Should I wash off my night cream before going to bed?

Under no circumstances should night cream be applied immediately before bed, otherwise you will wake up in the morning with swelling. This is especially true for eye cream.

Night cream is ideally applied an hour and a half before bedtime, but it can be done earlier. The time depends on when you remove makeup or just wash your face in the evening. We washed our face and wiped our face with toner to remove any remaining dirt and cleanser. The tonic also helps the skin absorb the cream better, so you shouldn’t skip this stage of care. Then they applied the night cream, it is advisable to do this along the massage lines with your fingertips, being careful not to unnecessarily stretch the skin.

If your skin is very shiny before bed, then you have gone too far with the night cream. Be sure to blot off the excess with a paper napkin, otherwise the skin will not breathe well, and the excess ballast will slow down its renewal.

Those who advise against using night cream at all are not entirely right. If you have young and healthy skin, then you can avoid using night products until you are thirty. But after 30, the skin needs additional nutrition and hydration; it cannot cope on its own. And if there are any problems (dryness, peeling, acne and pimples), then a night cream, properly selected, will help care for even very young skin and will not overload it.

I myself have oily and problematic skin and have not used night creams for a long time, because... I was afraid that they would clog my pores and I would wake up with new pimples. After washing my face, my skin felt tight, and in the morning I got up with an oily face, but flaky after washing. Horror, in short!

But as soon as I found my ideal cream and began using it not only during the day, but also at night, I immediately noticed improvements. Even if my skin is slightly shiny before going to bed, in the morning I get up with a matte and smooth face. And dryness also causes wrinkles to appear, so I recommend everyone not to neglect night cream.

We don’t expect incredible miracles from a face cream, but it should still work: moisturize, nourish, fight fine wrinkles and make the skin more elastic. Often, even the highest quality cream with an excellent composition does not work if you use it incorrectly. Find out what the most common mistakes most of us make when applying the product - and the cream itself is not to blame!

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Not cleansing your skin enough before applying

We have no doubt that you are aware of how to cleanse your skin, but often simply washing with water or even foam is not enough. Sometimes our pores are clogged so deep that it's not even noticeable. The problem can be solved simply: after washing, wipe your skin with micellar water. You will be surprised when you see that the cotton pad is dirty again! For the cream to be effective, you need to use it only on thoroughly cleansed, or even better, lightly steamed skin.

You use cold cream

Many of us store creams in the refrigerator (unless the label says not to), and there is nothing wrong with that - this way the product will actually last longer. But there is no point in applying cold cream to your face - the components seem to be “frozen”, and their effectiveness decreases several times.

An hour before using the product, be sure to take it out of the refrigerator, or even better, warm it up slightly with your fingers before applying to activate the formula.

Scoop the cream out of the jar with your fingers

This rule applies primarily to organic cosmetics that do not contain preservatives. It is better not to get your fingers into such creams, if they are packaged in a jar and not a tube - bacteria from our hands enter into a chemical reaction with the components of the cream, changing its original composition. Therefore, use a special spatula when scooping the cream.

You do not apply the cream along the massage lines

How your cream will work depends not only on its composition, but also on the method of application. If you simply rub the product over your face with active, chaotic movements, don’t expect any special effect - except that you will stretch the skin. There are special massage lines along which you need to distribute the cream with light movements using your fingertips.

Every evening and morning, do a facial massage (it will take no more than a minute) - the movements should be from the center to the periphery. That is, start applying the product with both hands from the middle of the forehead to the temples, from the nose to the earlobes, from the middle of the chin to the cheekbones.

Use night cream 5 minutes before bedtime

I applied the cream and immediately went to bed, does that sound familiar? Well, of course, it says “night” on the jar of cream! But this does not mean at all that immediately after using the product you need to press your cheek to the pillow, wiping the entire composition on the pillowcase. Before going to bed, let the cream absorb and work - apply it at least 40 minutes before bedtime.

