This night skin care routine will give you your best ever skin, even when you dont get 8 hours beauty sleep – woman&home

Woman&Home beauty editor Fiona McKim sets out an easy to follow night skin care routine that will leave your skin glowy, refreshed and youthful, whether you get two hours sleep or ten.

Most of us have nailed our general skin care routine now and we understand the pleasure (and importance!) of an at home facial.

But if youre still looking for guidance and clarity about what constitutes a great night skin care routine then look no further.

We explain how to cover the tell tale signs of tiredness with a simple routine that easy to personalise for you. The first step? Understanding the link between sleep and skin

When you doze off your whole body kicks into repair mode, skin included. New cells are created and old ones shed, excess fluid is drained and toxins broken down. Naturally, the more time there is to do this the better.

Your circadian rhythm aka body clock is wired to work through the night so poor sleep means incomplete tasks; fluid sticks around as puffiness, toxins as dark circles and natural moisture is lost though an unrestored skin barrier.

Hormones play a part too with protein-building human growth hormone produced during a good nights sleep and stress hormone cortisol released after a bad one.

Not getting enough sleep can trigger a response from your adrenal gland that leads to the overproduction of sebum, clogging pores and causing blemishes, confirms dermatologist and Murad Skincare founder Dr Murad.

Over 50? According to The Sleep Council our patterns shift at this age, so you can expect more brief awakenings in the night, less of a drop in body temperature during sleep and a growing preference for earlier bed and wakening times.

This may all sound a bit bleak as sleep loss is hardly a choice, but with knowledge you gain power to make the most of your beauty sleep, no matter how much youre getting.

A good night skin care routine needs to be simple to follow.

Ours is broken into two essential steps, with some four optional extras added so you can customise it to be perfect for you.

We recommend additional steps in our night skin routine for dry or tight skin, for spots or excess oil production, for tired or dull skin and just for general pampering indulgence.

Make the most of natural repair by wearing your most active skincare to bed, starting with a really good cleanse so everything absorbs properly.

Kate Somerville Exfolikate Daily Foaming Cleanser, 16 is a fresh creamy wash that exfoliates dead skin as it dissolves makeup and grime.

SHOP NOW: Kate Somerville Exfolikate Daily Foaming Cleanser, 16

If youre sensitive try Curl Foaming Facial Wash, 13.99, a marshmallow-soft mousse with ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier.

SHOP NOW: Curl Foaming Facial Wash, 13.99

Every experts favourite all-rounder retinol works best at night as its destabilised by UV light. Retinol is a fantastic active, increasing skin cell turnover and stimulating new skin growth whilst the body is in its resting state, agrees cosmetic surgeon Dr Jonquille Chantrey.

Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream, 70 combines slow-release retinol with brightening niacinamide and picolinamide, which helps deliver retinol into the skin.

SHOP NOW: Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream, 70

For spots, the ingredient to look out for is salicylic acid, which helps control sebum, says Skin Lounge Clinic director Rachel Huskinson.

Try The Ordinary 2% salicylic solution, 4.20 (see our other The Ordinary product recommendations here).

SHOP NOW: The Ordinary 2% salicylic solution, 4.20.

Tired and looking dull? LOreal Laser Glycolic Acid Ampoules, 24.99, is a potent seven day treatment thatll shift dead cells your natural turnover cant.

SHOP NOW: LOreal Laser Glycolic Acid Ampoules, 24.99

If you tend to wake up with dry or tight skin, look for occlusive creams that lock in skincare in and prevent water loss.

New It Cosmetics Confidence In Your Beauty Sleep, 43 is brilliantly formulated, combining occlusive jojoba oil, pore clearing salicylic and exfoliating lactic acid in a glossy lavender-scented cream.

SHOP NOW: It Cosmetics Confidence In Your Beauty Sleep, 43

Face masks are a great way to treat a skin flare up, or to just indulge yourself.

SHOP NOW: Botanics Simply Calm Hydrating Overnight Mask, 11.99

Sleep loss can lead to skin inflammation. Slather this on thickly after a late night and let the cannabis sativa seed oil and aloe soothe and quench.

SHOP NOW: Naya Overnight Hydration Mask, 36

Nayas overnight hydration mask packs in four types of hyaluronic acid to hold moisture in your skin plus nourishing cacay oil and phytic acid, a mild exfoliant thats also high in antioxidants.

All of the above products will maximise your skins overnight renewal no matter how far away from the full eight hours you fall, and if all else fails a great concealer goes a very long way. Read our round-up of the best under eye concealers for dark circles here.

Of course the best beauty treatment of all is a solid nights sleep. Discover our health Editors 25 simple tips to help you get a good nights sleep here.

Sweet dreams!

Read the rest here:
This night skin care routine will give you your best ever skin, even when you dont get 8 hours beauty sleep - woman&home