We all want power. whether it’s money, position or even status. Beauty is also a form of power. It can get you ahead in life. Some may cringe at this thought. But I would like to assure you, it is the game of life. If you can’t beat them join them.
So how can we play in this game and become winners? One of the ways is to develop a meticulous nighttime skincare routine. From my observation, we put more effort into our morning routine than nighttime.
It may be because; we are presenting ourselves to the world and want it to like us. There is nothing wrong about that. But now I want you to like you more and put more effort into your nighttime routine.
First things first. Scientists have established that the body rejuvenates at night. This includes the skin as well. During the day, the skin is fighting against the sun and harmful environmental pollutants.
However, at night it can hit the snooze button and relax. Blood flow is better and the repairing ingredients of beauty products sip deeper in the skin. Consequently, the skin is able to heal.
So how do we create a nighttime skincare routine and get the skin of the goddesses? We will be doing 5 key things. These are removing makeup, cleansing, toning, moisturizing and applying anti-aging face creams.
1 Removing makeup
Sleeping with makeup is a risky step. In the beauty bible, its punishment is break out. Nobody wants to suffer from a skin break out. To protect yourself, always remove your makeup at the end of the day.
What you may not know is that makeup clogs the pores. And when you sleep with makeup the skin does not breathe. Its natural reaction is to break out and try to seek out air. Therefore, first and foremost is to wipe off all makeup.
Coconut oil does a superb job in removing makeup. Just apply a quartz size and then take a clean white face cloth to wipe it off. Always make sure you have wiped the face clean. I can’t stress this enough, NEVER SLEEP WITH MAKEUP.
2 Cleansing
After removing your makeup, it is now time for cleansing. Cleansing removes dirt, oil and unclogs the pores of all impurities. A good cleanser should have a pH of about 5.5. It should clean the skin and not strip away all the oil. If you use a cleanser that leaves your face feeling “squeaky” clean, ditch it. It means it is drying out your skin.
For a simple DIY facial cleanser, use ground oats, kaolin clay, bentonite clay, and activated charcoal. To make it easy, keep the ratio 1:1:1.
First, use a coffee grinder to grind the oats to a fine powder. Second, mix a ¼ cup of kaolin clay and ¼ cup of bentonite clay in a non-metallic bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Measure out a ¼ cup of the oats and mix it with the clays. Finally, add 10 capsules of activated charcoal.
This cleanser is a dry mix. Store it in a mason jar and keep it airtight. To use it scoop a teaspoon of the mixture and dab with a little water. Apply it on the face using circular motions and massage it thoroughly. You can leave it for about 15 minutes for a deep cleansing face mask.
To increase the mixture shelf life adds 7 drops of tea tree oil. This essential oil is both antibacterial and anti-fungal. In addition, it is used in the treatment of acne.
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3 Toning
Why should I tone? After cleansing, there is usually some dirt and impurities even oil from products still on the skin. Toning also closes the pores of the skin and restores the natural pH of the skin. They are 3 main toners; hydrating, calming and astringent toners.
Rose water is the best hydrating toner while chamomile is good for calming the skin. To use, steep a cotton ball in the toner and then dub it on the face. Also, do not forget the neck and décolletage area.
Apple cider vinegar mixed with distilled water 1:1 is a good homemade toner. Of importance is to stay away from alcohol based toners. They dry out the skin and can cause irritation.
4 Moisturizing
Did you know the skin loses more water while sleeping than during the day? Therefore, it is paramount to hydrate before going to bed. The sauce is to use creamier moisturizers. It will not only hydrate the skin but form a protective layer that prevents moisture loss.
To boost your moisturizing efforts stay hydrated during the day. The good doctors say at least 8 glasses of water. I would recommend the same. If drinking water is not your thing, mix it with some fresh lemon juice, mint and cucumbers. Alas! I’m sure you can down that.
5 Applying anti aging cream
If you are a woman of a particular age, you may be worried about fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and dullness of the skin. Or maybe you are not that woman. Either way, we are all headed in that same direction.
Thankfully, we have anti-aging creams. These creams can help us soothe our insecurities about aging. Firstly, anti-aging creams are creatures of the night. They work best at night. Retinoids, peptides and vitamin C serums are all night crawlers.
When applied during the day, they oxidize. Meaning they combine with air and other oxidizing agents. In turn, they are rendered useless. Actually, they can cause more harm since they increase the free radicals in the skin.
When applied at night they work with the body to regenerates collagen. This helps with the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and age spots. Don’t forget to pay attention around the eye area. It is the thinnest of skin and signs of aging start from the eye area.
Conclusion
These 5 steps are all you need to save your beauty. I would urge you to find the suitable routine and stick to it. For most people, they start out nighttime routines with gusto and then fizzle out. I want to encourage you not to despair. Stick to it and your breakthrough is right around the corner.
Finally, as I pointed out earlier, beauty is power. Seek it, keep it. Thank me later.
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Bio :
Hilda is a freelance beauty writer
