While your morning skincare routine might be great for setting you up for the day, at night-time, skin behaves differently, calling for a tailored evening skincare routine with products and ingredients designed to work with your skin overnight.
Want to create the best night-time skin routine for you? Read on for our top tips and No7 favourites…
Why a night skincare routine is important
During the day, your skin is working hard to counteract the effects of UV rays and defend against things like pollution and other external stressors. That's why SPF and protective ingredients, like vitamin C, are used in morning skincare routines.
At night, your skin goes into repair mode as it tries to recover from the day. This makes it a good time to incorporate certain ingredients into your routine, to support your skin during its natural renewal process. For example, you may choose to use more hydrating and moisturising products, as skin tends to lose more water overnight - a process known as transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A step-by-step guide to your night-time skincare routine
Wondering what order to do your bedtime skincare steps? Here's our step-by-step guide:
Step 1. Remove make-up and/or sunscreen
The first step to any evening skincare routine is to remove make-up (if you're wearing any) and sunscreen (which is important to wear every day to help protect against damage from UV rays). Micellar water and cleansing balms work well at lifting away the first traces of product, grime and impurities.
Try:No7 Cleansing Micellar Cleansing Water
Formulated with No7's Tri-Vit Complex and red ginseng, this cleanser contains micellar particles to draw make-up, impurities away from the skin, removing even waterproof and long-lasting make-up.
Try: No7 Cleansing Balm
Ideal for dry skin, this cleansing balm is enriched with grapeseed oil and vitamins A^^, E^^ and B5. It helps to dissolve away make-up and impurities, leaving skin feeling clean and hydrated** .
Step 2. Cleanse
Now it's time for a second cleanse to thoroughly clean skin and remove any remaining traces of make-up or sunscreen. Find out more about why double cleansing is good for skin. (Link to How to double cleanse your skin' article in progress). Your second cleanser is usually water, gel or cream-based, depending on what works better for your skin type.
Try: No7 Foaming Cleanser for Oily Skin
Cleanse your way to more radiant-looking skin with this light and fresh cleanser that transforms into a soft, creamy foam to leave skin looking clearer and shine-free** .
Try: No7 Derm Solutions™ Calming Gel Cleanser Suitable for Sensitive Skin
Enriched with our Adaptopro Complex™ - a blend of ceramides, niacinamide and adaptogens - this gel-textured cleanser deeply cleans and removes impurities, excess oil and make-up, without drying skin out** .
Try: No7 Derm Solutions™ Comforting Cream Cleanser Suitable for Dry & Sensitive Skin
Formulated to be suitable on dry and sensitive skin, this cream cleanser helps maintain the skin's delicate moisture barrier, leaving your complexion feeling hydrated, calm and comfortable** .
Shop No7's full range of cleansers to find the perfect product for you.
Step 3. Tone
Toning can be a great way to help rebalance skin and prepare it for your serums and moisturisers. Read more about the benefits of a toner and how to use them in your routine.
Try: No7 Toning Water for All Skin Types
This multi-tasking toning water helps prepare the skin after cleansing while reducing the appearance of pores, for a clear and more even-looking complexion** . The result is skin that feels soft and revitalised.
Shop more No7 toners here
Step 4. Night serum
Upgrade your three-step cleanse, tone and moisturise routine by adding a serum into the mix. Serums are typically thinner than moisturisers which can help the formulation/formula absorb more easily, so they're often enriched with skin-loving ingredients. Learn more about how to apply serum and what their benefits are.
Try: No7 Pure Retinol 0.3% Retinol Night Concentrate
Featuring 0.3% pure retinol this night concentrate helps improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, uneven pigmentation and refines the appearance of pores**. Start off by using it one to two times a week on non-consecutive nights until your skin builds up tolerance. Plus, make sure to use an SPF like No7 Future Renew™ DAMAGE PROTECTION Defence Shield SPF50 during the daytime, as retinol can make your skin more sensitive to the sun's UV rays.
Try: No7 Future Renew™ DAMAGE REVERSAL Night Serum
With Night-Active Pepticology™ - combining No7's world-first peptide blend with circadian rhythm technology - this serum is expertly developed to reverse visible signs of skin damage* at night, when the skin's natural repair process is at its peak.
Find even more No7 serums here.
Step 5. Eye cream
While it might be tempting to use your regular moisturiser around your eyes, the skin there is thinner than the rest of your face; consider using an eye cream specifically designed to look after this delicate area.
There are plenty more eye creams to choose from No7's range.
Step 6. Night cream
Finish off your routine with a night cream. These are moisturisers which are often thicker than day creams to help create a protective barrier over your face which can help reduce water loss overnight. Many contain active ingredients to work with your skin as you sleep and promote radiant-looking skin come morning.
Try: No7 Future Renew™ Damage Reversal Night Cream
Reverses visible signs of skin damage while you sleep^. This indulgent night cream leaves skin feeling deeply moisturised from the first use**. Moisturising for 72 hours***, this night cream leaves skin looking brighter and feeling softer and smoother**.
Try: No7 HydraLuminous+ Night Cream
Wake up to hydrated, refreshed and radiant-looking skin** thanks to this luxuriously rich cream. Enriched with hyaluronic acid^^ and niacinamide, this night cream provides instant and long-lasting hydration.
Shop now
Shop the full range of No7 night creams.
Top tips for supporting your night-time skincare routine
Once you've got the basics of your night-time skincare routine down, you could incorporate extras like a weekly face mask, such as the No7 HydraLuminous+ Mask to intensely hydrate skin. Use this after cleansing the skin. If rinsing off, apply before toning; otherwise, use before moisturizing. (unless you're leaving it on overnight, in which case moisturiser isn't needed).
And remember, it's not just about skincare! Looking after your skin starts with taking care of your wellbeing from the inside by:
Eating a healthy and balanced diet
Drinking plenty of water every day to help you stay hydrated
Staying active and getting your body moving through regular exercise
Getting enough sleep and trying to reduce levels of everyday stress
FAQs
What's the correct night-time skincare order?
Want to nail your night-time skin routine? Here's the order to do your bedtime skincare steps:
1. Make-up remover
2. Cleanser
3. Toner
4. Serum, mask or retinol
5. Eye cream
6. Night cream
When should I apply eye cream?
Eye cream should be applied after cleansing, toning and using any serums, masks or retinol on your skin. After applying eye cream, you should follow with a night cream for the rest of your face.
How often should I exfoliate at night?
When exfoliation is done right, it can help reveal brighter and more even-looking skin as dead skin cells are removed. However, it's important not to over-exfoliate, as this can cause your skin to become irritated.
With any new exfoliating product, you should introduce it into your routine gradually. Then you can increase to however often your chosen product is recommended to be used per week.
As a general rule, you shouldn't use more than one exfoliating product at a time. You should also make sure to use an SPF during the daytime since exfoliating can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Most importantly, listen to your skin and do what feels right for you.
Is night cream necessary?
Night creams tend to be thicker and richer than day creams to help keep your skin hydrated overnight. While there's no rule against using a day cream in your evening routine, night creams are often packed with ingredients and actives designed to support your skin's natural overnight repair process.
*Clinical study. Expert grading of the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, evenness of skin tone and texture, radiance and firmness.
**Consumer study.
***Instrumental study
^Consumer study. Users saw a reversal in appearance of dryness and uneven texture and the feel of lost firmness.
^^Derivative of.
