Get Unready With Me | Nighttime Skincare Routine

It's taken me a long time and lots of trial and error but I finally have a skincare routine that works for me and I can honestly say that my skin looks better now than it did ten years ago. I was blessed with blemish-free skin in my teens and smooth, clear skin in my twenties, despite all of the neglect I put it through. I rarely took off my makeup before bed and hardly ever moisturized (I know, terrible!). But then things started to catch up with me around the time I turned 30. I started seeing sun spots from not wearing SPF and fine lines cropping up around my eyes. All of a sudden I had visible pores on my cheeks and a rough, dull texture as my skin got drier.
Foundation started to settle into imperfections and makeup didn't look as good as it used to. With my 30's came the realization that if I don't take care of my skin, no amount of makeup is going to look right. So I started focusing on getting my skin to a healthy state and as a result, I was able to turn back the clock a little bit. I can't say that I'm completely free of fine lines or sun spots, but realistically no skincare product alone can do that.

With the products in my current routine, I've enjoyed brighter, clearer skin, lessened fine lines, and a softer, smoother texture.

To show you the difference, I posted two photos below...the left one is from 3 years ago, and the right one was taken a few months ago. I'm not wearing makeup in either one.
*Please note: I have large bags under my eyes in the photo on the left because I had just given birth to my son a few months before and wasn't sleeping at all. I don't normally have bags under my eyes and that was a temporary thing, so I'm not going to compare that to the newer photo since it had nothing to do with my skincare routine.*
But the real difference is that now my skin is brighter and clearer and the freckling on my cheeks is greatly reduced (although you can still see it if you look closely...especially on my nose). I still have fine lines in my forehead and under my eyes but they're not as deep as they were.

I didn't think I was seeing many changes when I first started my routine, but looking back and comparing the two I can see how much of a difference taking care of my skin has made. I don't need as much makeup now and I never thought I would say that at 38 years old! 

As a result, I've started to shift more of my budget toward skincare and less toward makeup. At this point in my life, I would much rather create a clear, smooth canvas to work with rather than spending all of my money trying to cover it up with makeup. 

So without further ado, here's my nighttime skincare routine from start to finish (I'll do a separate post on the products I use in the morning next). 

The cleanser I use at night depends on one thing...how tired I am!

If I'm absolutely exhausted and don't even feel like turning the water on, I use Simple's Micellar Cleansing Wipes ($7.99). I've tried so many different kinds of wipes from many different brands and these are the best. They remove makeup easily, even mascara and they don't leave a film or sticky feeling behind. My skin just feels soft and clean...and they're unscented as well.

If I'm not too tired but it's late and I don't have a lot of time, I reach for IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup 3-in-1 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm ($38- currently on sale for $34.24). This is the first cleansing balm I've tried that doesn't leave an oily residue on my skin! It rinses totally clean with just water and my skin feels velvety soft, with no double cleanse required. I apply it to dry skin and it melts into an oil on contact dissolving any type of makeup quickly and easily. It's also unscented and great for sensitive skin.

If I want a luxurious cleansing experience and have a little more time to spend, I reach for the Colleen Rothschild Radiant Cleansing Balm ($65- get 20% off using code BeautyBlog20)This balm has a beautiful, soothing, spa-like scent and a soft, melty texture (similar to the IT Cosmetics balm above) that you apply to dry skin. It comes with a muslin cloth that you run under hot water (not so hot that you can't put your hands in it) and then drape the cloth over your face and let the cleanser melt into your skin and the soothing scent relax you...it's like a spa treatment! Then, you use the cloth to remove the cleanser and it gently exfoliates your face at the same time. My skin looks the best after using this one...it just takes a bit more time since you have to remove it with the cloth.

The next step I use is an essence, which is like a thinner version of a serum. I've been following the multi-step Korean skincare routine for a few years now, which involves starting with the lightest, most watery-textured product and adding layers until you get to the thickest product. I found the May Coop Raw Sauce ($14) essence at Sephora a few months ago and I love using it as a "prep step" before my serums. It has a light, silky texture that goes deep into the skin to help your serums (which have the most active ingredients) penetrate further.