Don't wash off the night cream

In the morning, you should not feel the presence of night cream on your face - if the skin is still oily and the cream has not been absorbed, then you need to either change the product or apply it in a thinner layer. If in any case you find remnants of the night product, it means that washing with water alone will not be enough - use a soft foam or gel.

Use day cream immediately before going outside

Another common mistake is to apply cream immediately before going outside, when the skin is still oily and attracts all the fine dust. It would be correct to use day cream an hour before you leave the house - after this time, you can safely blot off the remaining product with a napkin, because the skin has already absorbed all the substances it needs.

Using nourishing cream too often

A nourishing cream should definitely be in your cosmetic bag, but even the most expensive and high-quality product can cause harm if used too often. Apply nourishing cream 2-3 times a week, and the rest of the time use a regular moisturizer. Otherwise, you will simply spoil your skin - it will get used to abundant nutrition and protection, and then it will stop producing the necessary substances itself and will lose its natural immunity.

Apply the cream in a thick layer

Another common mistake that ruins all your efforts is applying the cream too thickly. This is exactly the case when generosity is inappropriate. Your skin needs as much cream as it can absorb! If a film remains on the face, then the pores are simply blocked from oxygen, the skin does not breathe, which can cause its premature aging.

You haven’t changed your care for years

Even if you find your favorite cream that suits your skin perfectly, this does not mean that you can use it for years. The fact is that our skin very quickly gets used to any influences, and the active ingredients contained in cosmetics stop working.

To prevent this from happening, once every 2-3 months give your skin a break from any “complex” products - no hyaluronic acid or vitamin cocktails for a week! The skin also needs a “diet” in order to begin to absorb nutrients again. During this time, just switch to the simplest baby cream, and then you can return to your favorite products.

There are many ways to deal with problem skin, but which ones exactly? What not to do if you want clear skin? We will tell you about 11 things that you should never do at night to have clear skin.

1. Don't go to bed with makeup on.

Yes, we all know about this. Fortunately, nowadays, removing makeup is as easy as shelling pears, because now there are different wipes, tonics and other products. Choose what you like best and go ahead.

2. Don't forget to wash your face

If you think that you can’t wash your face because you didn’t put on makeup, then this is not true at all. Even if you didn't wear makeup today, it's still important to cleanse your face before going to bed.

3. Don't neglect exfoliation

You already understand the importance of removing makeup and washing your face, but there is one more procedure that you need to remember, namely exfoliation. It needs to be done twice a week. This is key in the fight against acne, because, according to dermatologists, dead cells clog pores and create an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Just don't overdo it.

4. Don't forget about moisturizer

If you have oily, problematic skin, then you simply need a moisturizer. Not regularly moisturizing your skin can lead to acne. If you're worried about clogged pores, use something light and oil-free.

5. Don't neglect acne treatments

You will be surprised at what you can achieve with a good acne treatment. Some prefer benzoyl peroxide, others prefer salicylic acid, but even hydrocortisone ointment works wonders!

6. Try to touch your face as little as possible

After you have washed your face, stop touching your face. You don't want to waste all your efforts.

7. Don't sleep on a dirty pillowcase

It is very important to change your pillowcase regularly, especially if you have acne-prone skin, as dirt and flaky skin accumulate on it.

8. Don't sleep on dirty hair

Dirty hair and problem skin don't go well together. Nowadays it is fashionable to wash your hair less often, but this is bad for the skin, especially if you have long hair. Keep your hair clean - well, if you prefer to wash your hair less often, then try to put it in a ponytail.

9. Don't eat a lot of sweets

Sugar is the enemy of clear skin. According to doctors, too much sugar can lead to increased insulin levels in the blood, which in turn increases fat production and leads to clogged hair follicles.

10. Don't abuse alcohol

Unfortunately, alcohol contains a lot of sugar, which means it also harms our skin. Alcohol dehydrates the body and destroys the cells responsible for detoxifying the body.

11. Don't stay up late

Last but not least, go to bed early. Lack of sleep leads to acne.