Getting a good skin care routine in order is just basic self-care and a must! Particularly to help keep skin looking glowing and nourished as you are getting older. Below is a suggested night time routine, everyone’s skin is different so you need to figure out what works for you!

With so many products on the market, it can be hard to know which order to use or apply everything in or even how often each week to use something! There are no rules as everyone’s skin is completely unique but hopefully, after reading this you will get some great tips and ideas for starting a new natural skin care regime or improving the one that you currently have!

This is the ideal skin care routine and you might only get one night a week where you can really fit in all of these steps! But to do this for your body and your skin is such a great way to give yourself extra care and attention.

You could even set aside one night per week where you plan in some extra time to show your skin some love. I really like Thursday night for extra self-care as it sets you up nicely for any weekend plans so that you are feeling really good about yourself and your skin going into the weekend!

I have taken the advice of celebrity facialist Abigail James to formulate this post. She is an absolute wealth of information on natural skin care. Please check out her website and videos linked at the bottom of this post. Right, let’s get into it!

IMPORTANT: CHECK YOUR WATER QUALITY!

Check the hardness of your water (you can easily search for your cities water hardness online) and consider using filtered water to wash your face in if your water is particularly hard. If your kitchen tap has a filter you can fill up a bowl of hot water or you can easily buy water filter jugs that will filter your water for you. This company is also now making a fantastic shower and bath filtration systems – you can check them out online.

Treated water can contain chlorine, pesticides and heavy metals. Also if your water is too hard it can also contain iron and magnesium which can lead to skin irritations in sensitive individuals.

The Ultimate 10 Step Night-Time Skin Care Routine:

1. TIE HAIR BACK + LOOSE FITTING CLOTHES:

First of all, tie up your hair and pop on some loose clothing where you will have access to your neck and upper chest area. When washing your face you really want to treat your neck like an extension of your face! You might like to get into your pyjamas in the evening before you wash your face so that you have easy access to your neck. It’s nice to create a little evening bedtime ritual so that it makes it easy to remember and you are not falling asleep in front of Netflix having not washed your face for the night (been there!).

2. CLEANSE SKIN:

If you are over thirty is it great to switch to a balm, cream or milk-based cleanser that is going to much gentler on your skin than a foaming cleaner. Foaming cleansers are great for oilier skin but when you are 30+ your skin is likely to be drier, thinner and more sensitive so you need to make sure that you are cleansing with something that is going to be really gentle to your skin and is going to keep that acid mantle (the top protective layer of your skin) nicely intact!

Abigail recommends applying your cream or balm to a dry face and massaging it around the eyes and all over the skin and neck to help remove all of the days’ makeup and grime. After you have worked the balm thoroughly into your skin pop a washcloth into hot water, wring it out and then apply it to your face. If you have time you could even lie it flat on your face for an extra 2mins to gently steam your skin. Use the washcloth to gently wipe your face. (I use the Nove microfibre face cloth, they also have a wide variety of other face cloths for different skin types).

3. REMOVE ANY MAKEUP RESIDUE FROM THE EYES + LIPS:

Next, she says to tackle your eye makeup (I generally always remove my eye makeup first so I am interested to switch it around and see if this cleansing process works better!). Abigal recommends using micellar water. You can just use eye makeup remover although many conventional removers can contain a whole host of nasty ingredients so always check your products! At this stage, after the first cleanse there should only be a small amount of mascara or lipstick residue left on your face.

If you are really short on time you could then just wipe each eye area and then your skin with micellar water on a cotton swab and leave it at that. This is also really good if your water quality is really hard or you are travelling and you want to minimise washing time.

It is also perfectly ok to go to bed with micellar water still left on your face – but don’t do it every night perhaps just on those late weekend nights! Sweet almond oil on a cotton pad is also a very gentle, natural way to remove eye makeup.

4. CLEANSE SKIN AGAIN!

Abigail recommends a double cleanse because the first cleanse is simply removing all of the day’s dirt, oil and makeup while the second cleanse is what is really getting deep down into your pores and cleaning your skin. (It’s actually the same when you shampoo your hair! A double shampoo will keep your hair looking good for a longer period).

You might like to use a different cleanser for this part, Abigail recommends a gentle natural foaming cleanser that contains no foaming agents like SLS (avoid SLS!). Or if you are budget conscious you could use a cheaper balm cleanser to remove makeup and then use a more expensive cleanser to actually clean your skin. Foaming cleansers are great to remove excess oil but if your skin is dry always opt for a lovely balm or cream!

5. CLOSE PORES WITH COLD WATER:

Abigal recommends finishing up your cleanse by splashing your face with cold water. She says that it helps to close pores, contract muscles and supports the lymphatic system. Closing your pores with cold water after you cleanse can also help to keep them tight and toned, reduces skin permeability and creates a stronger barrier to any bacteria and outside elements.

You could even once per week when you have a bit more time add 2-3 cold ice cubes to your sink or bowl of water, let them melt then splash your face (just don’t do this if your skin is really thin with noticeable capillaries!). Pat your face completely dry with a soft towel.

