Effective Tips for Selecting a Night Time Skin Care Product

One of the fundamental things to understand about the difference between morning and evening skincare routine is the fact that while your morning routine is largely about the protection of skin and prevention of any damage from sun exposure and environmental factors, your evening routine is about repair and restoration of the health of your skin. Like much of your body, your skin too naturally repairs itself in the night while you sleep. A good night time skin care routine goes a long way in helping the natural repair and restore process of your skin.

Know your skin care ingredients:

Before we jump into what skin care product is great for your specific skin type, it pays to understand the exact function of the various skin care ingredients.

1. Antioxidants: These reduce oxidative stress on your skin and also increase collagen synthesis. These features help control the melanin formation in your skin and also help decrease the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. The most common antioxidant for skin care is vitamin c derivatives. There are also other lesser-known but equally effective anti-oxidants like glutathione, niacinamide, etc.
2. Collagen Boosters: These are ingredients that encourage cellular turnover and stimulate collagen and elastin production in your skin. Collagen is a protein that helps keep your skin elastic and supple and hence staves off wrinkles. The most common collagen boosters are retinoids which are nothing but derivatives of vitamin A.
3. Moisture Penetrating Agents: These are ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid or Lecithin which can hold a large quantity of moisture and help it penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and hence effectively making the skin more hydrated and supple.
4. Barrier Improvement Agents: Ingredients like Ceramides and Lanolin improve the barrier function of the skin and thus reduce trans-epidermal water loss.
5. Humectants: These are ingredients like Glycerine, PCA, etc. which help attract moisture to the upper layer of skin from the deeper layers and also the atmosphere.
6. Emollients and Anti-inflammatories: These are ingredients like squalene that help soothe the skin and reduce any inflammation.

Sounds complicated. What will work for me?

Skin care routine should be based on the type of skin you have and its current state. So when I suggest night time creams or serums to my patients it is largely based on the following thoughts.

1. If you have dry skin: It goes without saying that the first thing to consider would be a great moisturizer. You will need a moisturizer that is generally thicker in consistency which improves the barrier function of your skin and prevents any moisture loss. In addition the moisturizer should have ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid which provides for deeper moisture penetration. It also goes without saying that you will need to limit the usage of both antioxidants and retinoids to much milder strength of cream or serum and also at the same time control the amount of time for which these are kept on. Lastly, you may need for your moisturizer to have anti-inflammatory properties which will soothe your skin after exposure to any active skin care ingredients.
2. If you have oily skin or combination skin: In this case, you should ensure that you use only non-comedogenic products which do not block your pores and give rise to acne. Also, you can afford to use higher-strength serums or creams with both antioxidants and retinoids.

3. Aged Skin: Your night time skin care products should have focus on collagen and elastin regeneration. Hence products that are based on retinoids and peptides which boost protein regeneration are your best bet. In addition, I cannot emphasize enough the use of a great moisturizer rich on both Hyaluronic Acid and also Humectants.

4. Pigmented / Patchy Skin: Your skin care product should focus on the control and reduction of melanin generation. Hence your skin care product should be rich in anti-oxidants like vitamin C or glutathione and also have other active ingredients like glycolic acid which also help even out skin pigmentation.

Does it matter if it is a cream or a serum?

While serums have been pitched as concentrated versions that are more effective, this claim is largely untrue. A serum or a cream is only a delivery mechanism. Serums do have a better rate of absorption and come with the added advantage that they are largely non-comedogenic. I would recommend not paying specific attention to this fact and instead follow your dermatologist’s advice in terms of the selection of skin care products and also their application period and frequency.

In conclusion, there is no one size fits all elixir that will help you restore the health of your skin overnight. And while the selection of a night time skin care serum or cream based on your skin type is important; it is more important to ensure that they are applied correctly and consistently.

Disclaimer:

The objective of this article is to educate the reader and help them make wiser choices under the guidance of a trained dermatologist. It is not meant to be used by patients for self-diagnosis or for avoiding proper medical treatment. The images used in the above blog are only for visual representation purposes. Actual procedures and results may vary from patient to patient.

About Dr. Sejal Saheta and InUrSkn:

Built on more than a decade of experience of Dr. Sejal Saheta, we are an honest and affordable skin and hair care clinic in Powai, Mumbai. Our goal is to make each patient comfortable and happy with their appearance with the least amount of intervention.

Dr. Sejal Saheta has dual degrees of MD and DNB in dermatology and venereology and has worked alongside some of the senior-most doctors at the largest hospitals in Mumbai.

Located in Powai, InUrSkn is the largest skin and hair clinic in the central suburbs of Mumbai and offers the latest technology in the safety of world-class infrastructure.

We are happy to be a part of your journey to reach your health goals. If you think we have been able to help you, please do review us:

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How can Dr. Sejal and InUrSkn help?

No matter what your skin and hair needs, Dr Sejal Saheta ensures personal attention to each patient and creates customized and scientifically-backed treatment plans for each patient. Through her years of experience and use of technology at her clinic (InUrSkn – Skin and Hair Clinic) located in Powai, Mumbai, she has been able to consistently deliver great results in the field of dermatology and trichology to thousands of patients. All of the above is done with the best-in-class machines within the comfort and safety of world-class infrastructure.