The Nighttime Beauty Routine That Changed My Skin, My Sleep, and My Mornings
A Simple 30 Minute Wind Down Routine That Helped Me Prioritize Skincare, Rest Better & Start My Days Differently
My Nighttime Beauty Routine
I used to wonder how people would just wake up and have productive mornings. I’d wake up on the best side of the bed, create my to do list, and still somehow come up short.
About a month ago, I visited my dermatologist and she gave me a nighttime skincare routine I had to follow every night in order for my treatment plan to work. Before that appointment, my nights looked very different, coming home from work, watching TV, scrolling on my phone, and eventually dozing off wherever or whenever.
When I lived at home, I actually had a nighttime routine. Somewhere along the way, though, I lost it.
After visiting my dermatologist, I realized I needed to create one again, and not just create it, but prioritize it. My nights look different now.
I work some evenings and don’t get home until 2:30 or sometimes even 3 am. By the time I walk through the door, I feel like I have zero energy and just want to lay down and sleep. But honestly, as I’ve been navigating this new routine, I’ve learned that’s not completely true.
It’s crazy how our brains will trick us, or even lie to us, about what we can or can’t do. I’m learning that we actually have more capacity than we think when it comes to pushing toward what we really want. But that’s a story for another day.
Both of my jobs are customer facing, which means I interact with people constantly and spend most of my day talking. My nighttime routine has become the moment where I recenter and sit with myself. It grounds me after the day and prepares me for better sleep. And it’s honestly changed the quality of my sleep too.
Now that I have a routine to wind down, my body slows down. Before, I would carry the stress of the day straight into my sleep. My brain would still be running even though my body was exhausted.
I’m someone who always has a million tabs open in my head. Before having a routine, I would lay down tired but still toss and turn, or scroll until my eyes finally gave up. Now I have signals that remind my brain and body that it’s time to rest.
Building a Routine That Actually Works
When I was creating my nighttime routine, it had to be helpful but also practical. The original reason for the routine was to prioritize my skincare because I’m currently on a journey to clear up my skin. Since that’s something I genuinely want, it naturally became the center of my routine.
Not because I’m vain or chasing perfect skin, but because on the nights when I’m exhausted and don’t feel like doing anything, I still push myself to follow the routine, because a big part of it is skincare. And that matters to me.
My Actual Nighttime Routine
My routine is pretty simple. It takes about 30 minutes, sometimes a little more or a little less depending on the night.
When I come home and I’m ready for bed, whether it’s 9 pm. or 3 am, the routine stays the same. Even though my schedule changes, I try to keep some consistency with sleep. If I’m working late, I try to be in bed by 3:15 am. I know that sounds late, but hey… that’s the season I’m in right now.
If I’m not working, we shut the house down around 10 pm. And when I say we, I mean me and Saint, who is technically part of the routine, even though he runs amuck some nights when I go to sleep.
When it’s time for bed, I turn off the TV and tell Alexa to play my nighttime playlist. It’s filled with calming instrumental music that helps slow things down mentally. I’ve done this enough now that when my brain hears that music, it automatically starts to shut down. That took some time, but now it works.
Then I take Saint outside for his last walk or potty break. After that, I head to the bathroom to wash my face and take a quick shower. When I get out, I take my acne medication and apply my tretinoin and moisturizer. Then I lotion my body. As someone who used to only moisturize the parts of my body people could actually see… this is growth.
Next comes hand cream and pajamas. Some nights it’s a matching set, other nights it’s an oversized t shirt. I definitely need to buy more pajamas, but that’s not the point.
Then I head to bed.
Once I’m in bed, I grab my prayer journal and say a prayer. Writing my prayers down has honestly been a game changer. It allows me to express gratitude for the day and release anything that might still be heavy on my mind.
After that, I grab my phone, set my alarm, and write down any thoughts, reminders, or random notes floating around in my head into my Notes or Reminders app. It’s my way of closing the tabs in my brain before sleep.
Depending on the night, I’ll either drift off pretty quickly or maybe try to watch an episode of whatever show I’m currently into. One thing I stopped doing is leaving the TV on all night. I actually enjoy waking up to silence now. That’s why I only watch an episode, if I fall asleep, it won’t keep playing and the TV will shut off.
And that’s it.
Why This Routine Matters
This simple routine has honestly been a game changer for me. I wake up feeling refreshed. It helps settle my mind no matter what kind of day I had, whether it was amazing or challenging. No matter what, I go to sleep feeling clean, moisturized, grateful, and ready to face whatever the next day holds.
The routine is also flexible. Some nights I might end my evening reading a good book. Other nights I might watch an episode of a show I’m enjoying. Either way, it helps my brain slowly drift into rest.
A Little Challenge for You
I challenge you to take a moment and look at your own nighttime routine.
You already have one, whether you realize it or not. There are things your body naturally does before going to bed. The question is: is it helping you or hurting you?
If your routine leaves you getting great sleep and waking up refreshed, that’s amazing. But if not, you can tweak it.
The more consistent you are, the more your brain will start to recognize the signals.
And here’s the honest truth: you won’t always feel like doing it. No matter how simple it is or how good it makes you feel, there will still be nights when you don’t want to. But push through anyway.
Because on the nights when I force myself to do my routine, even when I don’t feel like it, I never regret it.
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