First things first, determine your skin type and recognize your concerns.
Are you oilier, mostly in your T-zone?
Are you drier?
Are you dry and oily?
Do you have sensitive skin?
Do you have sun damage? Such as hyperpigmentation spots? Premature aging?
Asking these questions to yourself will help guide you to the products you will need for your specific skin
type. This will also help you determine how often you should be applying specific product you buy.
For example, if you are looking to focus on treating a specific skin concern such as a breakout or
premature aging, you might look into purchasing Serums, Masks, and Face Oils. These products will
typically get use more often during the week if you are working treating these concerns and more so
during your nighttime regimen. As the concern subside, you may start to minimize the use of these
products.
The best way to understand the difference between a day routine and a night routine is
That Mornings are for cleansing, prepping, and protecting, Nighttime is for cleansing, treating, and
healing. You want light and comfortable during the day, heavy and thick at night. I say heavy because
this is the time you would be applying oils and facial creams to really absorb into the skin while you are
asleep. This is actually what it means when people refer to sleeping as their “beauty sleep,” Your body is
healing itself while you are asleep. That is exactly why you want to make sure you have the best
products on at this time before bed. During the day you are prepping your skin for the day so this
regimen would end with an SPF to protect your skin while you are out and about.
Now that we understand the importance of products and the difference between day regimens and
night regimens. We must all learn that Products must be applied in order. There is a method to this
madness.
- You always want to start with a cleanser this step is the same for day regimes and for night
regimens. - If it is time for your weekly or biweekly nighttime Facial Mask, this is where you will apply it and
let it sit for 10-20 minutes. - Apply a toner. This would be used more so at night if the toner is an exfoliating toner. pH
balancing toners are actually really great to use through out the day as an added refreshment to
your skin. Especially if you have more oily skin during the day. - Apply serums, day and night. You can apply multiple different serums at ones. Serums are
typically the most expensive products you will find in skincare, mostly because there are so
many out there that work on so many skin concerns. Serums with antioxidants are best to use
during the day, such as Vitamin C to protect your skin from free radicals. Serums that contain
Hyaluronic Acid is best at night to help lock in moisture in your skin and mixed with your
nighttime moisturizer. - If you use a special eye cream apply it before your moisturizer. Keep in mind that hydrating eye
creams can increase fluid retention that make eyes puffy in the mornings. Just using a regular
moisturizer works just fine under your eye area. - If you need to spot treat, now is the time to apply it. This is for your nighttime regimen.
- Apply your moisturizer. This is for Day and Nighttime regimens. Nighttime moisturizers usually
are thicker and heavier. - Your face oil is used last because nothing will be able to penetrate past it. Oil is thicker than
water, so keep in mind that any oil-based product should be applied last in your regimens. This
would be for day or night regimens. If you have a more oily skin type, I would skip this step in
the morning routine. - Last but not least, apply your SPF sunscreen! This is only necessary during your daytime
regimen.
It is so important to follow a regimen day and night to take care of your skin. The bare minimum is a 3-
step regimen, but it is ideal to follow a longer regimen to gain the results of healthier skin. Every step is
important to follow in a specific order, for the products to work to their full potential.
Andrea DeCarlo
Licensed Esthetician
