Night is an essential time to renew your mind—and your skin. Adding a lotion before bed creates softer, more hydrated, and better-looking skin the next day. It also helps seal in moisture and repairs the skin barrier that's compromised by dry air and harsh cleansers.
"Skin's oil production peaks at midday, and there is less oil production at night. Therefore, when you lose that protective layer of natural oils, your skin loses more water, so it's important to replenish the water loss with a moisturizer overnight," says Sobel.
You should always use a moisturizer at night. Some people avoid using night cream to let their skin breathe, but this is far from the truth. Avoiding using a night cream offers no positive benefit to the skin. When skin is bare, any existing moisturize evaporates right out of it.
The bottom line
Putting body lotion on your face once or twice probably won't cause any lasting harm. All the same, body lotion isn't meant for facial skin, so it could make some skin concerns worse. Sticking to products specifically formulated for your face will generally do more to benefit your skin in the long run.
If you are struggling to fall and stay asleep, you may want to consider trying a specialized lotion, cream or soak designed to help the body relax and unwind before bed to ease the transition from wakefulness to restful sleep.
Gohara urges everyone to moisturize their body at night. "Even if you don't want to lube up your whole body, give extra love to your knees, heels, elbows, and any other patch of skin that tends to get really dry," she says.
It's best to allow body lotion to sink in completely, so that your skin can remain hydrated throughout the day or night. Washing it off may result in dry skin, regardless of if you put lotion on already, so let it sit, so that you can feel super hydrated after.
Cleansing is usually part of a skin care routine. A standard morning regimen begins with washing your face, followed by moisturizer to hydrate and sunscreen to protect. Before bed, cleanse the skin again and exfoliate once or twice a week to remove lingering grime and dead skin.
Hand & body lotion applied on your skin can last anywhere from 4-6 hours. It will fully absorb into the skin anywhere between 30-45 minutes depending on the formula of the lotion that is used.
Goldenberg's go-to recommendation for timing between serums and moisturizers is about one minute. This wait has the same reasoning: Sixty seconds — give or take — gives each product a moment to delve into your pores.
You should absolutely moisturize your skin even if you have active acne. It's an absolute myth that moisturizing your face will worsen your acne. In fact, moisturizers are necessary to keep acne-prone skin as relaxed as possible.
If you over-moisturize, the leftover moisturizer just sits on your face. With nowhere to go, this extra moisturizer will eventually fill up the pores on your skin and clog them, resulting in the production of acne, whiteheads, and blackheads.
Allowing your skin to breathe will help you to feel more fresh and radiant, while also helping to keep any unwanted skin problems at bay. Make sure that you are following a proper skin care routine including cleansing and exfoliation to give your skin the tools it needs to breathe and rejuvenate.
“Overwashing and overscrubbing may leave you with a squeaky-clean feeling, but this actually is damaging,” says Zeichner. This refers to damaging your skin barrier, the network of skin cells and fats in the outer skin layer that protects your skin from the environment, he explains.
Experts always suggest applying body lotion once you exit the shower. This is because while washing your body, you strip your skin off with its natural oils.
Begin applying to moist skin once a day, top to bottom once you've hung up your towel: Add a dollop (around a 10p coin size) to your hand (more if your skin is particularly dry or on rougher areas such as elbows and knees) Rub your palms together to warm up the lotion.
Apply your moisturizer to clean, slightly damp skin.
Moisturizers are most effective if you use them while your skin is still damp because damp skin absorbs the product more readily.
Moisturiser cannot by itself make your skin dark or fair . Moisturisers are only meant to give the hydration a skin needs. In very humid climates, it is better to avoid moisturiser as a whole.
Not washing your face can lead to premature aging and the development of wrinkles as your skin loses moisture and vibrance over time. Freshen your skin -- and your perspective. Your skin will look smoother as your nightly face wash removes dead skin and leaves you feeling, and thinking, fresher as you head to bed.
You could, theoretically, use a night cream during the day. However, if you're planning on leaving the house, it' essential that you use a moisturizer with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Night creams are also formulated to help hydrate the skin while you sleep.
"Heavier lotions and creams can worsen congestion of pores and lead to increased oil production that can exacerbate acne breakouts," Dr. Hartman said. "The label should say oil-free or non-comedogenic to be sure."