While the bedtime skincare routine is considered the most effective, some of you might just want to dive into the bed without a care for the world. But leaving your skin unhappy without its daily nutrients retaliates with dryness, fine lines, and excess oil the next day.

This is where finding effective ingredients which require minimal time to work with maximum impact on your skin comes in handy. If you smartly design the skincare routine and ingredients throughout the night, you can derive the maximum benefits from your products. Let’s take a look at the skincare ingredients that work best as overnight treatments and how they do this magic!

Ingredients to include in your night-time skincare 

Before diving right into the list of ingredients, let’s understand why nighttime skincare is essential. Skincare during the nighttime gets more time and relaxation to get absorbed by your skin. As you sleep and are not exposed to external radicals, the skincare products are better absorbed and get more time to make a better impact on your skin.

We have listed five such ingredients which are highly effective provided they get enough time to get absorbed by your skin. As a result, you can experience the benefits when they are included in your nighttime skincare routine.

#1 Retinol

Retinol, a form of Vitamin A, is one of the BEST ingredients to incorporate in your night skincare. It is known to brighten the skin and help to treat breakouts while refining the overall texture of the skin. It has many derivatives like retinoids which are more concentrated and hence suitable to treat moderate to severe skin damage. Retinol is much milder and is highly recommended for daily use.

Usually, a formulation with a 2-3% concentration of retinol is good enough for any skin type. However, if you are just starting, less than 1% is recommended. It is mildly exfoliating and works best overnight to steadily minimize the signs of aging and skin damage.

#2 Lactic acid

Lactic acid is known to be a very gentle yet effective form of Alpha Hydroxy Acid that improves the skin texture and exfoliates the skin. Since it is derived from milk, it doesn’t dry out your skin, in fact, it improves the skin’s moisture level and hydration naturally. Lactic acid-infused serums act the best overnight and can show visible radiance and softness with consistent usage.

This ingredient is water-soluble and hence dissolves the impurities that help the dead skin cells cling to your skin at surface level. As a result, the skin texture gets smooth, hyperpigmentation and acne scars are reduced and it makes your skin glow like never before! A bonus- There will be no redness or discomfort in using Lactic acid, unlike other chemical exfoliants.

#3 Ceramides

You might already know that ceramides are the building blocks of your skin. But did you know that with age, the natural collagen production in the body slows down and the skin loses its elasticity? Giving your skin what it needs with topical products is effective to keep your skin taut and youthful.

Ceramides help to lock the moisture and act as a barrier against environmental damage. When you slather on our Ceramide Supercream Moisturizer at night, the skin gets enough time to absorb the product and its benefits. Thus, in the morning, the skin is hydrated enough.

#4 Peptides

Just like collagen and ceramides, Peptides also occur naturally in the skin. Peptides are a type of amino acid that helps to make up certain skin proteins. It stimulates/triggers the skin to produce more collagen, making it a perfectly complementing ingredient alongside collagen products. Peptides also help to improve the skin barrier and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. As a result, the skin stays more elastic. Last but not the least, it minimizes inflammation.

One of the best parts about it is it can work well with any other ingredient! Using peptides in your nighttime skincare routine alongside ceramides and retinol is the best way to get the maximum benefit out of it.

#5 Hydrogenated olive oil

The hydrogenated olive oil contains many beneficial fatty acids that can get absorbed easily in the skin and heal dry skin particularly well. Products with this ingredient when used at night form a layer on the skin which improves moisture retention. This property makes it extremely hydrating and moisturizing on the skin. It is considered four times more effective than squalene.

Just like squalane, hydrogenated olive oil does not make your skin greasy. But it is capable of healing even the driest skin. Using products with hydrogenated olive oil such as our Ceramide Supercream Moisturizer as a part of the nighttime skincare routine ensures maximum benefit.

Why do some ingredients work best at night?

With different types of skincare products available, one may wonder why some ingredients work best during specific times. Sun, heat, pollution, and other environmental aggressors can lead to many chemical changes in the products being used.

For example, retinol is most suitable for nighttime. This is because retinol increases the sun sensitivity of the skin. As a result, tanning and skin irritation can get aggravated when you are going out in the sun right after using retinol-based products. Another reason why some ingredients work best at night is that they get enough time to get absorbed. Although you can use some of these ingredients in the daytime, they need to work deeper within the skin layers to eradicate major skin problems and hence they are most effective when given the required time.

In short, one can rightly say that overnight skin treatments should be used after proper research and understanding. If you understand why a specific product is more suitable for a nighttime skincare routine, choosing them correctly is much easier.