My night skin care routine is something I look forward to every day to wind down. I love the feeling of a fresh, bare face, so taking off my makeup and giving my skin some love to make sure my skin stays clear, is hydrated, and is primed to restore itself while I sleep, is just the best.

We’ve already covered my morning skincare routine, but below I’m taking you through the steps to incorporate into your nighttime face routine to keep your skin in tip-top shape.

Night Skin Care Routine Steps

Step 1: Makeup Remover

I use this makeup remover on a cotton pad and gently remove my eye makeup. It helps to saturate the pad really well so that the remover can do the work to melt away the makeup without you scrubbing or pressing your eye area too harshly. I’ve tried more expensive brands, but this one really is my favorite. It’s so inexpensive and can be found at your local Target or CVS.

Step 2: Cleanser

I remove the rest of my makeup any dirt and oil from the day with the same gentle face cleanser I use in the morning. I know that double cleansing with a cleansing oil at night is really popular right now, but I think that if you’re using a great face wash, it should do the entire job. Taking a small amount of this gentle cleanser in one palm, I run a bit of water over it, get it nice and foamy in my hands, then apply it to my face and use my PMD cleansing brush to make sure every nook and cranny gets cleaned. Then I rinse with cold water and pat dry with a wash cloth.

Step 3: Toner

While I prefer a pH balancing toner in the morning, I use a toner to keep my acne at bay at night. These anti-acne pads help decongest pores, reduce breakouts, and brighten any post-acne marks. If you have a skin type that doesn’t cause acne issues, you can use the same toner from your morning skin routine.

Step 4: Eye Cream

I use the same eye cream morning and night, but I use a little morning in the evening to prevent any dark circles from forming while I sleep. My eye cream helps with puffiness, circles, and fine lines. I definitely notice a difference on the days I do and don’t use it! I dab a little on my middle finger and gently press it underneath the eye, reaching all the way down to the orbital bone and then out to the side of my eye and up underneath my eyebrow.

Step 5: Serum

Some people like to switch up their evening serums and nourish their skin with a specific night cream before going to bed, but I keep it simple and use the same serum morning and night. I dispense a larger pump and give it a good while to sink in, and at night I take it further down my neck and decolette. This is also when I apply my neck cream and any acne spot treatments (usually necessary around my cycle or if I’ve been consuming more sweets than usual).

Step 6: Moisturizer

Once the products from step four have completely dried, I follow up with the same antioxidant lotion from my morning routine. It actually isn’t technically a moisturizer, but it does have a lot of hydrating properties. Since I’m in my 30s and have acne-prone, oily skin, this peptide-rich product helps avoid oil buildup, improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and hydrates.

Step 7: Retinol

Last but not least, retinol! If you’re new to retinoids, they help reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen while also brightening the skin and improving its texture. If you’ve ever noticed someone out and about who has really beautiful even, almost glass-like skin, they’re probably using a retinol regularly. In the fall and winter, I can use this daily, but in the spring and summer I dial it back to 2-3 nights per week as retinol increases skin sensitivity to the sun.

Weekly: Exfoliate

In addition to the steps above, I also exfoliate my skin every Sunday and Wednesday night with a polish. This helps remove any dead skin cells at the surface level to help improve overall texture and tone and help my products sink in. I love the polish because it’s not too harsh or granular—and a little goes a long way!

Nighttime Skincare Routine Products

To see the rest of my regimen, check out my morning skincare routine which includes a few tweaks to keep my skin protected in the daytime, like vitamin C and sunscreen. If you’re looking for more in-depth info about my skin journey, I’ve shared how to get clear skin if you struggle with acne, my review of microneedling, and a few more skincare product reviews, routines, and tips over in the skin section of my blog.

Let me know if you have any questions about my night skin care routine or skincare products in the comments below or on Instagram. I love talking all things skin, so don’t be shy!