AM vs. PM Routines

The Need for Skincare Morning & Night

Have you ever wondered why skincare providers encourage full routines morning and night?! Like, doesn’t that seem a little excessive sometimes? Well, the simplest way to explain it is each time of day has a different role: morning routines are for prevention + protection, while evening routines are for repair + correction. This episode of Skincare School breaks it down…

AM = Prevention + Protection

Let's start with essential products for the morning routine:

1. Vitamin C–our version is Liquid Gold, which has all the skin brightening and UV protection benefits of a typical 15% L-ascorbic vitamin C serum, but so much more. We added multiple other antioxidants into one serum (simplified skincare, amplified results!) for the optimum protection against free radicals like sun exposure. (Other examples of free radicals you’re exposed to: cigarette smoke, external pollution, household chemicals and environmental toxins. Woof.)
2. SPF–the culprit for an estimated 90% of premature skin aging (i.e. fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and more.) Wearing sunscreen daily is crucial not just for cosmetic reasons but also for preventing skin cancer. UV damage might not manifest immediately but can accumulate over time, becoming visible in your late twenties and progressing rapidly if not protected against. Even if the damage isn't visible on the surface, it may still be present underneath, waiting to emerge. Check out what this UV camera exposes!

Just like how a runner needs proper fuel and protection to endure a marathon, your skin needs vitamin C and SPF in your morning routine to combat the stressors it faces throughout the day. Vitamin C acts as a potent antioxidant, helping to neutralize free radicals and boost the efficacy of SPF, while sunscreen shields your skin from harmful UV rays that cause damage and premature skin aging. Skipping these essential steps in your skincare regimen leaves your skin vulnerable to the equivalent of running a marathon without proper preparation—leaving it looking tired, stressed, and aged.

PM = Repair + Correction

The key products for your nighttime routine are:

1. Retinoids–retinoids, like RetinAL Skin Therapy, enhance and accelerate what your skin is already doing naturally at night. Typically, the peak regeneration window is between 11pm-1am. This is why we advocate for a full 8 hours of sleep—it really is “beauty” rest for skin cells.
2. More Vitamin C–but whyyy? Well, your skin has to run a marathon again the next day, so just like you would need electrolytes to recover, your skin is craving antioxidants for collagen production and to recover as well.

Now let's add in skincare pads (AHAs and BHAs), serums, and moisturizer and your PM routine is helping clear your skin of the dirt and debris from the day, aiding in healing, and boosting collagen and elastin to fight the good fight again the next day. Just like your body needs to rest and recharge…your skin requires the same.