Your face will now be completely cleansed. You could just stop here and I personally think that it is great at least once a week to go to bed with clean skin and absolutely nothing on your face. Your skin regenerates while you are sleeping so sometimes you just want to let it breathe and do its job.

Also, your skin will start to thin as you get older so you want to make sure the evening products that you use on your skin are really lightweight and easily absorbed right into your skin. Thick and heavy night time creams can increase sagging and wrinkles and stop your skin from creating its own moisture – less is more!

6. TONER:

A brilliant way to prep your skin for the use of further moisturising products is to put toner on it after you cleanse. When your skin is completely dry it does not as easily absorb moisturising products. We also tend to pay more for those moisturising products so you want to make sure that your skin is going to quickly and easily absorb all of the goodness and it’s going to get to work repairing and nourishing your skin!

Toners can also help to ‘correct’ any skin problems or gently exfoliate and remove any dry or flaky skin so that it is better able to absorb your next skin care step. You can buy lovely natural toners (be sure to check that they do not contain alcohol!) or you can easily make your own! Get the DIY instructions for the homemade toners below here.

Homemade Rosewater: Perfect for dry, sensitive or ageing skin.
Aloe Vera: Helps to fight skin irritations and repair damaged skin due to acne, eczema, rashes and sunburn.
Apple Cider Vinegar in Water: Is useful for both oily and dry skin and works like a natural exfoliant.
Cucumber Water: Great for dry, irritated skin that contains redness.

7. EYE CREAM:

Abigail surprisingly recommends that if you are going to use a targeted eye cream to pop it on in the morning rather than at night time. She says that using eye cream at night can sometimes cause puffiness and eye irritation while you sleep which is interesting. If you know that your eye cream is perfectly fine to use at night you can pop it on here.

Just gently pat it below each eye. (I am currently just using rosehip oil under my eyes if I remember to! It’s also a great natural source of vitamin A which helps to increase cell turnover and boost collagen. Coconut oil also makes for a really wonderful, nourishing eye cream – just don’t use it all over your face if you have sensitive or acne prone skin as it is a rather dense oil).

8. FACE SERUM:

Now that your skin is all clean, prepped with toner and ready to suck up some moisture you can add a serum and even perhaps a beautiful facial oil on top depending on how dry or damaged your skin is. If you are 30+ a serum containing hyaluronic acid is going to be amazing for your skin. Our bodies naturally store hyaluronic acid in our joints, eyes and the bottom layer of our skin to help retain moisture.

As we age our skin can become drier and it’s ability to hold on to moisture can be compromised. Using products that contain hyaluronic acid can help plump up your skin, fill in lines and bring much-needed moisture to your skin. Unlike a moisturiser, serums are designed to target the deeper layers of your skin, improving collagen, elasticity and the overall structure of your skin.

9. FACIAL OIL:

If your skin has some signs of premature ageing, dryness, wrinkles, or hyperpigmentation you might want to include a natural facial oil here. You can use a specially formulated facial oil or you can buy 100% pure oil that is designed for the face. Oils are full of yummy healthy fats and rich essential fatty acids to help strengthen and regenerate your skin to get that glow on! Ideally try and purchase oils that are organic and cold pressed.

Here are some great options:

Sweet Almond Oil:
My personal favourite! It is also really great for really dry, sensitive or damaged skin and is quite cost effective! It is a really lightweight oil that is rapidly absorbed into your skin. Almond oil is also packed full of vitamin E. Great for 30+ (Amazon)

Rose Hip Oil:
Rosehip oil is amazing for signs of UV damage, photo ageing, and premature ageing. It contains vitamin A which helps to boost collagen and naturally repair the deeper skin layers. Great for 30+ (Amazon)

Argan Oil:
Is great for all skin types and is packed full of vitamin E to help protect against free-radical damage. It can help to strengthen and rebalance your skin. Great for 20+ (Amazon)

Prickly Pear Seed Oil:
Is full of vitamin K, amino acids and helps to rapidly improve skin elasticity! It also contains 150% more vitamin E than argan oil which is a powerful antioxidant. It is also brilliant at working on dark circles and skin hyperpigmentation. Great for 40+ (Amazon)

Jojoba Oil:
Jojoba is great for oily or acne prone skin as it is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. It also contains vitamin A and E which are the powerful free-radical fighting skin antioxidants. Great for 20+ (Amazon)

10. MOISTURISER:

Again with eye cream, Abigail says that you can skip this step if you want to. She prefers to focus on the serums and the face oils to give extra moisture and targeted repair. However, if you have a lovely night time moisturiser that you like to use often you can put it on your face now as your last step! (If I am going to reach for a moisturiser at night time it will be this one from Trilogy it also contains hyaluronic acid and helps to plump up your skin! Plus it is really lightweight and non-greasy).

Then you are all done – your skin should look and feel amazing!

What do you like to include in your night-time skincare routine? What are your favourite natural products to use? Please share your ideas in the comments! ♥

Links:

Abigail James Website

How To Cleanse For Glowing Skin from Abigail James

The Perfect Evening Skin Care Routine from Abigail James

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(Photo: Laura Marques via. Unsplash)