Step 7: Layer a Serum
Combat the effects of the day’s pollution and brighten up your complexion by layering your treatments. Using a natural retinol serum and vitamin C booster at night will help your skin regenerate as you sleep, countering fine lines and imperfections. Like the rest of the body, skin does the bulk of its repairing, restoring, and regenerating as we sleep. This is why most targeted skincare treatments like prescription medications (tretinoin, acne, and rosacea creams), retinol creams, exfoliative treatments (peel pads and masks), and anti-aging serums (infused with peptides, growth factors, and other biologically active ingredients) are better used at night. If you’re using multiple boosters, just remember, the same layering rules apply: go from thin to thicker formula.
Step 8: Moisturize
During sleep, the skin’s transepidermal water loss is increased, meaning moisture is pulled out of the skin while we snooze. Using a peptide cream moisturizer formula with palmitoyl tripeptide-5 and dandelion extract before bed protects your skin from dehydration. To maximize the effects of your moisturizer, dot it on and rub into your skin in gentle circular motions from the center outwards. This daily massage will reduce puffiness, boost circulation, energize your skin, and release muscular tension in your face.
Step 9: Sleep With a Mask
Masks formulated with a night-specific formula typically contain hydrating or remodeling agents such as hyaluronic acid and retinol. Generally, their consistency is thick but non-comedogenic, meaning they let the skin breathe without clogging the pores. An overnight face mask with gluconolactone and alpha-glucan yeast can help remove impurities and build up and reveal a radiant morning complexion.