My Nightly Skincare Routine

Did you know that 87% of women don’t know what they are doing when it comes to skincare routines?

Well I used to be in that percentage until I really got to grips with what I was meant to be doing. There is so much complicated information out there about what you should be doing and what you should mix/not mix, which means it can all get very confusing. Today I hope to change that, if you are in that percentage, I’m gonna let you in on my routine as well as give you a simple, easy to follow starting structure that you could follow.

There are different types of skin care routines;

  • Basic (I prefer using only a few products)

  • Essentials (I prefer using a fairly simple routine but am open to adding a few other key products)

  • Complete (I prefer to use a comprehensive routine for maximum results)

Mine is a complete routine similar to a Korean 7 step skincare routine, however I’d recommend starting simple and moving up to a more complete range as time progresses, and you gain a deeper understanding about what you are doing and why. Start with a simple, cleanse, tone, moisturise routine. If you are looking to get rid of dead skin and close pores, I’d recommend also adding in some form of exfoliant once/twice a week at most (unless it’s chemical exfoliant).

For me I have a few different products that could be used, which the formula is slightly different depending on how my skin is that day. E.g. some of the moistures I have are better for Winter when my skin has slight areas of dryness, whereas some I will have to help mattify my skin while also adding hydration.

Here is my nightly skincare routine. I will link to all the products as well as include prices for you.

Cleanse

I wear quite a lot of makeup on a day to day basis, so therefore I have 3 cleansers I use every evening for when I need to remove makeup and then to cleanse the skin once the makeup is removed. So first of all I like to use some makeup wipes with micellar water to remove the first layer of makeup so that the other cleansers get a chance to work more effectively.

In summer time especially I will use wipes over other makeup removers as it is a nice cooling removal (especially if you put your wipes in the fridge before using). However sometimes if I am feeling slightly dryer I will use a makeup remover balm (which are great for removal of heavy makeup) to replace the makeup wipes as this is less drying for the skin and can leave the skin feeling more smooth, however often I feel these are too heavy for me, and can easily get into your eyes. Wipes work best for oily skin types as it removes the excess oil on the skin, however with wipes I would ALWAYS invest in a micellar water to use with them as wipes by themselves are too dry and can end up damaging the skin more than helping it.

My favourite wipes are the Simple range, you can buy them in multi-packs from costco or from your local chemist like Boots or Superdrug or supermarkets. Simple has a few different varieties of wipes, including my favourite - Spotless Skin Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes, they are really great at helping clear up spots quicker than if you just left it to clear itself. I do use the regular ones often as sometimes they don’t stock some of the other varieties. These are £2 from Sainsbury’s at the moment, but normally £3.29. There are offers on then frequently.

Moving onto to my preference of Micellar Water, I have for years and years, since I started wearing makeup have used the Bioderma Micellar Waters as they work the best for me. I have tried a few other brands over the years but always go back to Bioderma. When I first bought them, they were only available in France so I ordered them from Amazon, however now they are available from Boots and other chemists for £10.80.

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser is a great makeup remover if you wear light makeup or as a secondary step, especially for eye makeup. The harshest ingredient in it is contact solution, so you know you can get it in your eye and have no irritation or pain, and no added chemicals. WINNER WINNER, trust me I’ve purposely got it directly into my eye to test if it would hurt my eye and I felt nothing. So this makes it the perfect eye makeup remover, especially as make-up wipes always end up struggling to remove everything. It isn’t a foaming cleanser but more of a gel texture. It leaves the skin feeling clean, and don’t need a huge amount, I find 2 pumps works perfectly for the whole face and neck. At £15 I believe it’s so worth it.

Finally, the last cleanser, you would have seen in my last skincare post. Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash, my holy grail of cleansers. I don’t have any negatives about this cleanser, except for maybe the fact you can’t get it in your eyes? As I already spoke about it in the last post I’ll keep it short here, but it really helped to clear up my spots.

Toner/Essence

I will typically use an essence at night instead of a toner, the effects are similar however the essence will add deeper hydration. I could write a post about essences all by themselves but I shall restrain, I mentioned them in my last skincare post, so for a bit more information you can follow the link. Essences should also be applied before any form of hydration as it helps all the moisturising products to skin deeper into the skin, they also improve skin texture and help to plump. My two fav essences are The Essence by Tatcha, which has some anti-ageing properties, and the Vitamin E Essence from The Body Shop. Sometimes I will use a toner as well, especially if I am feeling overly oily, before the essence which is the Ole Henriksen Oil Balancing Toner, also mentioned in the previous post.

