moisturising legs

Getting into a good night-time skincare routine is a great way to show our skin some kindness. However, many of us tend to focus on taking care of our faces and forget about the skin on the rest of the body.

To find out exactly how members of the public treat their skin—from cleansing to deodorising—we asked women across the UK to share the most important element of their night-time skincare routine.

Here’s what we discovered…

Makeup removal

As we expected, removing makeup was the most important part of the bedtime routine for women across all age groups, attracting 39% of the votes.

Let’s be honest, we’ve all been guilty of sleeping in our makeup on the odd occasion—go on, admit it!—but we can’t expect to have glowing skin if we fail to take care of it. Getting into the habit of removing makeup on a nightly basis will help prevent pores from becoming blocked and developing into spots and pimples. But what about the rest of the body?

As well as using everyday makeup to attain flawless skin, more people are reaching for body makeup to cover up imperfections such as stretch marks, scars and varicose veins. While there’s no harm in achieving a bronzed and glowing complexion all over, it’s important to remove all makeup products at the end of the day.

Freshen up

Unsurprisingly, showering was another popular answer, with 19% of us choosing to wash off the day before bed. After all, there’s nothing nicer than slipping under the sheets at the end of the day feeling fresh and clean—extra points if you also have fresh bedding!

Did you know, 4% of us consider applying deodorant or anti-perspirant as a priority in our evening skincare routine?

The most effective time to apply anti-perspirant or deodorant is onto freshly washed and dried skin—this is a well-known fact for those of us who suffer with excessive sweating. Therefore, following an evening shower with a quick swipe or spray will ensure that you stay sweat-free throughout the night.

Five ways to happier skin

Taking care of our skin doesn’t have to be time-consuming or involve expensive products. In fact, there are lots of things you can do to maintain head-to-toe silky soft skin, including:

1. Begin a basic bedtime skincare routine

First thing’s first: get into the habit of giving your skin a bit of TLC before bed. As much as it may seem like a chore, a quick cleanse and moisturise using good quality products that are well suited to your skin type will really brighten the skin and will undoubtedly reduce breakouts. Don’t forget the skin from the neck down, where deodorising and moisturising is just as important!

2. Don’t touch!

Another tried and tested way of keeping spots at bay is to avoid touching your skin unless necessary to prevent bacteria transferring from your hands, as the face is especially susceptible to germ-related breakouts. We often do it without thinking, such as resting our chin in our hands when sitting at our desks or watching TV.

Now this is easier said than done, but really try to resist picking or squeezing spots. It will only make them worse and increase the time it takes for them to heal.

3. Keep stress at bay

Stress can present both physical and psychological issues, including dry, itchy and scaly skin conditions, flaky, waxy and oily scalp patches, and even excessive sweating. We are often so busy juggling work, family, and life in general that we forget to take care of ourselves and show ourselves any kindness—exactly what our bodies are trying to remind us.

For around-the-clock confidence, ensure you are wearing deodorant or anti-perspirant—the last thing you need to be worrying about is visible sweat marks or a less-than-fresh aroma. You can be reassured that even our kindest formulas are still as hard-working as you are!

Where possible, take some time out to focus purely on yourself and try to incorporate some mindfulness into your bedtime routine. Indulge in a long, candlelit soak in the bath, practise some yoga or snuggle up with a good book or your favourite movie. Your skin will soon thank you for it.

4. Don’t forget under your arms!

We often take our armpits for granted—out of sight, out of mind and all that! But making sure you include a bit of underarm maintenance in your routine will improve your comfort, confidence and, of course, your scent. Our top tips for underarm freshness include:

  • Apply anti-perspirant or deodorant onto freshly washed armpits.
  • Make sure that underarms are completely dry before applying.
  • Don’t layer another application of anti-perspirant to armpits that are already sweaty. This will only trap bacteria in and is unlikely to disguise any unsavoury aromas, so wash off any existing product first.
  • If you suffer from excessive sweating, applying after your evening shower will allow the product to get to work so that you stay fresh and dry the following day.
  • Prevent irritation by using a moisturising foam or shower product when shaving. Safely discard any razor blades once they become blunt and allow the razor to dry out between uses to prevent blades from rusting.
  • If you have sensitive skin or simply prefer a more natural option, try aluminium-free anti-perspirant or deodorant.

5. You are what you eat (and drink!)

One of the simplest—not to mention cheapest—ways of keeping skin supple and clear is drinking lots of water. This will hydrate the skin, flush out any toxins and can even help reduce under-eye bags and puffiness.

Just as sugary and greasy foods can harm our skin, other foods can really boost the complexion. Here are a few examples:

  • Mangoes – Contain antioxidants and protective components such as collagen.
  • Tomatoes – Linked with preventing skin cancer and to sunburn protection.
  • Olive oil – Helps prevent the development of wrinkles and skin discolouration.
  • Green tea – Rejuvenates dying skin cells and has healing benefits.
  • Kale — Linked with protection from UV rays.
  • Omega-3 – Can help prevent dryness and scaling of the skin.
  • Soy – May help prevent wrinkles such as crow’s feet

Time to glow

Our skin has a funny way of showing us when we are feeling a bit run down or under the weather. Whether through breakouts of spots, dry or oily patches or simply through a lacklustre pallor—whatever is going on inside is often mirrored on the outside.

Investing as little 10 minutes a night into a skincare routine can make a huge difference, and it won’t take long before you see a visible difference to both your complexion and confidence. As with many things in life, you get back what you put in, which is certainly the case when it comes to skin kindness.