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Easy 4-step nighttime winter skincare routine to avoid dry skin this fall
Skincare CEO Natasha Dauncey has offered her top tips for switching up your nighttime skincare routine for winter, suggesting you should prioritize hydration, rest, and recovery.
Though the competency Gen-Alpha influencers suggest differently, understanding the science behind skincare is an increasingly difficult task. Not only are ingredients confusing to a skincare newbie, but they are often a mile long.
Naturally, most people turn to the internet which is rife with potentially dangerous trends like sunburning. As with most things, it’s important to pick your experts wisely.
Natasha Dauncey, the visionary behind the skin-health-enhancing brand Apothaka, shared her thoughts on the perfect nighttime winter routine with The Focus. You’ll have Instagram-worthy skin in no time!
Cleanse the day’s sins away
Though diet, health, and supplements can be just as effective as a good toner, once figured out, a solid skincare routine is little work for maximum effect.
The first step to any skincare routine is cleansing, and no, that doesn’t mean you get out your handy pack of barrier-stripping makeup wipes. Instead, Natasha recommends the tried and true double cleanse method.
“At night, double cleansing is recommended by some skin experts to ensure all traces of makeup, sunscreen, and daily grime are removed, however, I dont believe this should be a blanket rule for everyone,” she said, suggesting that it would depend on how much makeup you use and how dirty your face is.
With so many products on the market, double cleansing aficionados often employ both an oil-based cleanser, which strips makeup and impurities, and then a water-based cleanser. Natasha’s brand Apothaka offers a range of such products.
Cleansing should be done for no longer than a minute, but be cautious about over-cleansing if you have particularly dry skin.
It’s time to tackle those nighttime skincare problem areas
After months of sun exposure, which hopefully you wore sunscreen for, you’re probably wanting a heavy-duty active to tackle those issues.
“As skin is in repair mode at night, this is a good time to build in ingredients for hydration and barrier health: two of my favorites are niacinamide (vitamin B3) and ceramides,” Natasha told us.
Niacinamide is a sort of holy grail skincare active that is capable of enhancing your skin’s ability to retain moisture, reduce acne breakouts, even your skin tone, and reduce signs of aging. Meanwhile, ceramides help to form a protective layer on your face and reduce Transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
Natasha further noted: “This is also a good time to build in other activities like a retinoid (e.g. retinol or retinal) if youre looking for something with ‘healthy aging’ benefits. Retinoids will help to regulate skin cell turnover, smoothing and improving the appearance of the skin over time, as well as unclogging pores so theyre quite a good all-around choice (especially for anyone over the age of 25-30+).”
A word of warning, though, as Retinoids are strong chemicals and can damage your skin if used incorrectly. Never use them before sun exposure, and consider applying them after your moisturizer if you have particularly sensitive skin.
Added extras are fun, but not vital
Though not strictly mandatory in your winter nighttime skincare routine, an eye cream could help you fight away the visible stress of work and sleepless nights.
“In this case, it can be helpful to use a dedicated eye product, but its not a must have for a lot of people!” Natasha explained. “Just bear in mind that the skin around the eye is much thinner and delicate, so its important not to use anything too heavy which could weigh the skin down.”
The same company that makes the viral snail slime also makes an eye cream, so that could be in the running for your skincare arsenal.
Another consideration might be a facemask or two, and while you could splash out on an expensive brand, TikTok is brimming with DIY facemask opportunities.
Hydration is the aim of your nighttime skincare game
Whether you choose a highly acclaimed Korean skincare or a budget brand, moisturizing is by far the most important step of your daily skincare routine. It helps to lock in all your hard work from above, while also encouraging clearer and more even skin.
Natasha said: “You may want a more nourishing/occlusive moisturizer at night when the skin is more likely to lose water (look for something that contains more occlusive ingredients such as dimethicone, like comforting moisturizer and/or mineral oil).”
For an added pump of vitality, you might consider mixing facial oil with your moisturizer before application.
