Evenings are the perfect time for a wind down ritual to prep us for sleep and tomorrow. It’s a great time to calm our minds, practice self love and take care of our bodies. That means of course combing our hair and brushing our teeth and washing away the day and nourishing our skin with ingredients that soothe, moisturize, brighten.

“While we sleep our skin repairs and renews. Having a nighttime skincare routine gives you the opportunity to feed your skin what it needs before it goes into repair mode,” says board certified dermatologist Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD.

She says your nighttime skincare routine will keep your skin healthy, slow down aging and combat the daily environmental stressors including the biggest one (that’s the sun). Your skin will love you for following the simple routine below.

A Simple, 4-Step Night Skincare Routine 

The best evening skincare routines are actually super simple – they cover the non-negotiables and leave room for personalization. So your skin gets what it needs and some extra love depending on your concerns.

Step 1: Choose a Cleanser to Cleanse Your Face.

The initial step in your nighttime skincare regimen is to cleanse your face. Regardless of your skin type, opt for a mild cleanser and dedicate one to two minutes to lathering it and gently massaging it into your skin. “Cleansers eliminate the day’s impurities, such as makeup, dirt, and various environmental elements,” explains Dr. Davidov.

If you have dry skin, go for a moisturizing, oil-based cleanser like Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm. For oily or combination skin, opt for a gentle foam or gel cleanser like Saturday Skin Brightening Cleansing Gel.

Step 2: Follow Up With a Toner

A toner helps rebalance your skin’s pH level and replenish moisture that’s been stripped away during the cleansing process. Regardless of whether your skin is oily or prone to acne, using a toner can be beneficial.

“Our skin’s acid mantle is a protective barrier that wards off pathogens and regulates moisture,” says Justine Kahn, esthetician and founder of Botnia Skincare. “During the day, different influences disturb this balance, which is why pH-adjusted products are crucial for reestablishing equilibrium.”

Opt for a lightweight moisturizer such as Versed Baby Cheeks Hydrating Milk Toner or Sulwhasoo Essential Comfort Balancing Water.

Step 3: Apply a Treatment Product (Choose Your Style!)

Let your toner sit for about 60 seconds then apply a treatment product. This is where you can get the most personalization because it’s targeting your specific skin concerns.

Here you can choose to focus on anti-aging, brightening, acne, or dark spot minimizing, Dr. Davidov says. Since this treatment product has an active ingredient, only apply one per night. You can switch out the product every other night (or every few nights) depending on your needs.

• Anti-Aging: Retinoid, such as Matter of Fact Wrinkle + Texture Concentrate with .2% Encapsulated Retinol, Vitamin C, & Azelaic Acid.
• Brightening: Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) or enzyme-based product that gently exfoliates so skin looks smoother and more vibrant. Good Molecules Overnight Exfoliating Treatment.
• Acne: Acne flare ups? Use a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) based product (also known as salicylic acid) or benzoyl peroxide.
• Dark Spots: If sun spots or hyperpigmentation is getting you down, you can add a product that minimizes them, like Topicals Faded Serum for Dark Spots & Discoloration.

(If this step feels too much or unnecessary to you, skip it for now and add it later if you want.)

Step 4: Moisturize

After your leave-on treatment has had some time to settle in, apply a moisturizer. For this step, you’ll also want to choose a product based on your skin type.

Dry or combination skin types should use thicker, more emollient moisturizers with shea butter, ceramides and botanical oils. Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturizer with Vitamin F and SkinCeuticals Hydra Balm Moisturizer Ointment are good options.

Acne prone and oily skin types—which do need moisture too—should use a water based gel moisturizer.y Bubble Level Up Balancing Moisturizer or Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Gel Moisturizer. 

Night Skincare Tips

A big part of your night skincare routine is looking forward to it. That means using products you love to apply and incorporating other rituals that make it more fun.

• Make Time: Be intentional with your night skincare routine by giving yourself enough time to get through the steps. Board-certified dermatologist Noreen Galaria, MD, FAAD, says she starts 20 to 30 minutes before bed. “I get my products on before I get tired but also before I hit the pillow. Tiredness is the number one reason my patients say they fall asleep without doing their night time routine.”
• Listen to a Podcast or Music: Remember: this is for you! Make it more fun by listening to music, a podcast or an audiobook. Dim the lights and light a candle for some ambiance.
• Treat Your Mind and Body: If you have time, add an extra ritual that calms both mind and body. “Engaging in deep breathing exercises, enjoying a warm bath, or giving yourself a gentle facial massage to help relax and de-stress before sleep.,” Dr. Davidov recommends.
• Get Help: If your routine isn’t working, ask for help. “Seek professional advice from an esthetician [or dermatologist] to customize your routine to your skin,” Kahn says. You should love the products you use and the results you see. “Then it’s something you look forward to not a task.”

Best Skincare You Can Confidently Use

The Best Cleanser: CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser is formulated to cleanse and rejuvenate the skin without stripping it of its natural oils or leaving it feeling tight and parched. It contains hyaluronic acid, which hydrates the skin, along with three essential ceramides that work in harmony to retain moisture and help restore the skin’s protective barrier. MVE Delivery Technology encapsulates ceramides to ensure their effective delivery within the skin’s barrier and a slow, prolonged release. This supports your skin barrier long after application is complete. This non-comedogenic cleanser is an efficient yet gentle way to begin any skincare routine.

The Best Toner: CeraVe Hydrating Toner

CeraVe’s Hydrating Toner is a fantastic option for most skin types. Dr. Hope Mitchell, dermatologist and founder of Mitchell Dermatology, advises selecting a toner that is both gentle and hydrating to assist in restoring the skin’s pH without removing any natural oils. This budget-friendly toner, enriched with beneficial ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides, effectively eliminates residue from the skin while retaining moisture.

The Best Moisterizer: InnBeauty Project Extreme Cream

Innbeauty Project’s Extreme Cream contains three key ingredients that are ideal for me: a retinol alternative, peptides, and ceramides. The retinol alternative suits my needs perfectly; I enjoy the benefits of sloughing off dead skin cells, fading dark spots, brightening my complexion, and anti-aging effects without experiencing the typical irritation associated with retinol. Additionally, the combination of ceramides and peptides ensures that my skin remains just as hydrated at the end of the day as it feels right after application.