Evening skin care is such an important part of self care for every grown woman.  Finding the best evening skin care routine for your needs can be tough to figure out though, since there are many different products on the market designed to smooth fine lines, shrink pores, fade discoloration, rehydrate your skin, etc.  I’ve been fine tuning my night time skin care routine for the past few months, and I’ve settled on one that I really love that I’ve seen noticeable results from.  Most of the products I’m using these days are Beautycounter, and I love that the products are safer as well as high performing.  I wouldn’t use anything if it didn’t actually work, so keep on reading to see what has worked for me!

The Importance of an Evening Skin Care Routine

Do you have an evening skin care routine?  My mom taught me the importance of evening skin care early on, and I think that by starting early I’ve been able to preempt some of the signs of aging.  I’m 32 years old now and the fine lines are starting to show up around my eyes, on my forehead and around my mouth.  Nearly 5 years of living in Hawaii has contributed to sun spots and skin discoloration.  Two pregnancies resulted in a good bit of melasma too, which made it look like I had a mustache!  Not very fun but thankfully I’ve found some great (and safer) products that have helped reverse all of those concerns.  Day time skin care (hello sunscreen!) is incredibly important, but night time is the ideal time to address anti-aging, skin unevenness and moisture concerns because this is when your skin heals itself.

So without further ado, here are the products I use in the evening.  I don’t use all of them every night, but I have incorporated all of them into my routine and they’re each used every week.  You certain don’t need this many products, but each one serves a different purpose and I’m all about addressing a multitude of concerns.  And if you’d like to read my other blog posts about Beautycounter you can find them here (like why I decided to try Beautycounter, my favorite products, and my 5 minute makeup routine).  All of the Beautycounter links will take you to my consultant site, so if you’d like to give anything a shot I’d love to be your consultant.

1.  I have become a firm believer in double cleansing in the evening.  The first wash removes makeup and products used during the day, and the second wash actually addresses your skin’s needs.  I use Burt’s Bees Cleansing Oil in the evening on dry skin first.  Then I rinse it off with with a wash cloth.  This bottle has lasted me a really long time and I like it a lot.  It’s even great at removing eye makeup, though if you wear waterproof mascara you’ll likely need something else for that.  I plan on trying Beautycounter’s Cleansing Balm once this runs out because it works in a similar fashion but it also can serve as an overnight mask.
2. After the first wash I use Beautycounter’s Charcoal Cleansing Bar.  This is great if you have oily or blemish-prone skin.  It removes impurities, smooths skin and brightens it too.  I keep mine in a little dish and never pick it up.  I just run a wet hand over the top of the bar to get a little bit of the cleanser and then apply to a wet face then rinse with a wash cloth.  That does the trick and I think this bar is going to last me forever.
3. Once or twice a week I’ll apply the Charcoal Cleansing Bar to my skin and then use an electric facial brush with it.  It leaves my skin feeling really clean and I’ve come to enjoy this ritual.  I bought my brush at TJ Maxx but I’ve seen a lot of bloggers rave about this one.
4. Once a week or so I’ll use Beautycounter’s Balancing Facial Mask on a clean face.  It makes your face feel so clean afterwards and it’s fantastic if you have blemish-prone or oily skin because it absorbs excess oil and draws out impurities.  I leave it on for about 10 minutes and then wash it off with a dark wash cloth (it’ll stain a light one since it’s so dark).
5. Next up I’ll use Beautycounter’s Rejuvenating Toner Pads.  This is a recent addition to my skincare routine and I’ve already seen my tiny mid-forehead wrinkle fade a bit since using it.  Toners were my favorite skincare product as a teenager but for some reason I haven’t used one in forever.  These are on the pricier side ($45), but they are amazing at tightening and reducing the size of pores and smoothing fine lines.  Here is one thing I’ve been doing to stretch the product a bit: I cut each pad in half!  It makes the (half) pad a little more difficult to maneuver but it works just as well and you still get all the product you need.  This provides you with 80 uses rather than 40 uses 🙂
6. On nights that I use the facial brush I’ll use Beautycounter’s No. 3 Balancing Facial Oil next.  This is a great calming facial oil if you have irritated, acne-prone or sensitive skin, so I think it’s nice to use after a good cleansing with a brush.  I have a small sized bottle that I got in a set during the holidays, so normally it’s in a much larger bottle.  I typically apply a drop to my forehead and one to each cheek and then rub it in on my entire face.
7. On nights that I don’t use the brush and oil no. 3 I’ll switch back and forth between 2 different products.  The first is Beautycounter’s Overnight Resurfacing Peel, which is a product I rave about all the time because it works for every skin type and it helps with so many different skin concerns.  It’s definitely the number one product my Beautycounter clients have bought since I became a consultant.  It reduces pore size, smooths fine lines, fades dark spots…it is such a multi-tasker!  It’s even good if you have sensitive skin or dry skin…it works on pretty much every skin type out there.  Once I apply it I wait 5-10 minutes before applying my night cream.
8. On the alternating nights I’ll use Beautycounter’s No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil.  This boosts skin’s radiance and makes your skin glow!  It can also be used in the daytime but I prefer to use it only at night.
9. Next up is Beautycounter’s Rejuvenating Eye Cream.  This is on the pricier side ($63) but if you use it smartly it will last you months and months.  I use it under my eyes and then dab the residue between my eyes on the little wrinkle that want’s to appear, and then I’ll also dab some on the little parentheses lines on the outside of my mouth.  I think this has been such a helpful addition to my anti-aging regimen!
10. Finally, I use Beautycounter’s Rejuvenating Night Cream.  As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that effective skin care really is a worthy investment.  A tough pill to swallow but the results speak for themselves.  This is a luxurious cream and I think of it as a treat when I use it every evening.  It feels so good on the skin and it has a nice smell too.  It addresses all of those anti-aging concerns, like fine lines, wrinkles, firmness, and hydration.

Do you use any of these products already?  What do you think?  If you’d like to read about any of my other blog posts on Beautycounter you can find them all here!  And if you have any questions about products or would like help choosing something to address your particular concerns I’m always here to help.  Just shoot me an email at stripesandwhimsy@gmail.com or send me a DM on Instagram 🙂  I’m always here to help!