Night Routines – What I use and why.

As discussed in my morning routines post, I try to tailor my routines around specific ingredients and my skins needs as well as wants.

So my primary areas of focus are on keeping ageing at bay whilst trying to improve skin tone and texture and also help my skin maintain a healthy cell turnover rate without stressing my skin.  I do this by using serums , acids and occasional derma rolling.

As we age our cell turnover is more sluggish and can benefit from exfoliation, not over exfoliating is absolutely key. I have spent a long time with my skin and am aware of when I am stimulating versus damaging , so whilst it can look like I use a lot ( which I do) my skin is never left looking flushed or red and never feels tight or tender .

The most important thing is to listen to your skin and become familiar with it when its feeling its best so that you can monitor any changes and act accordingly . Remember to treat your skin with the same love and care you would treat anything else that you love. Immediate results are always the dream but annoying as it is , slow and steady does indeed win the race.

I will now show you 3 of the different routines I do throughout the week.

So as you can see I’m focusing on acids in this routine my p.m routines always focus on a double cleanse to remove every trace of makeup and spf so that I can begin with a clean and well prepped canvas  . I then move onto acid toning , presently I’m using Biologique Recherché PIGM 400 to focus on pigmentation. I like to follow with a hydrating serum before applying my eye cream and then straight on to a gentle exfoliating serum which is lactic acid based as I find that better on my drier skin. All of this is finished of with a moisturiser . This routine finds me waking up with hydrated and glowing skin.

As you can see double cleansing is always key as is a hydrating serum and on these nights I’ve recently begun to add a niacinamide product so far I’m enjoying the addition. Now on nights when I use a derma roller it is at this stage and then I apply my retinol immediately after as I hope to aid that in penetrating slightly deeper , my derma roller is titanium needles at 0.25 mm which I sterilise before and after use. Next step is eye cream followed by a moisturiser then a few drops of rosehip oil massaged in gently . My skin upon waking looks refreshed and even and feels deeply nourished due to the addition of the oil.

I reach for this kind of routine when I want to revel in all sensory joy. From the textures to the aromas and the desire to massage my face into oblivion this is what I reach for , or perhaps I feel my skin has had enough of traditional active ingredients and just want to slow it all down and nurture my skin then this is where I’ll  go,  and now that I have a oil that includes retinol and vitamin c I can still acknowledge my ageing fears without it feeling obvious .

So there you have it my thinking on a nightly basis .

I also prepare my routine photos  2 weeks in advance for Instagram and also so that I can be sure I’m being consistent with core ingredients and using regularly enough to both see results and conclude if my routine needs more refinement. If after a month my skin doesn’t appear to be benefitting from my skincare cocktails I go back to the drawing board. The ingredients I focus on don’t change only the type or place in the routine itself.

Please don’t forget that its the ingredients that matter not the price or brand of the product. Also what works for me on my dry skin in my 40’s may not work or be necessary or  even suitable for your skin type or at your age.

Thank you so much for reading , I do hope you enjoyed and subscribed.

If you have any questions or thoughts please share them with me in the comments.

Lots of Love

Genaya xxx