While we don’t recommend sleeping for 100 years, Sleeping Beauty was certainly on to something when it came to getting enough shut-eye to keep her skin, well, beautiful. While we rest, our body goes into repair mode, accelerating cell turnover and counteracting damage from environmental aggressors, like UV rays and pollution, that we meet throughout the day. It makes sense, then, to supply our skin with everything it needs to do its job during those critical nighttime hours.
“Your skin’s natural restorative process switches on every night, so it’s essential to choose products that help you address its needs,” explains Laura Cline, Youth To The People’s Senior Director of Product Development + Education, adding that locking in moisture is the ultimate secret sauce here. “We tend to have more transepidermal water loss at night, so we need to use formulas that are big on hydration to protect our skin while it works—and that’s the case, whatever your bigger picture skin goals might be.”
The right PM moisturizer will also prevent more active ingredients (like AHAs, BHAs, and retinol,) from drying out your skin too much, along with balancing out excess oil production for those among us with combination skin.
“You can use a different moisturizer every night, customizing your routine according to your skin each day, But if you’re on the more sensitive side, or are acne-prone, keeping things streamlined is likely to be more beneficial,” continues Cline.
Read on for her simple guide to selecting the best nighttime formula for achieving fairy tale-worthy skin while you sleep.
IF YOU HAVE THIS: Redness and irritation
TRY THAT: “The Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream. It contains ashwagandha and pro-grade peptides which work in tandem to calm redness and reduce inflammation.”
IF YOU HAVE THIS: Dehydrated, flaky skin
TRY THAT: “Flakiness means your skin won’t absorb moisturizer as well. Use the Kombucha + 11% AHA Exfoliation Power Toner to slough off dead skin cells a few nights a week, and then reach for the Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Oil to seal it in.”
IF YOU HAVE THIS: Fine lines and wrinkles
TRY THAT: “Partner a retinol underneath the Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask every night.”
IF YOU HAVE THIS: Combination skin
TRY THAT: “Use the Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask two to three times a week, and the Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream the rest of the time—this is a really good example of when you can switch it up.”
IF YOU HAVE THIS: Acne-prone
TRY THAT: “The Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream is super lightweight, and will calm inflammation while delivering targeted hydration. Not moisturizing when you have acne can leave your skin cells really dehydrated, creating more dead skin cells, and thus congestion and blemishes.”
IF YOU HAVE THIS: Hormonal breakout
TRY THAT: “Less is more. Cleanse thoroughly, assist cell turnover with some light exfoliation, use the Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream, and consider an overnight spot treatment.”
IF YOU HAVE THIS: Dull and lackluster skin
TRY THAT: “The Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask is packed with vitamin C and lots of antioxidants to help skin regain a radiant glow.”
IF YOU HAVE THIS: Red-eye flight
TRY THAT: “Slather on the Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream. It works against environmental stressors, helping your skin adapt to all the air changes.”
IF YOU HAVE THIS: Too much sun
TRY THAT: “The sun and wind are external irritants, so the Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream is your best bet here. It’s ultra hydrating and combats potential sun damage, without clogging pores.”
Written by Elsa de Berker for Youth To The People