5 step night time routine for beautiful skin

The secret to younger-looking skin is all in having a great night-time skincare routine. Getting into a good nightly habit can pay off with reduced wrinkles, a brighter complexion, and plumper, more hydrated skin. This is especially true if you use the right products and follow the correct order when applying them.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: NIGHT-TIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

Good night-time habits mean good skin. Simply follow these five night-time skincare steps to help get your skin ready for overnight rejuvenation:

1. Cleanse. Whether you need to remove a face full of make-up or just the dirt, grime, oil and pollution that settles on your skin during the day, cleansing is one of the most important parts of your night-time skincare routine. You can use face cloths if you like things quick and easy, or go for a more thorough cleanse and opt for an oil cleanser followed by a gentle, creamy cleanser. Top tip: After cleansing use a dry cotton pad to wipe your face to check that everything has been removed. This is important, because all the skincare products you’ll use afterward will absorb better and more easily on perfectly clean skin.

2. Tone. A toner is a facial tonic that further primes your skin to absorb the important ingredients you’re going to apply later on. If you’re adding retinol to your routine, use a hydrating toner to moisturise your skin.

3. Apply eye cream. Eye creams are typically lighter than most moisturisers and are applied on the under-eye area. It’s a good idea to add the lightest cream first in your nightly face routine, which is why this step comes now. At night, choose a hydrating eye cream that helps repair the skin barrier overnight. If you want to add a dose of retinol around the eyes as part of your nightly skincare routine, choose a product like Olay Retinol24 Eye Cream and gently massage it into the under-eye area.

4. Use a serum. Serums offer concentrated amounts of certain treatments. Popular serums are made with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which hydrates your skin, or nourishing nutrients and antioxidants, like Vitamin C or E. Find the right one for your skin needs and use it at this step. Top tip: Make sure you follow the instructions on how often you should use your serum and what you can mix it with. For example, if you choose to use Olay’s Retinol24 Night Serum don’t use the Night Cream from the same collection on the same night.

5. Moisturise. Now comes another essential part of any skincare routine: the moisturiser. At night, your skin goes into repair mode, so you want a night cream that nourishes and moisturises your skin. Retinol is a super ingredient for this as it leaves your skin visibly smoother and glowing, making fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable. Top tip: There’s a lot of advice out there on how to apply retinol, and where it goes in the routine, and Olay Regenerist Retinol24 Night Cream with our proprietary retinoid formula and Vitamin B3 instantly hydrates the skin for up to 24 hours, and you’ll see visible improvements in brightness, firming, dark spots and pores.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RETINOL IN YOUR NIGHT-TIME SKINCARE ROUTINE

Retinol is a form of Vitamin A, and part of a group called retinoids. It’s one of the best anti-ageing ingredients, a true superstar. It helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, exfoliates the skin, boosts collagen production and fights free radicals.

During the night your skin’s ability to repair itself is more active compared to the day. A night cream, even one with retinol, is key to boost skin recovery as the skin is more receptive to active ingredients overnight, and it also helps counterbalance increased moisture loss while you sleep.

Learn more about the benefits of retinol to discover more about why you should add this wonder ingredient to your night-time skincare routine.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPF

The new skin that retinol reveals can be more vulnerable to UV rays. To protect your skin, apply a moisturiser with SPF in the morning.

As an example, Olay Regenerist SPF Whip 30 helps protect your skin from the ageing and damaging effects of UV rays and is a great option for your morning skincare routine.

HOW ARE THE MORNING AND EVENING SKINCARE ROUTINES DIFFERENT?

Your morning routine may look very similar to your night-time one, except you should skip retinol during the day and make sure you add a moisturiser with SPF or apply sunscreen to protect your skin from sun damage and its skin ageing effects.

Remember, a night skincare routine is the most effective if you stick to it. Be patient, since some products, take more time to have a visible effect on your skin. Use Olay daily for 28 days. See true skin appearance transformation. Find the products best suited for your skin and trust our recommended night-time skincare steps to do their job.

You might actually enjoy these few minutes of pampering to help you unwind at the end of a busy day and get ready for bed.