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Do you look at your skin in the morning and wonder why it doesn’t look as good as it did the night before? The skin may look better in the morning for some, but for many, including myself, the skin looks better at night.
Why does my skin look better at night? Skin looks better at night because gravity has worked all day at moving fluid out of the body – making you look leaner and less puffy. Sunshine and facial movement/blood flow through the day are other reasons for better-looking skin at night.
If you consume a lot of sodium during the day, this leads to water retention in your body. The salt holds the water causing a puffy, swollen look in the morning. This puffiness is especially noticeable in the face in the morning and makes the skin and face look less than ideal.
The skin is also paler and dull-looking in the morning as there has been no sunshine and limited to no facial movement/blood flow.
Read on to learn more about why your skin looks better at night, as well as tips to make your skin look good all day and night!
Also, for an excellent skin recovery cream, take a look at our top pick, the Beauty Bioscience The Quench: Quadralipid Skin Recovery Cream:
The three main causes of why your skin looks better at night are:
Gravity and Fluid (Water Retention)
Facial Movement and Blood Flow
Sun
1. Gravity and Fluid (Water Retention)
Our skin is made up of cells that are surrounded by a liquid called dermal fluid. Dermal fluid is not found inside the cells, so it’s able to move between the cells.
When you’re lying down horizontal as you sleep, the fluid moves and causes swelling and puffiness in your face. As the day goes by, this fluid moves down towards the legs, which reduces any swelling on your face. Your features are sharper and more defined due to the reduced swelling.
Years ago, I was so confused why my face was so puffy and swollen looking in the morning. I realized it was because I was eating a lot of sodium in my diet.
I lowered my sodium intake, and the water retention in my face and body decreased a lot. This made my face and skin look better in the morning.
If you lower your sodium intake and still experience puffy, sagging skin in the morning, I highly recommend the Beauty Bioscience Quadralipid Skin Recovery Cream.
This firming cream gently glides on the skin, which helps it restore its firmness and texture. It firms and tightens puffy, sagging skin which helps give a more youthful and well-hydrated appearance.
2. Facial Movement and Blood Flow
Another reason why your skin looks better at night is the facial movements you did during the day. Your face moves when you talk, eat, and smile, including other activities during the day.
All of these movements cause the muscles in your face to work and blood to flow; thus, causing the skin to have a better appearance by night.
While asleep, you won’t be moving your face much (unless you sleep talk), your facial muscles relax, blood flow is less, and your skin will turn paler and dull-looking by morning.
3. Sun
There are good and bad sides to being
exposed to the sun. The first good thing is that you get Vitamin D from
exposure to the sun. You don’t need to stay in the sun for too long to get
Vitamin D – just 15 minutes is more than enough.
The bright light from the sun is also known to increase serotonin which helps in improving a person’s mood. Sun exposure also helps in treating seasonal affective disorder, which is usually triggered during the winter season.
The sun, even if cloudy, will make your skin look less dull-looking, so by evening, your skin should look better.
Just do not stay in the sun for too long, or you can damage your skin. Over-exposure to the sun can cause redness, pain or tenderness, swelling, and blisters. You just need a few minutes a day to get vitamin D and also to add life and vibrancy to your skin.
To prevent your skin from getting sun damage throughout the day, consider using the Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Moisture Cream Broad Spectrum Sunscreen with SPF 30.
It’s a highly effective anti-aging cream with sunscreen that moisturizes your skin and protecting it from the harmful effects of the sun.
This cream from Elizabeth Arden is packed with beneficial ingredients, including idebenone ester, which fights free radicals, thiotaine, which protects the skin cells, lipochroman 6 that fortifies the skin’s moisture, and a green tea blend, which has anti-irritant properties.
Other Potential Causes for Why Your Skin Looks Better at Night
Another factor that can contribute to your skin looking better at night vs during the day is sitting in front of a screen. Our digital devices emit blue light, which is said to contribute to redness, hyperpigmentation, photo-aging, and wrinkles.
Exposure to blue light is also thought to trigger melasma, a condition in which the skin is triggered to produce more pigment. Dermatologists claim that exposure to blue light can cause inflammation and the breakdown of elastin and healthy collagen.
Many of us sit in front of a screen for many hours during the day. This can make the skin look worse. Then in the evening, your skin can look better if you are no longer sitting in front of a screen.
