Cleaning your skin in the morning is different from the night
A common question I hear in my Miami dermatology practice is, “Does it matter whether I apply my skincare products in the morning or at night?”
The answer is yes — you need a slightly different morning and nighttime skincare regimen for several reasons.
SKIN HAS A CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
Like the rest of your body, your skin has a circadian rhythm that regulates various functions based on the time of day. Your skin is programmed to perform protective functions during the day and then repairs itself at night. Thus, your morning and evening skincare regimens need the proper ingredients to nourish each of these processes.
SOME INGREDIENTS ARE SUN-SENSITIVE
Ingredients that are sensitive to the sun’s heat or light lose their effectiveness if applied during the daytime, so these ingredients are included in the night regimen. Retinol, for example, is best used at night because it loses its effectiveness upon light exposure.
Some skin lightening and acne treatment ingredients are not safe to use in the sun for various reasons and would therefore only be used in the evening regimen.
TWO DIFFERENT CLEANERS FOR A.M. AND P.M.
Your morning and evening regimens often need to start with their own cleanser. In the morning, you want to use a cleanser that will decrease the pH of your skin so that any (often expensive) serums that follow will penetrate better. The serums that are best paired with a pH-lowering cleanser, like vitamin C, are generally best used in the morning to help protect your skin from the sun. Thus, you want to use this type of cleanser in the morning and something gentler at night.
Your evening cleanser still must be able to remove sunscreen, makeup, dirt and oil from the day. You never want to go to sleep with sunscreen on or anything containing silicone, because they can clog your pores and lead to enlarged pores, blackheads and whiteheads.
BOTTOM LINE
Using your skincare products at the wrong time of day or in the wrong order will decrease their effectiveness, so consult an expert on when and how to use each product to avoid wasting both time and money. To learn the best products and skincare routine order, ask your dermatologist or take the free quiz at www.skintypesolutions.com.
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