Dr.’s Notes: 8 ways to improve your skin at night.

The list of things that you can do everyday to improve the look, feel and health of your skin is endless. But knowing what you could or should be doing for your skin is the an important first step. Here are 8 things you can do at the end of each day - and don’t worry, they only take a little bit of time and commitment.

1.) GET ENOUGH SLEEP

Get lots of good quality sleep. Period. You need to take care of your body in order for it to take care of you, so if you’re not sleeping or getting poor quality sleep, it will show in your skin. At night, your body’s job is to recover from everything it went through that day. Your skin is going through a renewal cycle, so if your aren’t getting quality sleep, your body doesn’t switch to repair mode and you don’t achieve full restoration so no matter what you put on your skin, it won’t look as healthy and vibrant. Lack of sleep will doesn’t just affect the way you look and feel, but the way your skin looks and feels as well.

2.) TAKE OFF YOUR MAKE UP

Removing your skincare is vital. It allows your skin to recover from the day and gives you a clean slate for applying your night time products.

3.) USE YOUR RETINOL

Meet our favourite night time active - retinol. It is important to use it at night because it oxidizes quickly with exposure to sunlight, so if you are applying it in the morning you might not be getting out of it what you could. Retinols help with cell turnover, improving pigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles and skin thickness. Since this is what we are already trying to encourage overnight, using a retinol will help facilitate these processes. Make sure you chat with your skin care provider to ensure you are on the appropriate dose and to cut through any confusion about your retinol.

4.) USE A DEEPLY NOURISHING MOISTURIZER

Not all moisturizers are created equally, so the one you use at night can vary from the one you use in the daytime. Typically, your night time moisturizer is heavier and more nourishing that one you might use in the day. Since we don’t need to worry how they wear under make up, night time is perfect for using a heavier product. You can use a moisturizer containing actives, or a heavier cream to lock in any actives you may have put on underneath it like an argan or rosehipseed oil.

5.) CHANGE YOUR PILLOWCASES REGULARLY

Not changing or washing your pillowcases regularly can be doing your skin a disservice. Changing your pillowcases is especially important if you are prone to breakouts because sleeping on the same one night after night can allow bacteria to grow and build up on your pillow.

6.) DON’T LEAVE OUT YOUR LIPS

With all the focus on the skin on your face, it’s easy to forget about the skin on your lips. Putting something thicker on your lips at night can make sure they are moisturized when you wake up in the morning.

7.) TRY A HUMIDIFIER

You might think a humidifier is only for the winter when it can be extremely dry, but if your sleeping area is dry (regardless of season), a humidifier may help boost your skin while you sleep. Dry heat and cold accelerate the skin’s aging process, so sleeping with a humidifier in these environments can be extremely helpful.

8.) USE YOUR COLD ROLLER

Use your cold roller to apply your night time products. The rule is to apply upwards from the neck to the forehead. If you tend to break out or have irritated and patchy skin, then apply from the top down to encourage circulation of the lymphatic system. Cold rolling and facial massage can dramatically improve the appearance of your skin by energizing your skin, kick-starting overnight repair processes, calming any irritation and reducing inflammation.