Acids/Exfoliators

Definitely my favourite step, acids & exfoliators. I believe I see the most change in my skin when I am using these products. It can be a scary product to use as you were always warned off of acids in school and told they were dangerous, don’t worry they still are, but these are some skin-safe acids that really make a difference to your skins appearance and have many benefits. I love The Ordinary in particular for their acids. They are very clear about when to use them and before what, so if you are a novice then you still know what you are doing.

I will start with exfoliators I use, as this is the order I would apply. From The Ordinary are Lactic Acid 5% + HA 30ml by The Ordinary, a mildly-exfoliating serum to target uneven tone, textural irregularities and fine lines. Offering a very gentle exfoliation at a 5% concentration, this lightweight serum works to improve skin texture, reducing pigmentation caused by acne scars and age spots by stimulating cell regeneration. It contains alpha hydroxy acid or more commonly known as AHA, so the product is a chemical exfoliator. However, important if you are going away on holiday or using this in the summer months, be aware AHA’s can make you more sensitive to the sun and sunburn, if you still wish to use it, apply high protection, wear protective clothing, and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week afterwards, or replace for those periods with another type of exfoliator.

Another of my favourites exfoliators is the chemical exfoliator by Glossier, called Solution. It is again an AHA treatment known to similar finishes to the Lactic Acid Treatment, however it works super well at clearing up acne, and the packaging is especially cool. It has a pump to apply to a cotton pad. I find the Glossier product does seem to burn more when you first start application, and my skin did break out badly a week in but once I got past that, my skin had never looked better! If you want 10% off your first order with glossier click the link here.

Next up we have the acids, I use a retinoid as it works well for reducing the signs of ageing. However similar to the AHA in the chemical exfoliators can make you more sensitive to the sun and radiation. Sun protection is particularly important when using retinoids. This product must not be used in conjunction with other retinoids including retinol or retinoic acid. This product is not a treatment for acne. Also acne-prone skin may experience a temporary increase in acne during the first few weeks of using any form of retinoid. I use The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane. I have really noticed a different in my skin since using this, it leaves my skin feeling silky soft and firm.

Finally for acids I use a Hyaluronic Acid acid, Hyaluronic Acid is great for skin hydration as they attract 1000x it’s weight in water. This mixed with the essence means that the hydration will hit right to my dermis layer of skin. Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 30ml by The Ordinary is my choice of hyaluronic acid. Let’s get science-y here, Hyaluronic Acid is found in the skin naturally but its natural function within the skin is not hydration. Many products have used HA to claim hydration benefits, but HA is too large of a molecule to penetrate the skin and instead sits on the surface and can draw moisture out of the skin making the surface feel soft and hydrated temporarily, while making you feel like you need more HA after the product is rinsed. This formula uses three forms of HA with varying molecular weights, as well as an HA crosspolymer, to offer multi-depth hydration and visible plumping without drawing water out of the skin solely to improve temporary surface hydration. So basically, if you are using other Hyaluronic Acid products make sure you are either following up after with more moisturisers’s, or use this product (or one with the same mix of HA’s) and not just that along, or  I use this in the mornings as well so if you want to see some more details about Hyaluronic Acid and why you need it in your life, click the link.

Serums

I love serums, but they can be overdone, you should only use a small amount (a few drops) and apply with your fingertips all over face. Some are oil based, while others are gel based or cream based. They are great as a liquid moisturiser and really sink into the skin quicker than cream moisturisers, sometime I will use a serum without moisturiser as I find they are just enough hydration. All the serums mentioned have similar long-term skin effects, hydrating the skin and keeping skin silky smooth, however they do different things in the short time, some are more skin blurring and mattifying, some are more for overnight purposes where it leaves you glowing or on the verge of oily. Also great for day if your skin needs that hydration.

