7 Steps to Crafting the Perfect Evening Skincare Routine

When it comes to choosing a cleanser, there are quite a few different types.

How do you decide which cleanser to go for?

You need to pick the one that is best suited to your skin type.

Here are a few guidelines:

• Dry skin – a nourishing creamy cleanser is best for this skin type, just make sure that it has been formulated with gentle ingredients
• Oily skin – you will need a stronger cleanser in order to clear away the excess oil from the surface of your skin. Foaming and gel cleansers are great for this, especially if you can find one that has been formulated with salicylic acid
• Sensitive skin – sensitive skin requires an extremely gentle cleanser, such as a micellar water

Do you prefer using cleansing wipes?

These are great when you’re in a fix, but are not a good long term solution when it comes to cleansing.

Why?

Because not only do they fail to thoroughly cleanse the skin and clean out the pores, but they also leave behind a residue, which will not do your skin any good.

If you want to really give your skin the best cleanse possible, try double cleansing.

Never heard of this before?

It requires the use of two different cleansers. The first needs to be an oil-based cleanser, because these are best for removing sebum, makeup and sunscreen residue. You should then follow this up with a water-based cleanser, to clean away sweat, bacteria and dead skin cells, as well as any residue left behind by the first cleanser.

Wondering what the point of this is?

It enables the second cleanser to really get deep inside your pores, giving your skin a thorough cleanse and leaving you with a clean and bright complexion.

Tone

Toners have recently become quite popular, and although this isn’t an essential part of a skin care routine, it does definitely help in keeping your skin happy.

Want to know what a toner actually does?

A number of things, including:

• Restores skin pH balance – skin is naturally acidic, but cleanser ingredients can often disrupt this due to their alkaline nature. Rather than leaving your skin to work overtime to sort this out, a toner can help to quickly rebalance your skin’s pH levels
• Minimizes the appearance of pores – by removing any extra debris from within them
• Moisturizes the skin – this is only true of toners that contain humectants and other moisturizing ingredients

As you can see, toning is not as vital as some of the other steps in this skin care routine, but since it only takes a few seconds, it is still well worth adding in, especially at times when your skin could do with some extra care.

Exfoliate

Exfoliating is not something that you need to be doing every evening, but should definitely be carried out around two to three times a week.

This is a step that you shouldn’t skip, because exfoliation helps the skin in so many ways, including:

• Clears away dead skin cells – even though a cleanser does this too to some extent, exfoliants delve deep down into your pores, clearing them out in a way that a cleanser cannot do
• Increases cell turnover – this is the rate at which your body produces new skin cells to replace the older ones, and it slows down with age.
• Improves absorption of other products – just like cleansing, exfoliation helps other skin care products to be better absorbed by the skin
• Boosts blood flow – this boost in circulation means that your skin receives more oxygen and nutrients, both of which are essential in order for it to thrive

Wondering how to exfoliate?

There are two main methods to choose from…

Physical exfoliation is the most common, and consists of everything from scrubs to konjac sponges to dry brushes. Basically, this form of exfoliation requires the use of an abrasive ingredient that you can physically rub across your skin.

On the other hand, chemical exfoliation does not require that same scrubbing action. It makes use of specific chemicals, most of which will come from natural sources, to dissolve away the glue that holds dead skin cells and other unwanted substances to the surface of the skin.

Both methods have their pros and cons, so it is worth looking into each one in more detail so that you can choose the method that is best suited to your skin.

Use a Face Mask

Just like with exfoliation, using a face mask is not something that you need to do every single day, but, again, should be done around a couple of times a week.

Face masks are best applied once your skin has been cleansed and exfoliated, as this means that the active ingredients in the mask will be able to properly penetrate into your skin’s layers.

Why do you need to use a face mask?

Because they are able to help target such a wide variety of different skin issues.

Whether you are dealing with dryness, dehydration, acne, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, clogged pores, or just about anything else, you will no doubt be able to find a face mask that can help with this. The fact that they often bring about immediate results is another factor that makes them so popular.

Of course, no single face mask can do all of these things, meaning that you do need to find a face mask that has been designed to treat your main skin concerns.

