Why Night Creams Are An Important Part Of Your Skincare Routine

If you slack on your skincare routine at night, you are doing (major) injustice to your skin. Guess why Aurora is known as the "sleeping beauty"? Her top-notch skincare routine which she did before she entered dreamland. Your skin works hard while you sleep, which is why you need to assist it to achieve the best skin possible. Having a simple yet effective night time routine is crucial not only for your skin but also helps you calm your nerves and winds you down for a good night's rest. Guess fairy tales do come to life (in a way)!

What happens to your body as you sleep?

Your body switches to repair mode as soon as you fall asleep.

Your skin (just like any other part of your body) renews itself almost 3 times faster while you sleep. As the dark hours kick in and you start to get a little sleepy, your skin starts to wind down too. This happens at around 9 pm. Following this, 9-11 pm, also known as the " evening phase" is the time frame when your skin is the most absorbent to topical products. Additionally, this is the time when DNA repair functions at its maximum.

How does your skin know what to do at different times of the day?

The circadian rhythm is the natural biological cycle of your body which runs about in a period of 24 hours. Also known as the sleep-wake cycle, it determines the peak hours of sleepiness and wakefulness. The circadian rhythm is chiefly regulated by the hormone secreted by the pineal gland, also known as melatonin. The level of melatonin in your body steeply increases at night, while the levels are low during daylight hours. Light exposure of any kind has the major ability to decrease the level of melatonin in your body, and as soon as that happens, you are less likely to fall asleep. If you've ever wondered why you can't fall asleep while you're constantly scrolling your screen at night, this is the reason. In addition to regulating the biological clock of your body, melatonin can increase hair growth, decrease UV induced damage, increase wound healing, and decelerate the growth of tumours.

Along with melatonin, your body experiences the rise of another hormone during the late-night hours. This hormone, also known as the human growth hormone increases and boosts the repair and regeneration cycle of the cells in your body. This hormone increases between the hours of 11 pm and 4 am.

Unfortunately, by the time the clock hits 4 am, skin's permeability also increases. This means that because of an increase in transepidermal water loss, you are more prone to wake up with an inflamed barrier and dry skin. This also increases the risk/ occurrence of pruritus (itching) and atopic dermatitis.

Why do these hormones affect your skin?

Your skin has specific "circadian clock genes", which control transdermal water loss, cellular turnover, and skin blood flow.

How do you master your skincare routine at night?

The first step would be getting adequate sleep. You should aim for at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep. You should be in bed by almost 10 pm (if you can help it) and any screen should be far away from you. The next step would be to ace your skincare routine. This includes gentle yet thorough cleansing to detoxify your skin, supply it with adequate hydration, and include specific topical treatments that aid in repair and rejuvenation.

What role do night creams play?

Night creams can be an absolute boon to your existence when it comes to improving and mastering your skincare routine. Night creams are practically formulations that usually incorporate ingredients that help in the repair and regeneration mentioned above. Additionally, they also contain actives like hyaluronic acid (which boosts hydration) and retinol (which increases cellular turnover and collagen production) thus eliminating the need for any additional serums. They simplify your routine, and help you get the most out of your bucks! A day cream simply can not replace the one that you ought to apply at night.