The first serum I am going to mention is more of a gel based cream, great for oilier skin types, it’s an anti-ageing product from The Body Shop, Drops of Youth Concentrate. It is great as a makeup primer as it helps to smooth skin and blur as well as leaving the skin tacky, but great as an overnight first use serum as it quick to skin in and hydrate. I normally follow this up by using the Farsáli Rose Gold Exlir, which contains some gold flakes that are absorbed into the skin. This is a more oil based serum so I will use this product OR the Oils of Life product by The Body Shop. It’s important not to be scared of oils if you have an oilier skin, as you may think that it would just make you more oily, but your oil could be because your skin is too dry so it is overcompensating by producing more oil, if you give it oil it can stop overproducing it’s own oil and can regulate it. Oils are great for overnight use, as they take slightly longer than cream or gel based serums to sink in, so they can be left to sink in overnight. I also recommend if you are using an oil based serum to get a facial massager, such as this one from The Body Shop. It is great for your skin as it stimulates the facial muscles and can help to tighten/sculpt the skin and reduce wrinkles/lines.

Some of these serums can double up as skin primers, like mentioned above the Drops of Youth, and the Farsáli, Skintune Blur. This is a skin blurring primer and pore filler, it helps to mattify. It works better as a primer as it has instant effects to the skin. Finally I use a small amount of the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair that I received as a sample, it is worth £12, and is the travel sized version. The original full sized bottle is worth £74. I use this mostly under my eyes to hydrate my eyes as I feel my under eyes don’t soak up as much of products as the skin is thinner there. This is also in preparation of the eye creams.

Moisturisers

Moving onto moisturiser I use the Moisture Surge Intense Cream by Clarins, I received a sample and ended up buying it, it is targeted for those with dryer skin types but I love just using a small amount and warming it in my hands before spreading all over my face and neck as I can really feel a difference. I like heavier creams in the evening as it acts as a barrier and means that it will leave my skin supple and smooth in the morning when I go to cleanse my skin. There are two varieties but I use the cream gel, which is lighter & better for oiler skin types. I mostly just use one type of moisturiser for evening, if you’d like to see some lightweight moisturisers, check out my morning routine post.

lip balm

Lip Balm was also mentioned in the morning routine post. I use mostly the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Repair Tin or the Hemp Lip Balm Stick. To read more details about them check the morning post.

castor oil

On my eyebrows and eyelashes I apply some castor oil as it helps them to grow quickly. You can get this on amazon as well as in most chemists or health stores such as Holland and Barrett.

Spot treatment

When I have a spot or one on the way up, I always turn to my Mario Badescu, Drying Lotion. You don’t shake the product but use a cotton bud to get to the pink product at the bottom and apply it to any spot area, or if you have clogged pores it can be used on these. It helps to clear spots quickly and to dry them out. It is super effective but gentle as well. You apply and then leave it to dry and wear overnight to see a reduction in the spot area within a few hours.

Eye Cream

I use a few different products for eye creams, mostly the eye roll on concentrate from The Body Shop, from the Drops of Youth range. This also comes with a roll on ball, so the product can be circled into the skin and really have an effect. I also use this to help the rest of my eye creams to work. I use the Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Balm Soothing which really cools the under eye skin and soothes it. The under eye is a really sensitive skin area as the skin is thinner here so it is important to be delicate, if you are going to use your fingers I always recommend using your ring finger and patting products into the skin. I also have an eye mask that you leave on overnight from The Body Shop, Drops of Youth Range. It works well and is a bouncy mask but I may talk about it rather in a masks post that I plan on doing soon.

Anyway that is the extent of my skincare routine for you all, that was longer than I expected, and actually took me a lot longer than expected to get together. However my most important tip that I feel makes the most difference to the skin, keeps it pump and glowy is to drink plenty of water! I drink minimum 1.5 litres a day. It makes all the difference and makes me feel healthier too. If you are worried about needing to wee all the time, this soon reduces as your body gets more used to drinking higher amounts of water.

I also wear lots of different masks depending on how my skin is, however I will leave them for another post as I have loads of favourites that I use on a regular basis.

Thanks for reading my post! I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Let me know if there is anything you’d like to see, or hear more about from me. Ciao for now.

* Some of the links are affiliate links, this means I make a small commission of the purchase of these products, however it does not affect the price of the product or my bias towards the products, all the affiliated links are marked with an (*) *

Ciara HynesComment