As much as I love multi-tasking products and would be happy to apply just one miraculous treatment that does everything, there are several reasons why I use a range of products. And, some are best applied at night when I’m getting my well-deserved 8 hours:
- Some formulations contain active ingredients that break down when exposed to sunlight. For this reason, I apply retinol (as in my favorite Green Cream) at night after cleansing.
- There is some evidence to suggest that skin cells regenerate faster at night than during the day. For this reason, you may want to apply topicals that boost collagen (peptides for example) and other factors at night. I like Neostrata Wrinkle Repair, which contains Matrixyl, a peptide that boasts credibility when it comes to skin benefits. Wrinkle Repair won’t hurt your skin if you were to apply during the day as well.
- The body’s temperature rises at night, which shifts heat from the core into the skin. This, coupled with the statement from a 1998 article in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology that the skin’s permeability (ability to absorb ingredients) increases at night, means that nighttime is when many skin care products are best absorbed.
- Without make-up and foundation on your skin, active ingredients don’t have to compete with anything, thus optimizing their results.
- Some ingredients – antioxidants for example – work differently during the day and at night. During the day, antioxidants work to protect free radicals. At night, when your face isn’t exposed to sunlight and pollution, antioxidants work differently to repair skin by boosting collagen production. My favorite is apothekari Antioxidant C+E Serum, which also boasts ferulic acid.
Let your skin take advantage of nighttime rest as well – it’s the ideal time for it to repair itself. As always, make sure you use a good, broad-spectrum sunscreen during the day, every day, to protect the results you worked so hard for all night.