I use two different serums at night...one to address fine lines and one to lighten discoloration and smooth the texture of my skin.

First, I use the Colleen Rothschild Mandelic Acid Radiance Serum ($75 use code BeautyBlog20 to get 20% off). This contains both alpha and beta hydroxy acids to help fade sun spots, clean out pores, and exfoliate the dead skin sitting on top. I just started using it last month and I love how gentle (yet super effective) it is! Before that I was using the Pixi Overnight Glow Serum ($24) which is a great, affordable option if you're looking for an exfoliating treatment. The Pixi serum uses glycolic acid which is a very effective exfoliator (because it goes down really deep), but it is also more likely to cause irritation if you're sensitive. It also doesn't contain the beta hydroxy acid, which helps to clear your pores, but I still really liked the smooth results I got with it so I use it once a week in place of the Mandelic Acid serum.

Next, I use the Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM serum ($65). This is the best retinol treatment I've tried because it doesn't cause irritation and you don't need to work up to using it. I previously had tried a retinol from Paula's Choice among others and the sensitive skin underneath my eyes would always develop these really sensitive dry patches that looked red, almost like I burned my skin. This one doesn't do that because it contains micro-encapsulated retinol that's time released. It releases a little bit at a time all through the night so you're not hitting your skin with it all at once. It has a super light, water-like texture that any skin type can use and I have definitely seen the fine lines on my forehead and underneath my eyes decrease after using this product (retinol has been proven to help rebuild collagen).
I was previously using Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil ($105) as my retinol treatment and it's another great choice if you want to avoid irritation. It's just way more expensive than the Peter Thomas Roth version (which honestly works just as well if not better in my opinion).

I have really dry skin, so I like to use heavier products at night that will plump up my skin while I sleep. I actually mix a little cocktail together that includes a dollop of Drunk Elephant's Lala Retro Whipped Cream mixed on the back of my hand with two drops of Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate oil ($46).

Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Cream ($60) has a soft, fluffy whipped texture that's moisturizing but not heavy or greasy at all.  It contains 6 rare African oils, hyaluronic acid, green tea and plantain extract (helps increase firmness and elasticity). It's completely unscented and great for sensitive skin.

I purchased Kiehls' Midnight Recovery Concentrate after seeing multiple rave reviews online. It contains evening primrose oil to boost radiance and squalene which is similar in molecular structure to our own skin's lipids. It makes my skin feel so soft and smooth and it's lightweight so any skin type can use it.

I used to switch off using both of these moisturizers alone but then I read that if you have dry skin, you can mix a few drops of facial oil with your moisturizer...it makes such a difference for me and I would never have thought to do that. My skin actually looks plumped up and the moisture stays with me longer instead of disappearing by morning. It does feel a bit heavy on my face but I don't mind when I'm going to bed...it feels sort of like a mask!

Finally, I finish my routine with the Kiehls Midnight Recovery Eye Cream ($37). I just started using this recently so it's hard to say whether I've been getting results from it. But I purchased it because I like the Midnight Recovery Concentrate Oil so much that I wanted to do the same thing for my eye area. It has a medium-weight texture, absorbs easily, and contains the same ingredients as the concentrate oil plus Butcher's Broom which increases microcirculation and reduces inflammation. I will say, my eyes don't look as puffy when I wake up in the morning, so that's a good sign!

The final step is to apply a coat of Bite Beauty's Agave Lip Mask to my lips. This is my third tube and I will never stop buying it as long as they make it! It has a delicious vanilla scent and is super thick and rich so it just seals in moisture for hours and hours. When I used to apply other balms at night, they would just sort of sink in and disappear by morning, but when I use this, it's still on my lips when I wake up so I feel like it's protecting them all night long.

That's it! It might seem a bit overwhelming to see all of these different products at once, but if you don't know where to start, I would recommend trying a serum first. You get the most visible results from them and they make the biggest difference over time.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on my daytime skincare routine!

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