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Guide

Night skincare routine, step by step

Tick what you own and get your night routine in the right order, plus which nights to use retinol and acids.

Tick what you own
It updates as you tick.

Night

  1. Cleansing oil or balm
    On dry skin first, to melt off sunscreen and makeup.
  2. Face wash
    Wash the day off.
  3. AHA (glycolic or lactic acid) Mon · Fri
    Leave-on acid toner or serum, on clean, dry skin.
  4. Niacinamide serum
    Gentle enough for morning and night.
  5. Retinol or retinal Tue · Sat
    Pea-sized, on dry skin. Keep it away from the corners of your eyes and mouth.
  6. Moisturizer
    Seals everything in.

Morning

  1. Face wash
    A gentle wash. In the morning, a splash of water is fine if your skin is dry.
  2. Niacinamide serum
    Gentle enough for morning and night.
  3. Moisturizer
    A thin layer is plenty in the morning.
  4. Sunscreen
    Last, every morning: two finger lengths for face and neck.

Your week of nights

  1. MonAHAExfoliating night
  2. TueRetinolRetinol night
  3. WedRestRecovery night
  4. ThuRestRecovery night
  5. FriAHAExfoliating night
  6. SatRetinolRetinol night
  7. SunRestRecovery night

What we kept apart, and why

  • AHA + retinol: use on different nights. Both speed up how fast skin renews. Layered on the same night they often leave skin red, dry or flaky.

Tips

  • This is skin cycling: an exfoliating night, a retinol night, then recovery nights where you only hydrate and moisturize.
  • Keep this schedule for about a month before adding nights. Drop back if you get stinging, peeling or redness.

The night routine, in order

  1. Cleansing oil or balm. Only if you wore sunscreen or makeup. Massage it onto dry skin, then rinse.
  2. Face wash. A gentle cleanser that doesn’t leave your skin tight. This is the step to never skip.
  3. Toner or essence (optional). A hydrating one, pressed in with your hands.
  4. Exfoliating acid, on its nights. AHA (glycolic or lactic acid) for dull or rough skin, BHA (salicylic acid) for blackheads and breakouts. Start 2 nights a week.
  5. Serums. Hyaluronic acid or niacinamide, any night.
  6. Retinol, on its nights. Pea-sized, on dry skin, never on an acid night. Start 2 nights a week.
  7. Eye cream (optional). A tiny amount, tapped on.
  8. Moisturizer. Richer than your morning one if your skin is dry. It seals everything in.
  9. Face oil (optional). A few drops, last.

A simple week of nights

Skin cycling keeps retinol and acids apart and gives skin time to recover. With an acid and a retinol, a starter week looks like this:

  1. MonAHAExfoliating night
  2. TueRetinolRetinol night
  3. WedRestRecovery night
  4. ThuRestRecovery night
  5. FriAHAExfoliating night
  6. SatRetinolRetinol night
  7. SunRestRecovery night

Retinol and acids make skin more sensitive to the sun, so wear sunscreen every morning while you use them.

A night routine for your skin type

  • Oily: Gel cleanser, Salicylic acid (BHA), 2 to 3 nights a week, Light gel moisturizer.
  • Combination: Gentle cleanser, Salicylic acid (BHA) on the T-zone, 2 nights a week, Moisturizer, a little more on dry areas.
  • Normal: Gentle cleanser, Retinol, 2 nights a week (optional), Moisturizer.
  • Dry: Cream cleanser, Hyaluronic acid serum, Rich moisturizer, A few drops of face oil (optional).
  • Sensitive: Cream cleanser, Fragrance-free moisturizer.

Not sure which you are? Take the skin type quiz. Want your morning routine too? Use the routine order builder.

Questions

What is the correct order for a night skincare routine?

Cleansing oil or balm if you wore makeup or sunscreen, face wash, toner, an exfoliating acid on its nights, serums, retinol on its nights, eye cream, moisturizer, and face oil last if you use one.

Should my night routine be different from my morning routine?

Yes. Mornings are about protecting: vitamin C, moisturizer and sunscreen. Nights are for treatments like retinol and exfoliating acids, plus a richer moisturizer, since retinol breaks down in sunlight.

Do I need to double cleanse at night?

Only if you wear sunscreen or makeup. A cleansing oil or balm melts them off, then a gentle face wash cleans your skin. On bare-skin days, one wash is enough.

Can I use retinol every night?

Start with 2 nights a week and add nights slowly, over a month or two, if your skin is happy. Plenty of people stay at every other night, and that’s fine.

What is the simplest night skincare routine?

Face wash and moisturizer. When you want more, add one treatment, like retinol or an exfoliating acid, a couple of nights a week.

Is this medical advice?

No. These are general cosmetic skincare tips. If a doctor gave you a routine, follow theirs.

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