Practicing skincare properly can feel like Certain skincare products are more effective when used during the day or at night, but knowing when to use a specific product can be confusing. If you’re unsure of when to apply certain creams or lotions, you’re not alone.
We’ve created this short guide specifically to give you some extra guidance on when to use your products so that they have the biggest impact.
Understanding your skin’s circadian rhythm
Your skin undergoes different processes throughout the day and night. During the day, it focuses on protection against environmental factors, while at night it shifts to repair and regeneration.
To have the greatest effect, you should use your products when they align with your skin’s natural circadian rhythm. This will help boost your skin’s natural processes, instead of forcing it to operate outside its normal sequence.
Morning routine: protect and prevent
Your morning routine should prioritize protection, especially against UV rays, pollution, and other environmental stressors. For instance, you might want to finish your morning routine with sunscreen or another SPF product to prevent any damage from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Key steps in your morning routine should include cleansing, applying antioxidants, moisturizing, and using sunscreen. Cleansing helps to remove any impurities that have built up throughout the night, and allow your skin to absorb your creams more easily.
Night routine: repair and rejuvenate
At night, your skin’s focus changes to repairing any damage and regenerating cells. That makes nighttime the best time to use restorative products, especially those containing retinoids, peptides, and hydrating agents. That’s because these ingredients all work to support the skin’s natural healing process, and can help you wake up with a healthier, refreshed face.
Timing for brightening products
Skin brightening products can be used at different times depending on their formulation. For example, Vitamin C is usually more effective when applied in the morning, due to its antioxidant properties, while niacinamide can be applied at either time.
A popular ingredient, Niacinamide is also recognised for helping to improve both skin tone and texture. In other words, it helps your skin to appear more youthful and less blotchy, especially if you have darker patches in some places.
Layering products: order matters
When applying skincare products, one of the most important things you need to be aware of is that the order matters. Skincare application order affects both absorption and efficacy, so a general rule of thumb is to apply products from the thinnest to the thickest consistency.
You should always start with cleansers and toners, as these will help to remove any impurities and prepare your skin for the rest of your routine. Your cleansers should then be followed by serums, moisturizers, and either sunscreen during the day or heavier creams at night.