Although there aren’t enough studies on the effects of blue lights from digital devices and our skin, a lot of skin care brands are releasing products that offer blue light protection.
There are other reasons why your skin may look better at night compared to the morning. Another possible cause is that you might be more relaxed at night, and this shows up in your skin. Another possible reason is if you wore makeup all day, once the makeup is removed, it is able to relax and breathe.
Night Skin Care Routine
Everyone should have a nightly skin care routine that they stick to as much as possible. A good nightly skin care routine will help your skin look better the next morning. A proper nightly skincare routine as the following steps:
1. Remove Your Makeup
Using a makeup remover should be the first thing you do as part of your night skin care routine, even before using a cleanser.
Try the Erno Lazlo Multi-Phase Makeup Remover – it loosens oil-based cosmetics and provides a gentle yet effective way to dissolve makeup completely:
It is also phthalate-free, sulfate-free, colorant-free, and paraben-free.
2. Use a Cleanser
Use a gentle cleanser that will clean your skin but not disrupt your natural oils. Choose a cleanser that will help remove dirt, dead skin cells and unclog pores to prevent acne. Regular cleansing will help your skin look radiant and healthy each morning.
3. Use a Toner
Some people completely skip using toners, but they have many benefits. Toners help close pores and can even protect and remove minerals and chlorine that are in tap water. They help in cleaning your skin thoroughly and closing your pores, leading to better-looking skin in the morning and evening.
4. Using a Serum
This is the
time when you should use and apply any treatment products your skin needs, like
a spot treatment for acne. This is also the point in your skincare routine
where you apply any prescriptions given by your dermatologist. A hydrating or brightening
serum would be a good product to use, depending on what your skin needs.
5. Use an Eye Cream
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and this is true for eye creams. You may think you don’t need it yet, but it’s actually better to start using an eye cream as a preventive measure to combat any fine lines from appearing too soon.
An eye cream with peptides is a good choice since it is super hydrating and keeps wrinkles, crow’s feet, and fine lines at bay.
6. Use a Moisturizer
Use a moisturizer that will hydrate and repair your skin at the same time. It should be a product that won’t clog your pores, though.
A moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acid is a great choice because it helps your skin retain moisture through the night – and makes you wake up with better-looking skin in the morning.
An optional addition to a nightly skin care routine is to use a face mask once or twice a week. A hydrating mask is ideal if your skin is towards the dry side, and a clay mask is a great choice if you have oily or combination skin.
If you use the right kind of products for your skin type regularly, it will help in making your skin look great both in the morning and at night.
Morning Skin Care Routine
Just like following a proper night skin care routine, you need to follow a proper morning skin care routine. In the morning, you should use these products:
A cleanser to remove any remaining products you used from the night before.
A serum, preferably with glycolic acid. This will help make your pores look smaller, prevent clogged pores, and minimize dark spots.
An eye serum since the eyes are one of the more sensitive parts of the face, and often age the fastest.
A lightweight moisturizer that will help prime your skin for the day ahead. Consider using a tinted moisturizer that will give your skin color.
SPF to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. You should use sunscreen all year round, even when cloudy. This is a step in your morning skincare routine that you should not skip.
Your daytime skincare routine should be
focused on hydrating your skin, as well as priming and preparing it for the day
ahead. Think of preparing your skin for whatever elements it will encounter
during the day.
Your nighttime skincare routine should be focused on repairing your skin. The night is when you should focus on issues your skin may have. At night, there is more time to indulge in different products and treatments like face masks.
Conclusion – Why Does My Skin Look Better at Night?
Why does my skin look better at night? You’re not alone if you’re wondering, as many have the same experience. There are 3 main reasons why your skin looks better at night:
Gravity and Fluid (Water Retention)
Facial Movement and Blood Flow
Sun
Skin looks better at night because the water retention and puffiness go away as the day goes by. Most people wake up with skin that looks like it’s swollen, but after a few hours, the swelling recedes, and your normal facial features are back to normal.
Also, throughout the day, as your skin gets some sun and movement (so it has better blood flow), it looks better at nighttime.
With the right skincare routine, keeping yourself hydrated, and getting plenty of sleep, you can help your skin look its best both during the day and night!
