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A couple of months ago I shared my morning skincare routine and had an amazing post so I’m back on the beauty train, sharing my hydrating evening skincare routine this time! While I have a set skincare routine for the morning, I tend to switch up my evening skincare routine depending on what my skin needs. More often than not, I’ll use this hydrating routine as healthy, supple, glowing skin starts with hydration. So here you have it, my ultimate 8-step hydrating evening skincare routine.
Step one: oil cleanser
Good Molecules Instant Cleansing Balm
I used to be a die-hard oil cleansing advocate. I’ve been using oil cleansers for 15 years, way before they became mainstream and I just loved how clean but nourished my skin was afterwards. I found foamy cleansers left my oily skin feeling tight as they stripped away my skin’s natural oils.
Oil cleansers always left my skin feeling much more hydrated but I recently switched to a balm cleanser and it has changed my life! I swear by Instant Cleansing Balm by Good Molecules, it’s much more effective than any oil cleanser I’ve used. It’s less messy than fiddling around with an oil and it’s much more convenient for travel as it’s solid. It melts in my hand within seconds, the ylang-ylang scent smells divine and it removed my stubborn waterproof mascara in a jiffy. My skin feels lovely and soft afterwards too, thanks to nourishing ingredients such as sea buckthorn oil, camellia oil and shea butter. I adore this cleansing balm and can safely say I’ll be using it for the foreseeable.
Alternatives: If you prefer an oil cleanser, I liked The Face Shop’s Rice Water Cleansing Oil and I used it faithfully for a few years.
Step two: water cleanser
Bioderma micellar water
No matter how thorough your oil or cleansing balm is, double cleansing is absolutely essential. This is because an oil or balm cleanser will remove makeup, sunscreen and dirt/pollution and the second cleanser will actually cleanse your skin. —Since switching to double cleansing a few years ago, my skin has looked much brighter and I’ve had fewer breakouts.
My favourite second-step cleanser is Bioderma’s micellar water. It’s an iconic French pharmacy product with a cult following. Known for being super gentle, it’s alcohol-free and helps to maintain the skin’s natural pH. A few quick swipes with a reusable cotton pad helps remove any lingering makeup and gently cleanses my skin. It always leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean without any irritation.
Alternatives: There are tons of other micellar waters but I swear by Bioderma’s version.
Step three: toner
Son & Park Beauty Water
I included Son & Park’s cult k-beauty product in my morning skincare routine post, I adore Beauty Water it’s one of my favourite toners. It’s packed with hydrating ingredients like rose water, lavender water and orange fruit extract, Beauty Water leaves my skin hydrated and prepped for layers of serums and treatments to nourish my skin.
Alternatives: I also highly recommend Missha’s Time Revolution First Treatment Essence, which is another cult k-beauty product and a dupe of SKII’s Treatment Essence. It’s super hydrating and helps to even out your skin tone.
Step four: serum
Peach & Lily Glass Serum
I also wrote about Glass Serum in my morning skincare routine post. It’s my MVP skincare product, it works wonders on my skin with a noticeable difference within a week. It’s very light and absorbs easily so I tend to use it morning and night, regardless of what my skin needs because it can be easily layered with other treatment serums.
I like using it for my hydrating evening skincare routine as it’s main ingredients are hyaluronic acid which is brilliant for hydrating all layers of the skin alongside niacinamide for brightening skin and peach extract to keep your skin looking radiant.
Step four: mask *optional*
This step is optional, depending on how much time you have on your hands. I love using masks to give my skin a more intense treatment depending on what I need and I try to mask 2-3 times a week.
Peach & Lily’s Drench and Nourish sheet mask is one of my favourites. As the name suggests, it’s super hydrating and my skin always feels plump and nourished after using it. It’s packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients such as Chia Seed (rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids), Algae and Hyaluronic Acid (for hydration), Centella Asiatica (heals damaged tissues) and Ceramides (strengthen your skin barrier).
https://www.peachandlily.com/products/good-skin-day-sheet-mask
I also rate Stqanon’s Snail Essence sheet mask, which I buy on Amazon. Snail extract is hydrating and a powerful skincare ingredient for healing skin. It’s made up of a mixture of glycolic acids, proteins, peptides and hyaluronic acid. My skin always feels smooth and nourished when I used this mask.
Alternatives: I also enjoy using Mediheal’s Collagen Impact essential mask which is infused with marine collagen and Summer Fridays Jetlag Mask which is packed full of vitamins, ceramides and antioxidants to give your skin a nourishing glow .
Step five: eye cream
Eco Your Skin Volufiline15 Eye Essence
In my post about my morning skincare routine for oily skin, I included Saturday Skin’s Brightening Eye Cream…but I have a new favourite now. I have been trying Volufiline15 Eye Essence by Eco Your Skin and it is incredible.
I suffer from under-eye bags and chronic dark circles, no matter how much water I drink or sleep I get. I’ve tried every eye cream under the sun and this is the only one which has made a visible difference. The reason is the main ingredient – volufiline. It is extracted from the root of the Asian botanical Anemarrhena asphodeloides – which is said to be a natural botox. This eye cream plumps up fine lines and the undereye area like no other cream. It also contains glutathione and peptides to promote collagen production.
Step six: serum
L’occitane Immortelle Reset Oil-in-Serum
Serums are usually applied pre-mask however this L’occitane serum is an oil-based so I apply it after my mask. As a general rule, you should use water-based products before oil-based products so they can be absorbed into the skin.
Key ingredients include marjoram, which contains high levels of antioxidants which help brighten skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines. The little gold bubbles you can see in the serum are Immortelle oil extract, a potent antioxidant which increases collagen synthesis for smoother, firm skin. Even if I use this as my sole serum, my skin feels hydrated, smooth and glowy when I wake up.
Step seven: oil
Good Molecules ultra-hydrating facial oil
This oil packs a punch. It’s one of the most hydrating and nourishing oils I’ve ever tried, it’s so good that it’s one of my long-haul flight essentials. It’s lightweight, absorbs pretty quickly and it’s just dreamy. The main ingredients are camellia oil which is rich in antioxidants and fights free radical damage plus sea buckthorn oil which is packed with fatty acids to help maintain a healthy moisture barrier.
Step eight: occlusive
Cerave Healing Ointment
The final step in my hydrating evening skincare routine is to ‘seal in’ all of the wonderfully nourishing products you’ve been layering on. Occlusives help retain moisture so I always use one at the end of my hydrating skincare routine. I picked up Cerave’s Healing ointment when I was in the US and it is one of my holy grail skincare products. It’s a mixture of petroleum (one of the best occlusives), ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Unfortunately, it’s not available in the UK but Vaseline is 🙂
My whole hydrating evening skincare routine takes about 15-20 mins depending on whether I use a mask. I hope you found this post useful. As ever, if you have any questions please leave me a comment and I’ll reply ASAP.
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