Nighttime Skin Care Routine in 4 Easy Steps

Over the years, one of my favorite hobbies has become reading about the latest and greatest skincare trends and trying out, what feels like, hundreds of lotions and potions; I'm basically always on the hunt for the next “miracle” product. As a 30-something, those pesky fine lines just seem to appear overnight; even if you’re blessed with amazing, seemingly ageless skin, it’s inevitable. And as they say... prevention is better than cure!

The most foolproof anti-aging plan for my slightly dry skin, in my opinion, is to moisturize; moisture, moisture, and more moisture! Have you seen what your skin looks like in winter? It’s flaky, rough and dull. Dry skin is prone to premature aging, which causes fine lines and crow's feet, so the one thing I focus on most is trying to keep my skin as moisturized as possible, for as long as possible!

My nighttime routine has become the most enjoyable part of my daily skincare routine, but also my most time consuming one, where I try to get my face squeaky clean and ready for all those moisturize-infused and anti-aging products to work their magic. Scroll down and follow my 4-step nighttime routine for youthful and glowy skin.

1. Clean and Exfoliate

One of the things my mom taught me at a young age, is to wash my face before I go to bed, and never (I mean NEVER) go to bed with my makeup on. I’m so glad she did, because it has literally been a habit of mine ever since. I wash my face religiously every night (even if it means I have to do it way past midnight after a night out with friends, while The Husband is already snoozing away. Le Sigh!)

I’ve never used an actual exfoliator on my skin at home, as it always feels too harsh on my sensitive and slightly dry skin. That is where the Clarisonic comes in, my friends. It's not an actual exfoliator, but it helps to gently exfoliate my skin when cleansing (with its soft bristles) and removes dead skin without being too harsh. I remove my makeup first with Bioderma Sensibio Sensitive Skin Cleansing make-up removing water, after which I use my Clarisonic Aria, using their Radiance Brush Head, which has the softest, most gentle bristles that leaves my skin squeaky clean and ready for the rest of my routine.

2. Apply Retinol

If you’re not quite prepared to go down the Botox road, I’d definitely recommend adding retinol to your skincare routine, which is like Botox in a bottle and will get rid of those annoying fine lines, making your skin firmer and also smoother. Retinol comes in different forms, whether you prefer a cream or a serum, but being best if combined with other ingredients such as antioxidants and again, moisturizing ingredients. As serums penetrate better into the skin, I opted for Murad's Retinol Youth Renewal Serum , which has a more gentle approach and doesn’t cause dryness and irritation like some other retinol products might do. This serum is a combination of retinol and moisturizing ingredients, and comes in an airtight bottle which keep those valuable ingredients stable and from breaking down (hey, we wouldn't want that!)

3. Pump Your Skin Full of Moisture

I just can’t get enough of hyaluronic acid, which is a moisture binding ingredient that keeps your skin plump and hydrated, penetrating deep into your skin and locking the moisture inside (also the top ingredient for preventing dry and aging skin!) It enables the skin to attract and retain water deep into the skin, giving you a youthful and smooth complexion.

The first hyaluronic infused product I use during my nighttime routine (and right after my retinol serum), is the totally hypeworthy, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair. It’s probably one of the most famous skincare products, seen in every magazine and on billboards worldwide (which did make me think it’s “too good to be true”). But, I tried a sample one day and woke up the next morning with the smoothest and baby-soft skin I’ve had in years! It instantly sinks into the skin, keeping your skin hydrated throughout the night and giving you a radiant and youthful complexion the next day. I always apply this serum first (a pea-sized amount is way more than enough) and follow it with another hyaluronic infused product I LOVE, Murad’s Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture, which literally keeps my skin feeling smooth and silky all day and night! I love how this moisturizer sinks right into my skin as soon as it’s applied, making my skin feel super silky (not greasy!) on the outside, and with all the moisture penetrating deep into my skin.

You can find this moisturizer (as well as the serum) on lookfantastic.com, where they often have discount codes and promotions such as 3 for 2 on Murad. I usually wait for these promotions and stock up on this holy grail moisturizer, which also acts as the perfect primer under my foundation during the day, making application smooth and flawless.

4. Sleep On Silk

The last step in my anti-aging nighttime routine, is getting at least 8 hours of sleep on my beloved silk pillowcase a.k.a the best investment I’ve ever made! Sleeping on silk has literally changed my skin (and hair!) game and I cannot even imagine sleeping on cotton again, it’s that good! No more waking up with sleep-creases (which will eventually develop into wrinkles!) and bed-hair. Did you know cotton actually draws moisture from your skin?! After much research of which silk pillowcase to purchase, I discovered a brand from Australia, Slip Silk Pillowcase, that ships worldwide at no extra cost. Their silk pillowcases are made of pure mulberry silk and the very best available in the world (believe me, not all silk pillowcases are created equally!).

I’ve been waking up with super soft, baby skin ever since I started this routine, and after years of doing it I’m still completely satisfied and happy with all these products. I still have to add an eye cream to my routine...(I know, I know!). But, I’m so happy with these products that I think I might not even need one. All of these products are gentle enough to apply around the eye-area, and has just the right ingredients too!

We would love to hear from you, so if there's an anti-aging product or potion you swear by (and you think we should try it out) please share it with us!

- Get the Clarisonic Aria here

- Get the Clarisonic Radiance Brush Head here

- Get the Bioderma Sensibio Sensitive Skin Cleansing Make-up Removing Water here

- Get the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Serum here

- Get the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair here

- Get the Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture here

- Get the Slip Silk Pillowcase here

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