Day vs Night Skincare: What Does This Skincare Product Label Really Mean?

You’re probably already familiar with the importance of following a skincare routine. One of its basic advantages is enjoying healthy and radiant skin with reduced breakouts and aging signs. Passing by your favorite drugstore’s skincare shelves, you’ve probably seen many products aiming to target different problems. During this little shopping venture, you’ve also noticed some of them are supposed to be used during the day, while others are at night. Naturally, you might wonder what these labels mean and whether following these guidelines is really important.

Today, we’re here to help you get answers to these questions by explaining the difference between day vs night skincare. Knowing this will make your product shopping wiser, allowing you to choose what your skin REALLY needs!

Day vs Night Skincare

Every woman deserves to feel good in her skin- no matter your age! But, in order to enjoy a healthy complexion, you need to be really dedicated to the routine you or your dermatologist build. Having both a morning and a night skincare regimen is the key to improving its condition, so you need to follow the order. Although you’re allowed to use a few of the same products both in the morning and at night, a few others are specifically designed for each of them. For example, you can use the same cleanser twice daily, but the SPF cream should only be applied in the morning. 

So, in order to build a beneficial morning and night skincare routine, you need to know how to read the products’ labels before purchasing them. After all, they’re not printed on the package for nothing! The main difference between day vs night skincare is the formulation and the active ingredients it contains. The morning routine you’ll follow should be focused on protecting the skin. On the other hand, the night one should provide more active ingredients that focus on cell restoration and improving its barrier function. 

To help deepen your understanding, we’ve briefly overviewed both routines and why they’re important.

Morning skincare routine

If you’ve already explored what a morning routine is made of, you know it contains different products to cleanse, hydrate, and protect the skin. During the day, you are exposed to a variety of external influences, which can have quite a damaging effect on your face. From dirt, bacteria, and pollution to makeup and UV rays, your morning routine should focus on keeping your skin safe from each of these. 

Certain products you use in the morning are specifically designed to work during the day. These include sunscreens, antioxidants, and several others, which are meant to protect your skin from external damage and pollutants. Therefore, if you see a tonic, moisturizer, or serum that has ‘Day’ on its label, you should use it only in the morning. This will ensure you receive a boost of active ingredients that will keep it safe and sound throughout the whole day. 

If you still haven’t figured out your morning skincare routine or simply need a quick reminder, here are the products you should use in the right order:

• Start with a gentle cleanser to remove the impurities your skin has caught during the night. You might think that you’ll only need to use a cleanser before going to bed, but the truth is, your face can still accumulate first and germs from the pillowcase. 
• Follow by an exfoliating agent, but use it only once to twice a week. This will remove the dead skin cells on the face and avoid product buildup.
• The next step is a toner, which can work differently depending on what you’re using it for. Apart from toning the skin, toners can also shrink pores, exfoliate, and work as acne treatment.
• Next is using a serum. Opt for one with antioxidants in its formula to help keep your skin free from pollutants and free radicals during the day.
• Then, use a lightweight moisturizer for a boost of hydration
• Finally, use sunscreen to protect your skin from the damaging UV rays. Keep in mind that SPF isn’t only for summer, but you should use it throughout the whole year, no matter the season. 

Night skincare regimen

To better understand the difference between day vs night skincare, you need to be familiar with the benefits of both of them. We’ve already made it clear there’s a difference between the active ingredients of each, which makes it important to use each product respectively. Now, when you notice there’s a product labeled for ‘night’ use, it’s probably because it contains agents that keep your skin hydrated and address different skin concerns. 

Night skincare products often contain ingredients like retinoids or AHAs, which make your face more sensitive to UV rays. So, you can only imagine the damage you can cause by using a night product in the morning. Moreover, your skin actively regenerates during the night, which is why many serums and creams contain retinol and niacinamide to boost this repair process (although you can use niacinamide in the morning, as well). 

So, once you choose the right products for both your morning and night skincare routine, here are the steps you should follow:

• Start with a cleanser to remove any impurities that have built on your skin during the day. You can use the same cleanser for both your AM and PM routine- no need to purchase separate ones.
• If you don’t like to use an exfoliating agent in the morning, feel free to make it a part of your nighttime routine (but make sure you only use it once or twice a week). 
• Use a spot treatment that’s supposed to work overnight- especially if you’re dealing with acne.
• Continue by applying an eye cream to protect the skin around your eyes and improve its health and protective barrier. 
• Next, apply a night cream which has a thicker consistency than the one you use in the morning. Ideally, you will choose one that also has anti-aging ingredients to leave it to work its magic overnight.
• If you have extremely dry skin, you should consider using a face oil, which will help keep all the moisture inside during the night. Otherwise, finishing with a night cream will be enough to support your skin’s health.

Knowing the difference between day vs night skincare routine and sticking to what’s written on the label is important for receiving optimal results. Stick to the advice we’ve provided in this blog and start feeling more confident in your own skin! For more insightful tips, read through our blog page. And don’t forget to visit our shop and purchase our line of natural and nurturing products!

 

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About Tierra by Maria

Tierra by Maria is a skincare brand, founded by Maria Gabriela de Faria, that is dedicated to creating high-quality, natural, and vegan products that nourish and protect the skin. Our products are formulated with only the highest-quality, plant-based ingredients to provide the best possible skincare experience.

We are committed to sustainability and ethical practices, and we never test our products on animals. Our line includes a variety of products for all skin types and concerns, including cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers, and more. Whether you're looking for a daily skincare routine or a solution to a specific skin concern, Tierra by Maria has something for you. Shop now and experience the power of natural skincare!