means that our skin cells have what they need to not only do their repair work, but to do it well.

And the best part is that you get to sleep through it!

Now a couple of caveats:

I find that if I am doing a great job with my nighttime skincare routine 80 percent of the time, the times I do a quickie with my nighttime skincare routine, so that I can duck under the covers, is not going to hurt. In real terms that means that once a week, on average, I can take it easy with my nighttime routine without any concern.

Here is another thing I do which I have only read one other person recommend:

Occasionally, there is no set format for it, I clean my face and remove my makeup with my Hydrafine Gentle Cleanser, and I leave it at that. Yes, you heard me right. I clean my face and nothing more, no treatment products, no serums, no nothing.

I may only do this once a month or once every six weeks, but it is a deliberate choice so as to give my skin time to simply breathe. I like that my skin does not have to work on absorbing my Forever Young Bo-Serum, or the Forever Young Youth Restoring Masque. The Essense Miracle Tissue Oil absorbs so quickly that there is no delay anyway, but I leave even that off.

Trish Jett in her book Forever Chic is the only other person who has recommended this little skincare trick. What do you think of it?