If, like clockwork, you wake up in the morning to skin that appears dry and dull, it’s not just your imagination: Skin dryness really can happen as you’re sleeping. Your skin naturally loses some of its moisture overnight, which is why a strategic nighttime skincare routine, including a good face moisturizer, is essential.
While you’re asleep, there’s a lot going on with your skin. We’ll start with the good news: Skin cells go into repair mode at night, recovering from the damage incurred during the daytime.1 At the same time, though, skin also loses moisture, which may lead to skin dryness in the morning.
Everyone experiences this overnight moisture loss, regardless of skin type; it’s just your body’s circadian rhythm at work. Based on the conducted study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, at night, your skin barrier tends to have reduced function, meaning it’s more permeable — and therefore it’s easier for molecules to pass in and out. It’s so permeable, in fact, that evidence shows that trans-epidermal water loss, or TEWL, tends to be higher in the evening than during the daytime.2
TEWL means that the moisture within your skin evaporates, which not only leaves skin dry but has other effects too. Moisture loss through the skin barrier can also have an impact on the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
That’s obviously not ideal. However, there is an upside to this overnight occurrence. Per the same study, your skin barrier is more permeable in the evening. That also means the skincare products you’ve applied in your nighttime skincare routine, such as face moisturizer, may be better absorbed by skin’s surface then compared to other times of the day.3 So, that means it may also be good timing for you to apply your skincare formulas — think serum with hyaluronic acid and a moisturizer for dry skin, for starters.
With that in mind, the best nighttime skincare routine is one that includes multiple moisturizing products with ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and ceramides. Hyaluronic acid, for the uninitiated, is known as a humectant naturally produced by the body that draws in and retains water. Ceramides, meanwhile, are lipids that are naturally found within the skin barrier, where they help keep it fortified.4 An ideal moisturizer for dry skin will have some combination of lipids and humectants.
How to Create a Nighttime Skincare Routine
A good nighttime skincare routine always starts with cleansing. Cleansing is an important step in the evening as it helps to remove any dirt and oils that have built up throughout the day in addition to any makeup. Choose a cleanser which helps to deeply cleanse skin to create the perfect base for your nighttime skincare routine without over drying. Our best recommendation is our Crème Radiance Cleanser, a clarifying cream to foam cleanser which cleanses deep into the pores without over-drying to gently remove makeup, even waterproof, dissolve impurities and purify the skin.
Next up, apply a serum formulated with hyaluronic acid as well as other moisturizing ingredients and ingredients that support the skin moisture barrier. We recommend Advanced Génifique Face Serum which strengthens the skin’s protective moisture barrier for healthy, glowing skin. The face serum can be used both in the morning and overnight to help improve elasticity and the appearance of fine lines caused by dehydration or due to thinning skin, which can eventually deepen into wrinkles.
Finally, seal it all in with our night cream Advanced Génifique Repairing Night Cream. Formulated with 10% Bifidus Prebiotic, Hyaluronic Acid and a Triple Ceramide Complex, this night cream helps to repair the skin’s moisture barrier while you sleep. As the night cream instantly locks in hydration lasting for 72 hours the night cream restores hydration and plumpness overnight so you wake up with skin looking radiant and well-rested. Don’t forget an eye cream like Advanced Génifique Eye Cream to help moisturize the eye area.
Shop products for your nighttime skincare routine.
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6777699/#__sec3title
2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022202X15373590
3 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82796995.pdf
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4885180/#sec1-3title