How to build a night-time skincare routine with added wellness benefits

While a whiff of spiced lattes before we’ve even had time to retire our sliders for another season may prompt dismay in some, it’s never too early to start your beauty night-time regime in the run-up to the festive season. In fact, in terms of getting mind and body ready for the big day, one could say it’s perfect timing. ‘Your skin cycle is renewed roughly every 28 days so it’s important to support this in order to ensure it’s always in peak condition,’ confirms award-winning facialist Lisa Franklin. ‘Certain active ingredients such as peptides may take several weeks for full results to be noticeable, and it’s important to allow retinoids to work for 6 to 12 weeks for optimum results.’

But it’s not just our skin that needs a little time to prepare for a big event, it’s important to start taking care of our overall wellbeing too, especially as celebrations such as Christmas can also be a time of added pressure. ‘The run-up to festive season can be stressful for many people,’ says beauty expert and registered psychotherapist Lee Pycroft. ‘This is often due to unrealistic expectations of how things “should” be. Creating the space to manage self care and factor in time to relax will help free up spare emotional capacity and allow time in your busy schedule to reset and restore.’

To all those diligent double cleansers, we salute you. For the rest of us for whom cleansing is somewhat more of an incidental affair, it’s time to step things up a notch. ‘Cleansing is the most vital step in your regime, especially at night,’ agrees Lisa. ‘Not only does it remove the daily dirt and grime, but also bacteria which can cause inflammatory responses resulting in problematic skin conditions. City living in particular can be damaging to the skin and particulate matter from pollution which is just a fraction of the diameter of a human hair is able to penetrate into the pores where it contributes to acne, skin sensitivity, pigmentation and premature ageing. Giving yourself time in the evening to ensure you remove all of the day’s build up, including makeup, will also ensure that your skincare will be able to penetrate better.’ Lisa advises using an oil-based cleanser to draw out impurities followed by a gentle wash to purify and deep clean. And in order to loosen and whisk away dead skin cells and accelerate cellular renewal, she suggests adding in a gentle AHA exfoliator twice a week to continuously improve the overall condition of your skin.

Any event where you need your skin to look its best requires a more targeted approach with ingredients dedicated to boosting collagen, tackling pigmentation and fine-tuning textural issues such as fine lines, dullness and roughness. 'My hero skincare ingredient that everyone should be adding into their night time regime would be some form of retinoid,' says Franklin. 'Not only do they offer effective anti-ageing benefits, they also target pigmentation and the effects of UV-induced skin damage, help clear acne-related symptoms and suit most skin types. Despite its reputation for being irritating, modern retinols are often formulated in ways that minimise any potential side effects.'

As we wind down for bed our skin is ramping up for a busy night ahead as it switches from protect to repair mode, so the key is finding products that support the skin’s overnight renewal processes. It’s also the perfect time to indulge in overnight sleep masks, a step that often feels like a frivolity during overstretched days, but the perfect way to pamper your skin when it’s at its most receptive. Simply slather on and nod off.

It’s no secret that sleep is our most potent ally when it comes to looking and feeling our best but in the run-up to a stressful event, getting some quality shut-eye may take more than a few whiffs of lavender. ‘A night-time beauty regime can have a real influence on your sleep and overall wellbeing,’ says Lee. ‘Taking some time to wind down during the evening to allow the body and mind to reset before bed is essential to a good night’s sleep and a mindful beauty ritual can be used as a perfect time to end the day calmly. When a healthy sleep pattern is established, dealing with daily challenges becomes easier, immune system function will be better and life feels more in balance.’ Lee suggests using sensory products to help ground you in the present and massaging areas of the face where tension sits while doing some deep breathing. ‘Making sure your out breath is longer will instill a feeling of relaxation and help open up clear thinking.’

For many of us, bathing is a hurried blast of the shower in the mornings but Lee suggests incorporating it into your bedtime beauty ritual instead. ‘Taking a bath while allowing the mind to conjure up memories of times in the past where you have felt tranquil utilises one of our greatest resources; our imaginations. Rather than being occupied with hypothetical worries, it’s about putting your imagination to good use and remembering how you felt in your chosen happy place along with the sights, sounds and smells.’