In an attempt to find out more about our customers, we recently launched a survey to understand how what you're using on your face every day. As it turn out you guys are averaging 16 products (this includes skincare and cosmetics) and spending no more than 6 minutes cleansing and removing makeup at night.
Is this ample time or nowhere near enough? Read on to understand which products we recommend for nightly use.
Step 1: The Eye Makeup Remover
Remove eye makeup separately as it's easier and gentler. We all know mascara and eyeliner are stubborn, so choose something like Avène's Gentle Eye Makeup Remover to do the job properly. Lashfood and Kate Somerville also offer dual-action eye makeup removers that condition the eyelashes.
Step 2: The Exfoliator or Cleansing Oil
Start by lifting daily grime and makeup with a really great exfoliator on dry skin. Generally, manual scrubbing should be reserved for 2-3 times a week maximum but one of our favorite dermatologists Dr. Harold Lancer, who strongly advocates daily exfoliating, created a Polish gentle enough to use everyday, but powerful enough to prevent clogged pores and dull complexions.
Alternatively, if say, you already exfoliated in the morning, opt for a cleansing oil which attracts oil and impurities.
Step 3: The Cleanser or Cleansing Bar
Every morning, and every night. Wash away air pollution and makeup, and give your skin added moisture, with a trustworthy cleanser. We like Eve Lom's Cleanser because you know, Vogue called it "probably the world's best cleanser" and it feels divine on the skin. There's also Erno Laszlo's cleansing bars which work beautifully with the brand's cleansing oils to well and truly take off everything the day threw at your face.
Step 4: The Toner
Toners help replenish the skin with what a cleanser might have taken away. Traditionally, the toner's job was to act as an astringent to purify the skin and close any pores, thus preventing dirt and impurities that enter post-cleanse - this is true of toners that are applied with a cotton round, such as SkinMedica's Rejuvenative Toner.
There are also toning mists, like Dr. Hauscka's Clariyfying Toner or SUNDARI's Rose and Lemon Tonic Water, which you'll find particularly refreshing on skin that feels tight after cleansing.
Step 5: The Essence
Once the stuff of K-beauty routines, essences have made their way into Western skincare rituals too. Essentially what the essence does is keep your skin healthy at a cellular level. By adding in extra hydration, vitamins and antioxidants, facial essences give your skin the energy boost it needs to stay glowing.
Step 6: The Eye Cream
The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your whole body. Since you’re taking the proper care to apply serums and moisturizers to your skin, as you should be, why wouldn’t you pay extra attention to the most delicate area of your face? The eyelid is highly active (the average person blinks up to 28,000 times a day) making the eye socket the first area to give away your age – so make some space for those little jars.
Step 7: The Night Cream
Your day moisturizer is what keeps your skin protected, but your night cream is what helps it to repair itself. This is why nighttime moisturizers are thicker and richer, as they're packed with more ingredients that aid your skin's natural renewal process.
Step 8: The Facial Oil
There's a reason they call it beauty sleep. Amplify the benefits of your night cream with a facial oil, which will do its best on your skin at the optimum state of repair.
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