Use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser that does not contain alcohol. Wet your face with lukewarm water and use your fingertips to apply cleanser. Resist the temptation to scrub your skin because scrubbing irritates the skin. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry with a soft towel.
Both Emer and Zeichner agree that if you're only going to wash your face once a day, nighttime is the best time to do it. "Most dermatologists recommend face-washing twice daily, once in the morning and once before bed," says Zeichner.
You do not need to wait until right before bed to wash your face. Starting your nighttime skincare routine at 7pm or 8pm will make you less likely to skip it. Even if you do not wear makeup every day, you might have touched your face all day long and that makes it the dirtiest part of your body.
Studies have proved that your skin goes through major changes during the night so its essential to wash your face and not to sleep with your makeup on! Cleanse your face and moisturize to wake up with clean fresh skin.
Some experts suggest that the best time for your nighttime skincare routine is just before going to bed. However, you may end up with more moisturizer on your pillow than your face. The skin needs at least 10-20 minutes for products to get properly absorbed into the skin.
Gohara recommends Dove's Beauty Bar because it "won't strip away skin's moisture like soap can." Although it looks like a bar of soap, it's good for your face. It's considered a non-soap cleanser made with moisturizing cream to keep your skin soft, but clean.
Using a clean, soft washcloth is effective for cleaning your face, but unless you use a new one every day, you should probably stick with using your hands to scrub, Dr. Green says. Also, ideally, you should change the towel you use to dry your face every couple of days to keep bacteria at bay, adds Dr. Gohara.
Opt for a mild cleanser like Dove sensitive skin soap. Strong soaps leave your skin dry and irritated. In fact, most antibacterial soaps are too harsh for your face. So avoid the harsh soaps and choose something that will clean off the grime without leaving your skin too parched.
Vaseline locks in any moisture on your face without adding other ingredients that might irritate your skin. A layer of Vaseline applied before you sleep can help restore your face's natural level of moisture and softness.
“Since cold water tightens your pores, bacteria and debris can get trapped and won't clear out as easily as using warm water,” explains Knapp. She recommends washing your face with lukewarm water first as a way to remove any makeup and pollutants from the day.
Dr. Alex Roher, MD of San Diego Botox Inc recommends using face oils both in the morning and at night. He advises applying oil as the last step of your nighttime skin care routine and before your sunscreen and makeup in the morning.
Lemon juice naturally contains vitamin C, an antioxidant that may help reduce skin damage and premature aging. Astringent qualities. Due to its high pH levels, lemon can decrease oil on the skin and reduce inflammation.
“Dead skin cells and allergens may collect on your pillowcase and be transferred to the facial skin throughout the night,” Palm says. “Circulated air (from you air conditioner or forced heated air) can also kick up dust, mold and other environmental irritants that may collect on facial skin overnight.” Yuck!
“Bacteria builds up on your skin when you sleep at night, so you need to wash it off in the morning,” says Debra Jaliman, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist.
Don't Forget to Use Moisturizer After Cleansing
While you do want to give your face a good cleaning, you don't want to overly strip the skin of essential oils or cause dryness, notes Zeichner. After washing, he recommends hydrating your skin with a light moisturizer.
All you need is some aloe vera gel, rose water, almond oil and Vitamin E oil. Add 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel in bowl and mix it with 2 tablespoons of rose water. Mix them well until the texture becomes serum-y and is consistent. Add around 2 containers of Vitamin E in the serum and blend well.
Even if you don't have sensitive skin, we recommend that all skin types use their vitamin C serum before bed. Your body undergoes its natural repair process while you're asleep, and the vitamin C will make its strongest impact on your skin during this time.
There's not much of a difference between a night cream and a night serum per se. However, night serums are lighter in texture and weight as compared to night creams and they also absorb quickly. Nonetheless, they are equally beneficial when it comes to taking good care of your skin at night.