Practicing an extensive skincare routine is tough enough to follow, so when you see products with specific timed usage instructions, you might have the same reaction as I did: “huh? more?!”
Fret not, here’s a breakdown of what they mean and if you actually need it. First off, yes! There is a difference between a daytime routine and a nighttime routine. Why, you ask? Your skin is exposed to completely different things during the two parts of the day, thus you need (though not completely) different products to target different concerns.
Daytime
When you wake up, you may not feel the need to wash your face thoroughly because all you did the whole night was sleep. Fair enough, but instead of cutting this step completely, try opting for a fuss-free, mild cleanser to rinse off all the sebum build up that was accumulated overnight. Or else, it’s gonna be tough for all the other products to seep into your skin properly.
During the day, your skin is extremely stressed due to the dust and UV rays it is exposed to. Environmental pollutants can take a major toll on your skin, so you have to make sure you cater this part of your routine to properly prepping it for the day. This involves a lightweight moisturiser to ensure comfort throughout your day, as well as a sunscreen of at least SPF25 ++ (or if you’re planning to stay out in the sun, SPF50 ++ is the way to go!).
If you plan to use acid treatments like Salicylic Acids for troubled skin, please be aware that SA is a beta hydroxyl acid (BHA), so it may increase the skin’s sensitivity and the possibility of a sunburn. I’d say to save this for the nighttime, or if you insist on wearing it, make sure to layer sunscreen every 4 hours.
Nighttime
At night, the focus shifts from protecting the skin to replenishing the skin. This is very important, so you must never skip your skincare before you sleep. My trick is to just do my nighttime routine after my last daily prayer of the day, which ends around 8.45pm. That way I won’t forget to do it, or eventually become too lazy to start.
If you’re a makeup wearer, making sure you have zero trace of makeup left on your skin before you call it a night is crucial. When you sleep is when your skin’s factory starts to open its door for business. Personally, even on days where I don’t wear makeup, I would still double cleanse with an oil cleanser to get rid of all the excess sebum. This is a step you don’t need during your daytime routine. In the evenings are also when I apply my astringent-based toner to dissolve dead skin cells, whereas I’d opt for a “skin/lotion” (see previous post to learn more about it) in the mornings.
To moisturise, this is the time to bring out all the big guns. A lot of nighttime products are specifically told to be applied during the evenings because they usually contain ingredients that make the skin sun sensitive, such as Retinol, AHAs and BHAs. More potent serums and anti-aging products can be used in this routine because it has less disturbance compared to the daytime, like makeup & sun exposure. Even if you have oily skin like I do, during the night is when its best to apply heavier creams or even a facial oil because of how drying the air conditioner can be on your skin throughout your sleep. Also, due to minimal or absolute absence of sun exposure during this second half of the day, you can skip on sun protection!
So although there might not be too much of a difference, and you can pretty much use a majority of your skincare collection the whole day, there are some things you’d need to take note on for better absorption, better effectiveness and to avoid any bad reactions (like Retinol without sunscreen..).
Here’s a short video of my personal nighttime routine!
The Beautip 