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Your skin is the largest organ in your body, working 24/7.
Morning and night each demand different things from your skin, so it’s best to respond with morning and night skincare routines that meet all of the challenges and opportunities the day and night present.
Daytime is when your skin is in defense mode and you need to protect it from all kinds of environmental aggressors including the sun’s UV rays, environmental toxins, heat, sweat and dirt. If left unchecked, exposure can lead to anything from skin damage to acne and wrinkles – and in some cases, skin cancer.
At night, your skin shifts from protect mode into repair mode. Levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, are reduced during sleep so your skin has a chance to mend the damage from the day. Plus, human growth hormone (HGH) and melatonin production are boosted during sleep, which accelerate your skin’s regeneration abilities and the production of antioxidant enzymes to help protect your skin’s surface from free radical damage.
These processes, in combination with your nighttime skincare routine, provide your skin what it needs to make the most of its repair time overnight. (There’s a reason they call it beauty sleep!)
The basic morning skincare routine should consist of a few steps to provide your skin maximum protection for the day.
It’s extremely important to cleanse your face in the morning. Your bed sheets and pillowcase can pick up oil, bacteria and dust, especially if it’s been a while since you last washed them. Cleansing your face in the morning helps rid your pores of any miniature foreign materials you may have picked up from your bed. If they were visible, you would probably jump out of bed to wash them off, stat!
Include a moisturizer in the morning to set your skin up for the day. The Ultra-Hydrating Moisturizer in the ProactivMD 3-Piece System is an ideal option to help alleviate dryness as it contains hyaluronic acid, which acts like a magnet and draws in water.
Finally, apply a sunscreen SPF 30 or higher to protect your skin from UV rays, (and reapply throughout the day.)
An evening skincare routine is similar to a morning routine, but many of the steps have an extra twist or benefit by being conducted at the end of the day to optimize your skin’s recovery process at night.
Cleansing alone usually won’t remove all your makeup, especially if your makeup is oil-based or layered on. So, you’ll want to use makeup remover, then cleanser. This way, the cleanser is primarily cleaning it rather than being blocked by the makeup sitting on top of it.
Some cleansers also act as exfoliants. Nighttime exfoliation can be important because by removing the dead skin cells built up throughout the day, you’re then able to give the next step of your nighttime routine, the treatments, direct access to your skin for optimal absorption and effectiveness.
If you are using the ProactivMD 3-Piece System, you can then apply the Adapalene Gel, a prescription-strength retinoid-based product (no prescription required) that helps restore an even skin tone by clearing breakouts on a cellular level as it treats and prevents clogged pores.
Finally, you can seal it all in with your Proactiv Ultra-Hydrating Moisturizer so your skin can process the ingredients you’ve applied while you sleep!
Proactiv systems come with multiple products, each an essential step in your skincare routine. Each product includes information on whether it is optimized for morning use, nighttime use, or both. For instance, the Ultra-Gentle Cleanser in the ProactivMD 3-Piece System can be used as a day and night face wash.
For detailed application guidelines and tips for Proactiv systems, see how to use.
Excellent skincare is a day and night affair. That’s why you need a skincare system that includes everything necessary for your morning and night skincare routine. Proactiv offers acne treatment systems that work for day and night, built just for your unique skin.