At the end of a long day, it can be tempting to crawl into bed without giving your skin much thought. But if there’s one habit that can make a noticeable difference over time, it’s having a consistent nightly skincare routine.
And the good news is that it doesn’t have to be complicated.
As a licensed esthetician, I’ve found that a basic nightly skincare routine is one of the simplest ways to care for your skin, especially as we get older. While we sleep, our skin shifts into repair mode, making nighttime the perfect opportunity to cleanse away the day’s makeup, sunscreen, and impurities while replenishing moisture and nourishing your skin with ingredients that support a healthy-looking complexion. Focus on quality over quantity. Your nighttime routine should be simple and consistent, focusing on cleansing, targeted treatments, and moisturizing to support the skin barrier while you sleep.
Whether you’re brand new to skincare or looking to simplify your routine, these are the basic steps I recommend for healthy, radiant skin that ages gracefully.
Basic Nightly Skincare Routine
Did you know that your skin renews itself faster while you sleep? So if you go to bed with a dirty face, then your skin can’t work its magic! Even if you don’t wear makeup, you still need to wash your face EVERY night! Your skin collects oil, sweat, dirt, dust, grime, and pollutants throughout the day. Regardless of whether you wear makeup or not, your skin is still by the end of the day! It’s crucial that you do at least a simple skincare routine nightly if you want healthy skin.
When it comes to skincare, there are a lot of products and techniques out there! But if you want to keep things simple, then stick to these steps:
- Cleanse (first and second cleanse)
- Tone
- Moisturize
That’s it! When you keep things simple, you’re more likely to do it! Following those simple steps will help you have healthy and happy skin.
If you have more time, then you can add in more products like exfoliator, serum, retinol, mask, and eye products. Follow these steps to get glass skin!
Cleanse
After a full day of makeup-wearing, the first thing you want to do in your nightly skincare routine is remove your makeup or the other buildup! You want a fresh face to clean. Just like a hair stylist will tell you that it’s important to wash your hair twice each time you wash your hair, as an aesthetician I’m telling you that you need to double cleanse your face. The first cleanse will remove the makeup and buildup and the second cleanse will really clean your face.
For your first cleanse, use an oil cleanser to wash your face. An oil cleanser will help remove your makeup and clean your pores. Rub in circular motions making sure to clean the nooks and crannies of your face. Be gentle but thorough. Remove the cleanser and your product buildup with a clean microfiber cloth (use a new one each day!).
Next, cleanse your face again! You can use the same oil cleanser or you can use a gel cleanser. Gently rub the cleanser into your face and rinse with the microfiber cloth.
Tone
This step is often neglected in the skin care routine, but it shouldn’t be! Toning helps restore your skin’s natural pH level, reduces redness, refreshes, and acts as a second cleansing process.
There are 3 ways you can apply toner:
- Spritz your face directly with toner and let it air dry.
- Take a cotton pad and spray it a few times with your toner. Then gently rub your face with the cotton pad, making sure to get your whole face.
- Spray your hands with toner and pat it onto your face.
Moisturize
This step is so refreshing! Take a moisturizer and apply it to your face. Dab some of the product all over your face and rub it in thoroughly. Make sure to be gentle under your eyes because this skin is very sensitive.
As part of the moisturizing step, you can also use a specific cream for under your eyes. Learn how the right eye cream can help turn back time!
Basic Morning Skincare Routine
Here’s my tried and true 3-step skincare routine I use before I apply my Olive Rose makeup. It’s simple. It’s quick. It’s easy. It’s effective. And it will leave your skin feeling and looking hydrated and bouncy for your cream makeup.
- Prep
- Protect
- Hydrate
Let’s breakdown what products to use for these 3 steps…
- Prep– Use a toner to restore your skin’s pH and prep your skin for the other skincare products you will be applying. The F11 Facial Toner or the F67 Corrective Facial Tonic (my personal fave) are great ones to use.
- Protect– The F83 HT + Vitamin C Serum is a fantastic serum to use in the morning! It will help hydrate, brighten, and protect your skin.
- Hydrate– As we age, our skin is producing less oil and appears drier. It’s so important to invest in a good moisturizer/face cream that will hydrate our skin! Dry skin enhances fine lines and wrinkles. Hydrated skin helps you look glowy and youthful. My personal favorite face cream is the F42 Corrective Face Cream because it contains natural sun protection from UVA and UVB rays. It also contains tapioca starch so it helps absorb excess oil. That means this face cream won’t leave you looking greasy and oily!
You may also want to consider adding in these steps to your skincare routine as you get great at doing the basics and want to see better results:
- How to Get Smooth Skin: Best Exfoliator for Face
- Face Serum Benefits and Why You Need to Use It
- The Ultimate Guide to Luxe Face Masks
Remember, beautiful skin isn’t created by using dozens of products…it’s built through small, consistent habits repeated day after day.
A basic nightly skincare routine is one of the best investments you can make in your skin because it gives your complexion the hydration and nourishment it needs while you sleep. You don’t need perfection. You simply need consistency.
I’ve never believed the goal is to look younger. I believe the goal is to look like the healthiest, happiest version of yourself at every age. Caring for your skin is one small way to honor the body God has given you and to show yourself the same kindness you so freely give to others.
If you’re not sure which products are right for your skin type, take my Skincare Quiz. I’ll help you build a simple routine that fits your skin’s unique needs so you can feel confident in your skin every day.
Here are some other blog posts you might enjoy:
- The Best Needle-Free Skincare for Aging Gracefully
- Is Oliveda Worth It for Mature Skin? An Honest Guide Before You Buy
- Olive Rose Contour Tutorial: How to Sculpt Without Looking Overdone
- At Home Microneedling for Mature Skin — A Licensed Esthetician’s Complete Guide to the Seranova System
- Sculpt and Renew: How Gua Sha Tools Can Naturally Transform Your Face
About the Author
JoEllen is a licensed aesthetician, certified makeup artist, and certified John Maxwell coach, speaker, and trainer. She works with women helping them look and feel confident. She loves teaching women simple beauty techniques so they can feel empowered to try it at home. Her motto is that when you look and feel good, you do good!
*This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase an item featured in this post, I get a small portion from the sale. Thank you! It does not affect you at all.
