When it comes to morning versus night exfoliation, you're going to reap the best benefits from exfoliating in the morning time. This is due to the oils your skin produces overnight. You'll be able to more smoothly remove all impurities, dead skin, and oils, when you exfoliate in the morning, rather than at night.
Most experts advise that you exfoliate two to three times per week — as long as your skin can handle it. Chemical exfoliants tend to be fine to use more regularly.
Exfoliating in the evening can help to increase the efficiency of the skin cell turnover, resulting in a clearer complexion and fresher, healthier skin. As mentioned above, if you experience redness easily, it may be better to exfoliate at night. Your skin will have a longer time to recover!
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Once or twice a week is great, but everyday exfoliation is even better. Clinique Derm Pro Dr. Michelle Henry gives us her top five reasons to exfoliate daily. Once or twice a week is great, but everyday exfoliation is even better.
By cleansing first you help removing dirt, sweat and make up off skin's surface. You are then working with a clean base to then exfoliate away dead skin cells that can pile up on skin's surface. Exfoliating can soften your skin and allows a fresh layer of skin cells to emerge as dead skin cells are washed away.
Your skin needs moisture, especially after you exfoliate. Using a super-hydrating facial moisturizer after you exfoliate helps replenish any moisture loss from exfoliating.
Step 3: Exfoliator or clay mask
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells while clearing pores. Clay masks work to unclog pores, but can also absorb excess oil. These masks are best applied at night to remove leftover dirt and help the skin soak up other products.
Rouleau says the best time to use a scrub is in the morning. Overnight you've loosened up dead skin cells with your glycolic acid or retinol products, making the morning a perfect time to brush them off. After washing or scrubbing your face, move quickly.
To exfoliate your face mechanically with a scrub, apply gently to the skin with a finger. Rub in small, circular motions. Rinse with lukewarm water. For a chemical exfoliant that's a liquid, apply with a cotton pad or washcloth.
Vitamin C is used for its anti-ageing benefits as it boosts collagen, improves elasticity and repairs damaged cells. Using it before bed is safer and has far more beauty benefits and thus, we totally recommend you to use it in the night, before hitting the sack.
Cleaning the face before exfoliating allows you to start with a fresh slate. Exfoliation dives into the pores, more so than a mild cleanser. It's important to remove your makeup and clean your face on a daily basis.
Though any time of day will work, exfoliating in the morning is ideal because the skin repairs itself at night,2 potentially leaving a layer of dead skin cells just begging to be sloughed off.
Protect With Sunscreen
The raw, exposed flesh after exfoliation is susceptible to damage from UV rays, which can cause premature aging, irritations, and even skin cancer. Therefore, while you get your moisturizer to hydrate your skin, include the sunscreen and protect the surface.
Using a potent vitamin C after exfoliation will boost its brightening and firming benefits.
Regardless of the formula, apply your toner or serum after cleansing, preferably at night, since exfoliating can make your complexion sun-sensitive. Stick with gel or foaming cleansers rather than oils and balms, which leave a residue that can prevent toners from absorbing, says Mattioli.
apply a moisturizer after using an exfoliator every time. Exfoliation can easily give you dry skin over time, but a moisturizer can help your skin cells retain the moisture they still have and prevent your skin from going dry or becoming itchy.
Skin brightening, hydrating and collagen boosting, a Vitamin C serum sits firmly in the 'best for AM use' category. This is because Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants, which help to mitigate the free radical damage – and subsequent signs of photo-ageing – triggered by UV radiation.
If you're wondering when to apply a vitamin C serum, the answer is both morning and night, after cleansing and toning. One study even recommends applying a vitamin C serum every eight hours, or twice daily for the pinnacle of protection.