PM Skincare Routine: Products, Layering + Tips

There is a truth to the saying "beauty sleep." When we Zzz, the body shifts into repair mode which enhances the skin's regeneration process. While skin is busy defending itself against external damage during the day, it restores itself at night. Your morning routine should focus on protection, whereas your night routine needs to include repairing ingredients that work in harmony with the skin's natural restoration process. In this post we'll explain how you can get the most out of your nightly regimen, the order in which to apply your products at night, and other essential tips to improve your PM beauty ritual so you always wake up to a fabulous complexion.

Why Sleep Is Important for Skin, and How to Get the Most from Your Z's

Getting sufficient sleep — between 7 and 9 hours per night — is key to having healthy skin. While you rest, your blood flow increases, fibroblasts build collagen which induces skin repair, and the division of keratinocytes (keratin-producing cells) has the highest rate. Additionally, studies revealed that DNA repair, as a result of UV exposure, peaks at night.^[1] While skin is regenerating it becomes more receptive to specific compounds, so you should give it a helping hand and use active ingredients that work synergistically with the nighttime renewal process.

Self Care and Skin Care

Lifestyle, like getting adequate sleep or having a healthy diet, greatly impacts how your skin looks and feels. Your skincare can play a role in supporting and enhancing your efforts. 

Here are some tips for embracing healthy skin from all fronts:

• Get enough sleep to improve skin's health
• Drink sufficient water to hydrate your skin
• Eat healthy food to nourish your skin from within
• Exercise to improve skin oxygenation
• Reduce stress to lessen fine lines and wrinkles
• Take some time away from screens to avoid blue light damage
• Use soft, skin-loving fabrics on your pillow and bedding

Your Nighttime Skin Care Routine: A Step-by-Step Guide

Layering products in the correct order is crucial. Not doing so can hinder product absorption and end up interfering with some of the benefits. With this in mind, we compiled a step-by-step guide with the proper nighttime routine order so that you always reap best-in-class results. 

(Double) Cleanser

The first step is to prepare the perfect canvas for your skincare by using a gentle cleanser that won't strip away essential moisture. Makeup or not, washing your face is a must as it dissolves debris and pollution accumulated during the day and makes room for your products to sink in. If you wear makeup, you may consider double-cleansing to ensure no residue is left behind.

Toner

Toners have yet to shake their reputation for being an unnecessary step. They remove any residue the cleanser did not take off while infusing the skin with even more benefits. External aggressors may disturb skin pH during the day, so it's essential to balance the pH. Gentle toner will do this while also nourishing the skin. 

Serums + Retinol

Serums are used to target your skin's specific concerns. Since they are supercharged with active ingredients that go beneath the skin's surface, they are the most impactful part of your routine. 

The gold standard that tackles multiple concerns at once and performs best when used at night is, you guessed it, retinol. Whether you are concerned about loss of firmness, discoloration, or breakouts, a retinol serum can be the solution. Our Time Rewind Retinol Serum gives a meaningful concentration of 0.25% retinol in every dose to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles while enhancing firmness and elasticity. 

If you choose not to use retinol every night (although you can with ours), you can opt to alternate it with other repairing ingredients, such as CoQ10 or probiotics. We've got all of those in our lineup of Superior Self-Activated Serums, which provide you with a serious amount of active ingredients due to their peak potency from every dose.

Eye Cream

The thin eye area has fewer oil glands and collagen than the rest of the face, meaning it is extra prone to develop wrinkles. Ideally, use a multi-task eye cream that aims to repair, strengthen and brighten at once.

Moisturizer Or Night Cream

The skin loses more water during the night, so you need to hinder evaporation using a heavy moisturizer filled with occlusives, like petrolatum or shea butter. Your skin also needs a rich formula with actives that replenish collagen and support the natural repairing process. Ensure that your moisturizer before bed packs peptides, vitamin C, or glycolic acid for refined texture and smooth skin.

PM Skincare Routine FAQ

Let’s dive into the most burning questions about your PM skincare routine so that we leave no stone unturned in the way of helping you achieve a morning glow.

What should my PM skincare routine be?

Your PM skincare routine should focus on repairing your skin's specific concerns, and a 3-step will do it all: cleanse, treat and moisturize.

What is the best order for skincare products at night?

The correct order in which to layer skincare at night is cleanser, toner, eye cream, serum, and moisturizer. 

Is toner for the AM or PM?

Toners do great in both AM and PM routines as long as you use them after cleansing and before serums. Soak a reusable cotton pad in toner and swipe over clean skin to remove any leftovers and prep skin for the next step.

When to start anti aging skincare?

The best time to start anti-aging skincare is in your 20s or early 30s. That's when the natural production of collagen, elastin, and other proteins needed for firm, elastic skin starts to deplete. 

Does your skin repair itself at night?

Yes. Due to the increased blood flow and cell proliferation that happens at night, the skin enters a repairing mode, renewing and strengthening itself.

Make Sure Your Skincare Products Are Working For You

In addition to getting sufficient sleep to support your skin, you need skincare that delivers without compromises. So, take matters into your own hands and choose our Superior Serums that allow you to make a fresh serum for peak potency every night (and day). We especially recommend our Retinol Time Rewind Serum for a nighttime routine. If retinol doesn’t fit into your routine, take a look at all the concerns our serums can help with and find the one best suited for you.