How to Build a Simple Night Skincare Routine
A night skincare routine does not need ten products. Four steps are enough for most people: cleanse, tone, treat and moisturise. Together they take about three minutes, and done every evening they leave skin softer, calmer and smoother-looking by morning.
Why the evening routine matters most
During the day your skin deals with sun, dust, sweat and sunscreen. At night none of that is in the way. A clean face and a good cream get seven or eight undisturbed hours to work. If you only have time for one proper routine a day, make it the evening one.
The 4-step night skincare routine
1. Cleanse
Wash off the day with a gentle face wash and lukewarm water. If you wore sunscreen or make-up, cleanse twice: an oil cleanser or balm first, then the face wash. Pat dry and leave the skin slightly damp.
2. Tone
An alcohol-free toner is optional, but it adds a light layer of hydration. Pat it in with your palms rather than rubbing with cotton.
3. Treat
This is the step for one targeted product, such as a serum or a treatment cream. For a dull or uneven-looking tone, a thin layer of a cream with glutathione, vitamin C or kojic acid works well here. Use one treatment at a time so you can tell how your skin responds.
4. Moisturise
Finish with a night cream to seal everything in. A pea-sized amount covers the face, with a little extra for the neck. Richer creams suit dry skin. Oily skin needs only a thin layer.
How long it takes
- Cleanse: about one minute.
- Tone: about thirty seconds.
- Treat: about thirty seconds.
- Moisturise: about one minute.
Do it twenty to thirty minutes before bed, so the cream settles before your face meets the pillow. The full technique is in how to apply night cream.
Adjust it to your skin type
- Dry skin: a rich cream and a full pea-sized amount. See avocado cream for dry skin.
- Oily skin: keep the toner light and use half a pea of cream. See night cream for oily skin.
- Sensitive skin: skip the treatment step for the first two weeks and patch test anything new.
Mistakes that undo a good routine
- Sleeping in sunscreen or make-up.
- Starting several new products in the same week.
- Using too much cream.
- Skipping sunscreen the next morning, which matters most if your night cream contains kojic acid.
Products that fit this routine
For the treat step, the Glutathione Cream has glutathione, vitamin C and kojic acid. For the moisturise step, the Avocado Night Cream suits dry skin and the Avocado Korean Night Cream suits most skin types. Both treat and seal steps come together in the Night Cream Combo.
Related guides: get a plan for your skin type from the skincare routine builder, and compare our creams in the Korean night cream guide.
Short answers
What is the correct order for a night skincare routine? Cleanse, tone, treat, then moisturise. Apply products from the thinnest texture to the thickest, with night cream last.
How long should a night skincare routine take? About three minutes. Four steps are enough for most people.
Do I need a separate night cream? Not always, but a night cream is usually richer than a day moisturiser, which suits the long hours of sleep when no sunscreen is needed.
Should I cleanse twice at night? If you wore sunscreen or make-up, yes: an oil cleanser or balm first, then a gentle face wash.