1. Take it all off
Before you go to bed, use a gentle cleanser to remove the build-up of grease, grime and make-up. In her book, dermatologist Dr Leslie Baumann says it’s essential to select the right products for your skin type. She believes there are roughly four different skin types and recommends cleansing morning and night with a skin-type-specific cleanser.
- Oily sensitive skin: Use an exfoliating cleanser to help reduce the risk of acne, clean pores and diminish the appearance of pigmentation. Try Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Acne Wash, or Dermalogica’s Anti-Bac Skin Wash, which contains salicylic acid to clarify the complexion.
- Oily resistant skin: Use a cleanser that will help control oil, reduce enlarged pores and minimise the appearance of dark spots. Try Jurlique’s Foaming Facial Cleanser, which contains lavender and tea-tree oil to balance and gently cleanse the skin.
- Dry sensitive skin: which is pH balanced to maintain moisture levels in the skin. Alternatively, try L’Occitane’s antioxidant-boosted Olive Harvest Olive Daily Face Cleanser.
- Dry resistant skin: MD Formulations Facial Cleanser – Sensitive Skin Formula, hydrates the skin and at the same time sloughs away dead cells.
2. Slick on a serum
Not so long ago, rich night creams were seen as the real beauty workhorses, doing all the anti-ageing hard yakka while you slept. Today, serums carry most of the load by delivering a host of ingredients to the deeper layers of the skin. “Serums are lighter and more easily absorbed by the skin, so they make great delivery systems,” says Lise Jorgensen, vice president global skincare product development for Estée Lauder. “Far from being dormant at night, the skin is doing a great deal of repair work. We now know that the optimal time to maximise the skin’s natural repair mechanisms is at night.
Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Concentrate, helps shore up the skin’s defences against UV exposure, stress, environmental damage and pollution. Dr. LeWinn’s Line Smoothing Complex Serum, is another easily absorbed formula that helps tone and hydrate the skin. For a complete anti-wrinkle treatment, try Clinique’s Repairwear Deep Wrinkle Concentrate for Face and Eye.
3. Rub in a cream
Skin cells are programmed to react to the information they receive through a complex system of sensors,” explains Lise. “During the day, the skin’s main function is to defend and protect itself. At night, different sensors are at work and clean up any damage from the day.” She says that while the cells are at war during the day, armistice is declared at night so the skin can repair and maintain itself. “The reason you use a cream that’s boosted with enzymes and antioxidants at night is to give the skin a helping hand. And if the night’s work is done more efficiently, the skin is better able to protect itself the next day.
Estée Lauder’s Resilience Lift Extreme OverNight Ultra Firming Creme, is specifically designed for women going through mid-life changes, when the skin loses elasticity and barrier function becomes depleted. The cream contains a cocktail of antioxidants to energise the skin, and help tone and plump it. Avon’s Anew Ultimate Night Transforming Lift Cream, is formulated to lift and tone the skin. It glides on and hydrates the skin effectively. L’Oréal Paris Dermo-Expertise Revitalift Night, contains anti-wrinkle fighters such as Pro-Retinol A (a vitamin-A derivative that helps improve the appearance of fine lines) and a substance the company calls Bio-Vityl, a combination of amino acids, sugars and vitamins that’s designed to stimulate the cell’s metabolic processes.
4. Add in a treatment
Most women massage night cream over their eyes and lips, but it’s a good idea to treat these delicate areas with a cosmetic formulation that’s specifically designed for them. SK-II’s Eye Treatment Film, is a hydrating, all-round eye treatment that’s designed to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and prevent dark circles and bags. If you’re after a reduction in the creepy little lines around your eyes, try Biotherm’s Anti-Rides Line Peel Yeux, which helps stimulate the skin’s own desquamation process to produce smoother, more luminous skin. One of the most luxurious and easy to use lip treatments available is La Prairie’s Age Management Stimulus Complex Lip Repair. It delivers bio-active retinol to help manage the signs of ageing, an AHA complex to slough away dry flakes of skin, and co-enzyme Q10 and green tea to bolster antioxidants.