Skin is more receptive to the ingredients in your skincare products when they are used at the RIGHT TIME. Here’s how to maximize your A.M. and P.M. routines.
Your skin’s needs vary from morning to night and from day to day. The reason? Circadian Rhythm.
The circadian rhythm is basically a 24-hour internal clock. It’s a natural process that triggers and regulates the sleep-wake cycle. “These triggers allow your body to fluctuate between cycles of sleepiness and alertness” says New York dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss.
Skin also has a corresponding internal clock. “The individual skin cells have their own circadian rhythms that are affected by day and night and the different hormones in our bodies.” says Nancy Pellegrino, R.N.
Here’s how you can make the cycle work in your skin’s favor.
Daytime: think of your skin as a nocturnal animal, Pellegrino says. While the sun is out it’s in “rest mode”. During the day your body is busy supplying the energy you need to keep moving. Your skin takes a back seat. But it does have one priority and that is to protect itself from UV rays, pollution and blue light. “However, I do believe that you can intervene and add another layer of protection by applying Vitamin C and more importantly, a good coat of spf. And, the sunscreen that comes in your makeup is not enough.” says Tammy Gilbert, ME CDT.
Nighttime: It’s the perfect time to use your “corrective” products such as peptides, Vitamin A, retinoids, etc. At night your body goes into rest mode so it’s the perfect time to repair your skin. “Skin cells proliferate most around midnight, so that’s the best time to jump-start the skin’s regeneration phase and apply a product like retinol to help boost collagen production,” Dr. Idriss says. Retinoids speed up skin-cell turnover.