Here is a bit of help:

• • Clay Masks – these are ideal for those who have oily skin or acne, as they draw impurities out from deep within the skin, acting like a magnet
    Sheet Masks – these are saturated in beneficial active ingredients and are fantastic for hydrating the skin
  • Cream Masks – these contain emollient properties that will soften and hydrate your skin, making them perfect for dry or sensitive skin types
  • Hydrogel Masks – these have long since been popular in Korea, but have only recently entered into the Western skin care market. They consist of a thin gel sheet that will lock in moisture and give your skin a boost of hydration
  • Rubber/ peel-Off Masks – these dry and solidify on the face, enabling you to simply peel them off once you are done. They brighten and hydrate the skin, but due to the way in which they harden on the skin and soak up excess sebum, are best suited for oily skin types
  • Thermal Masks – these slowly heat up when they come into contact with the skin, helping to calm and soothe the skin while boosting blood flow and circulation

With so many different mask types out there, there is nothing wrong with mixing and matching different face masks as you please, as this will enable your skin to enjoy a wider range of benefits.

Apply a Couple of Serums

Serums are a step that many people skip when it comes their skin care routines, but serums can actually bring about so many benefits for your skin.

Let’s begin by taking a look at what a serum actually is…

To put it simply, they are basically lightweight moisturizers. What makes them different from a regular moisturizer is the fact that the heavier ingredients have been left out, meaning that they are able to hold a much higher concentration of active ingredients.

Thanks to their lighter consistency, the skin is able to absorb a serum at a much more effective rate in comparison to a moisturizer, giving the active ingredients the chance to really work some magic.

Just about every serum will contain a different combination of active ingredients, and the serum that you choose should depend on the skin issues that you are trying to target.

If you have aging concerns, such as wrinkles or dark spots, look for a serum that is packed with antioxidants, such as vitamin C, grape seed extract and green tea.

For those with dry, dehydrated or sensitive skin, a serum that contains hydrating and moisturizing ingredients, such as ceramides, essential fatty acids and amino acids, will really be beneficial.

If you have oily skin and are prone to breakouts, look for a serum that has been formulated with anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as aloe vera, arnica and zinc.

Wondering if you can use a face serum around your eyes?

Well, the skin around your eyes is extremely delicate and sensitive, so you are best off opting for a dedicated eye serum for this area.

One more thing to keep in mind…

You can use more than one serum at once, just make sure to give each one enough time to penetrate into your skin before applying the next, so that its active ingredients will not be diluted.

Apply an Eye Cream

While many may say that an eye cream is optional, this is a step that you really shouldn’t ignore.

Why?

Because the skin around the eyes is up to ten times thinner than the skin on the rest of your face. This means that it is extremely vulnerable when it comes to damage, not only from within but also from environmental sources, which is why this area is usually the first on the face to show visible signs of aging.

An eye cream will not only help to nourish and protect the skin around your eyes, but can also have some added benefits…

If you have oily skin and are prone to breakouts, look for a serum that has been formulated with anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as aloe vera, arnica and zinc.

Wondering if you can use a face serum around your eyes?

Well, the skin around your eyes is extremely delicate and sensitive, so you are best off opting for a dedicated eye serum for this area.

One more thing to keep in mind…

You can use more than one serum at once, just make sure to give each one enough time to penetrate into your skin before applying the next, so that its active ingredients will not be diluted.

Do you ever suffer from dark circles or puffiness around the eyes?

These are all common issues that an eye cream can help with.

Just make sure that you look for a cream that contains some of the following ingredients:

• Hyaluronic Acid and Ceramides – these will hydrate your skin and plump it up
• Vitamins A, C and E – all of these vitamins are potent anti-aging ingredients that will help with crow’s feet and other lines around the eyes
• Caffeine – this ingredient will help to shrink the blood vessels that lie beneath the surface of your skin, reducing the dark tint that they can give the skin, while giving the skin a perkier appearanceArnica – has anti-inflammatory properties that will reduce any puffiness
• Vitamin K – targets dark circles and puffiness

When it comes to applying your eye cream…

Since the skin here is very delicate and fragile, using a rubbing motion will only aggravate your skin. You are best off using your ring finger to gently tap the cream into your skin until it has been fully absorbed.

Use a Moisturizer

A moisturizer should always be the final step in your skin care routine.

Why?

Because a moisturizer is designed to form a thin film over the surface of your skin, and this will then lock in all of the ingredients that you have already applied.

A moisturizer will also do many other things for your skin, such as:

• Fight against dryness and dehydration
• Strengthen your skin’s natural barrier to boost moisture content
• Provide protection from environmental damage
• Improve skin tone and texture

While some of the steps in this routine can be skipped, a moisturizer is something that you should be applying each and every day.

The perfect evening skin care routine does not need to take long to carry out, and can often be done in just a few minutes. From a cleanser and exfoliator to serums and a moisturizer, these are the steps that you need to follow in the evenings in order to really support your skin and help it to thrive while you sleep.