Night time Routine for Sensitive Dry Skin

Whenever I pack my bags to travel somewhere (favorite destination: home for the holidays), I find myself standing in the bathroom, looking at all those pretty little bottles on the shelf and contemplating which ones are really worth the limited space in my suitcase. As you might expect, I keep coming back to the same products over and over again. So while I am busy counting the minutes until I am en route to my parents’ home in the mountains to spend Christmas with my family (no sight of snow, unfortunately), I thought this whole “packing my bags procedure” is the perfect time to reflect on my daily routine. My night time routine for sensitive dry skin, to be precise.

Luckily, I have never been someone to struggle with acne, impurities or bad breakouts – not even during puberty. However, everyone struggles with their skin for different reasons and my biggest troubles have always been with my skin’s level of moisture and the fact that it is super sensitive, aka prone to redness. That being said, I am lucky on the skin department, because there are plenty of sos remedies for dry and sensitive skin. It simply takes some time to discover the right ones for you.

[Disclaimer] I know I say this all the time, but find it important to repeat myself again: There is no one-for-all solution when it comes to skin. I am super picky about the products I use and would never recommend something that I don’t 100% love.

as Vogue put it: Particularly during the bone-dry winter season, cleansing is one of the most—if not the most—significant steps in a conscious skin-care regimen. Foremost, because it’s essential to strike that delicate balance of lifting off every last bit of dirt and makeup while preserving any natural oils. And yet, over-cleansing will leave skin borderline sandpapery and parched.

My Night Time Routine

Cleanse: While I used to swear by micellar water for years (still love it), I recently discovered a product that seems to work ever better with my skin. Cleansing oil. In October, I had my skin age tested and it turns out my skin is 31 whereas I am only 29. Not the results I was looking for. Often, older skin is characterized by less moisture. Not a surprise with my eczema. Still, I was determined to get my skin’s age back to my actual age and consulted with a dermatologist, who advised me to try an alternative to micellar water. She said, that especially after using it nonstop for many years, my skin might simply need a change and recommended a cleansing oil. I usually don’t like anything oily but am over the moon with the results. How to use a cleansing oil for dry and sensitive skin? 1) Warm 2-3 pumps of cleansing oil between your palms. 2) Massage into dry skin, with your eyes closed. 3) Emulsify with a little water, either using your hands or a hot cloth. 4) Rinse thoroughly, then pat dry.
Mask: Once or twice per week I use a mask. Depending on the time of the year and current skin condition, I use a mask every 3 to 4 days. Usually alternating one that is deep-cleansing with a super light peeling for sensitive skin and a mask for extra moisture. My newest obsession is the Sand & Sky mask from Australia with pink clay. It is super gentle in terms of exfoliation and leaves my skin silky smooth. For hydration, especially now during winter, my no. 1 go-to mask is the skin nourish by Bobbi Brown. For more about my favorite masks, be sure to check out this post on my top 5 face masks for sensitive skin. For days that I don’t use a mask, I skip step 2 and go straight from cleansing to toning…
Tone: For years, I used to stay as far away from toners as possible. Why? I thought they usually came in form of alcohol solutions that burned my skin. I was wrong, of course. Turns out, there is such a thing as a moisturizing toner, an alcohol-free formula that provides an immediate refreshing effect, without causing irritation. Plus, it preps the skin for all the products that come after. Using a toner pre-serum has become a fixed element in my daily night time routine and it seems weird to think that I used to be so against this step.
Hydrating Serum: No matter if summer or winter, a hydrating serum is always a must in my skincare routine. During summer I usually stick with a light hyaluronic serum but during winter my skin needs a bit more. In November I started using the Vinosource S.O.S. thirst quenching serum by Caudalie and just re-purchased my second bottle to get me through the holidays. The serum, highly concentrated in Grape Water, is perfect to restore moisture levels for dehydrated skin. It captures and continuously diffuses water to leave the skin feeling refreshed and supple. I love the texture (slightly milk, super fast absorbing and no weird “coat” on the skin) and calming effect it has. Combining powerful rehydrating active ingredients (97% of natural origin), this oil-free serum stimulates the internal hydration mechanisms to restore optimum hydration levels.
Moisturizer: Last, but definitely not least, a moisturizer is the final step in my routine. While I have had great results with La Mer and Charlotte Tilbury last Winter, I am currently using a customized moisturizer my dermatologist prescribed. It is ultrabas-based and I had it mixed in my local pharmacy. While it works great for my skin, I purposely did not take pictures of the ingredients because this is something you definitely have to consult your doctor for. Of course, it does not contain any serious or harmful ingredients (ie. no cortisone or antibiotics) but still, I am not qualified to give you feedback or input. However, if you are looking for a great moisturizer for dry and sensitive skin, I would recommend Charlotte Tilbury’s magic cream or (if you are looking for a way to spend all your holiday money) the Creme de la Mer. I have tried and tested both over long periods and my skin did really well with them!