Evening Skincare

A clean fresh face, free from gunk is something I look forward to the most as the day ends. The most frequently suggested beauty advise by anyone who is anyone in the beauty world is “Never Sleep With Your Makeup On!”. It seems like a punishment on nights when I may come back late, or too tired or too full, but I drag myself to the bathroom nevertheless and get on with my beauty ritual.

To avoid any conflicts with the routine, I wash and cleanse and get it done as soon as I come back home. That not only makes sure that I will no longer be calling it a day with a full face of makeup and sunscreen, I would also not carry all the pollution and unspeakable grime on my face, longer than necessary!

I had put up a post on my morning routine sometime back which you can read here, and you should take a look at that as two key things in the evening routine are a carried over from morning.

Before we get on with the actual process, I want to point out a few things that I follow, A) I use small clean white towels for the face and keep them separately; B) change pillow covers every two days or sooner and keep them white too, so I know when they need to be washed. C) clean my brushes every week and keep clean ones as a backup. These have helped with my skin tremendously and are important but usually overlooked part of any skin care routine. Cleanliness of all kind is key to keeping your skin in good condition and with that, half the battle is already won.

1. Cleansing : This is a two step process in the evening. My humongous bottle of the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil gets into action. I clean my hands, dry them, take two pumps of this oil and massage it gently all over the face and neck, including the eyes. It never stings, or irritates, even when I may have sores on the face or lips. I then wet my hands and run it over the oil and it emulsifies, which I then wash off with warm water. There are a lot of balms and oils in the market, for every budget, but this one is the original and in my opinion still among the best!

This is followed by what is popularly called “The Double Cleanse” which I love! I have been using the Pai Camellia and Rose hydrating cleanser for the past few weeks as my skin has been drier than it was in peak summer. I have spoken about the cleanser here. Sometimes I use the Pai cleanser on its own to remove makeup and I have found it be very effective in doing so. I apply it over dry face and massage it through my eyes and face and wash off. It removes makeup completely.

2. Treatment : This step which I would normally skip in the mornings is essential for me in the evening. For spots, I have the Clinique Anti Blemish gel which is by all means wonderful. I have been very devoted to facial oils for more than a year now and switch them up for summer and winter. Right now I have been using the Pai Rosehip oil which is great for dehydrated and blemish prone skin. It works on spots and scars and also amply hydrates without being too oily. Its a light oil, great for summer and one that does all kinds of jobs!

3. Eye Cream : My eye cream for evenings is something thick and creamy as opposed to the gel I use in the morning. I have been using the Kiehl’s Avocado eye treatment all of this year and its definitely and easily my favorite eye cream of all times. Its a tad too rich for summer days so I wear it at night and in winter both day and night. Its a bit sticky so needs a lot of massaging to get absorbed but plumps up the skin like no other!

4. Moisturizing : For night when its hot and I don’t want to slap oil on an already steaming face, I use my favorite Clarins Hydra Quench cream. Its cooling, light, and very moisturizing at the same time and works perfectly! I have written odes to this one here. this is also the only moisturizer I am using for both day and night.

5. Exfoliation : I usually exfoliate twice a week, with a gap of three days between each. I always follow it up with a cleansing mask and a hydrating mask if my skin feels too sore. I have been loving the REN Micro Polish Cleanser, REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask and The Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask for the purpose. I have a detailed post coming up on that former as it has a bit of a story to it!

There is no denying how important a role healthy eating, proper sleep and exercise play in achieving and maintaining good skin and health. Unhealthy habits can very easily undo all that the beauty routine may have achieved.

I’d love to know how you treat your skin in the evening. What are your go to products ? Let me Know! :-)