Skincare is more than just lathering on a moisturizer anymore. With all of the products and techniques out there, it’s easy to get lost in it all. One of the biggest game-changers in skincare is realizing that your morning skincare routine and night skincare routine should not be identical. Why? Because your skin has different needs during the day versus at night.
To maintain radiant, healthy skin, learning how to build and execute both routines correctly is the trick. This guide will outline the main differences between morning and night skincare routines and how to execute each one like a pro.
The Difference Between A Morning Skincare Routine And a Nighttime Skincare Routine
Think of your skin as a busy employee with 2 shifts:
Daytime: Protecting your skin from pollutants, UV rays, and free radicals.
Nighttime: Repairing, regenerating and resurfacing while you sleep.
So, your morning skincare routine is based on protection and prevention. Your nighttime products are essentially your method of repair and treatment.
The Right Morning Skincare Routine
The morning skincare routine should prepare your skin for the day, and keep it fresh, protected and glowing. This should be a day-to-day routine. The elements involved in a morning skincare routine hopefully get you to glowing skin!
Here are the steps to creating a simple yet effective morning skincare routine:
1. Cleanser
Start your day with a gentle, effective cleanser to remove oil and sweat that builds up overnight.
For oily skin: use a foaming or gel cleanser.
For dry or sensitive skin: use a hydrating, cream-based cleanser.
2. Toner (optional but very helpful)
A toner helps to balance your skin’s pH levels and prepares your skin for the next steps. Go for an alcohol-free toner with hydrating and/or calming ingredients.
3. Vitamin C Serum
This is the heavy-hitter step in the morning routine. Vitamin C protects your skin from free radicals, brightens your complexion and adds a boost of collagen. Use a few drops of serum before applying your moisturizer.
4. Moisturizer
No matter your skin type, hydration is extremely important. During the day a lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer is best. Look for key ingredients that will hydrate like hyaluronic acid or glycerin.
5. Sunscreen
Sunscreen should be your most important product in your morning routine. Use broad-spectrum (protects against UVA + UVB rays) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher—even on cloudy days and if you plan to be indoors. Sunscreen protects against premature aging, dark spots and skin cancer.
Pro Tip: if you’re short on time, use a moisturizer with SPF. This gives you the option to skip the step while keeping your skin protected.
The Perfect Night Skincare Routine
Your night time routine is designed to allow your skin to recover from the day and promote its natural repair.
1. Makeup Remover / Double Cleansing
If you apply makeup or sunscreen, then double cleansing is an essential step.
Step 1: Either an oil-based cleanser or micellar water.
Step 2: Follow this with a gentle face wash to remove the impurities left behind.
2. Exfoliation (2-3 Times a Week).
Exfoliation helps to remove dead skin, unclogs pores, and improves the quality of the skin.
Serums with AHA, BHA, or PHA are excellent and gentle chemical exfoliators.
Exfoliating every day can be irritating, so make your exfoliation 2-3 times a week.
3. Toner or Hydrating Essence
A hydrating toner helps to moisturize the skin and preps it for the serums you will apply.
4. Treatment Serums
Nighttime is a great time to apply potent active ingredients:
Retinol at night- Retinol helps to stimulate the turnover of the skin and assist with fine lines.
Niacinamide- helps with calming the red pigments in the skin while also strengthening the skin barrier.
Peptides- Peptides support skin repair and elasticity.
Use whichever treatment is best for you and your skin.
5. Moisturizer / Night Cream.
Your skin can handle a thicker formula at night. Use a thicker night cream that contains ceramides, hyaluronic acid, squalene etc. to help keep the moisture in your skin.
6. Eye Cream (Optional)
If dark circles/ puffy eyes are an issue for you, then you can use an eye cream with caffeine or peptides at night.
Tips for Building Your Routine like a Pro.
Be consistent: Skincare is about consistent habits not quick fix solutions!
Test new products on only a small patch of skin, especially any product that contains retinol, acids or vitamin C.
Listen to your skin. If your skin becomes irritated, reduce use of active ingredients.
Change your routine with the seasons, often selecting lighter products in the summer and using richer products in the winter.
Common Aspects of AM and PM Skincare
Common Aspect AM Focus PM Focus
Cleanser Refresh & cleanse oil off skin Deep clean face (makeup, SPF, dirt)
Serum Vitamin C for protection Retinol or active ingredients for repair
Moisturizer Lightweight moisture Rich, nourishing formulation
Sunscreen Non-negotiable Optional
Exfoliation Never 2-3 times a week
Common Mistakes
Forgetting sunscreen in the AM. Even the best serums will do nothing without protection against UV rays.
Over-exfoliating. Over-exfoliating negatively affects your skin barrier and increases sensitivity.
Using retinol and vitamin C together: They can irritate your skin. Use Vitamin C as a morning serum and retinol at night.
Using products in the wrong order. Always, always use products from lightest to heaviest texture . Serum -> Moisturizer -> Oil.
Thoughts
Your AM skincare and PM skincare routines are two halves of the same ‘coin’, protection versus repair. When you take time to customize the best routine for your skin type, not only should you find products geared toward yourself, but by focusing on using those products at the right time of day, you will notice healthier and glowing skin in no time at all!
FAQs
1. Do I have to have a morning and night skincare regime?
Yes. Morning regimes focus on providing protection against the sun, pollution, and environmental aggressors while night regimes allow for repair and rejuvenation during sleep.
2. Can I use the same products in the morning and night?
Some general products like the cleanser and moisturizer can carry over to both regimes, while other products, like sunscreen (day only), and retinol (night only), are specific and need to be used at a certain time for maximum benefit.
3. Should I wash my face in the morning after washing my face at night?
Yes. In one night while we sleep we produce oil and sweat that needs to be cleansed and our skin needs to be prepped for our day and morning products.
4. Is sunscreen needed if I am inside?
Yes, UV rays penetrate through windows and can cause skin damage indoors. Wearing sunscreen daily, at a minimum will help prevent premature skin aging, fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation such as dark spots.
5. Can I use vitamin C serum at night?
Vitamin C is best used in the daytime to protect against free radicals and sun damage. Nighttime is better suited for treating skin with Retinol or Niacinamide.
