Sleep is a wonderful thing: Brain cells are healing themselves, organs are detoxifying, and stress is slipping away. So it’s really no surprise that people with amazing skin tend to have nighttime skincare routines they stick to, no matter what. A great nighttime skincare ritual is crucial, as your skin cells not only have a higher regeneration rate while you’re asleep, but they’re much more receptive to nutrients you’ve applied before bed.
For someone like me — a lover of beauty products, but also a huge believer in natural health and chronic label-reading — this is both a good and bad thing. It means that skincare products are more effective at night, but it also means that you’re way more vulnerable to the chemicals and synthetic ingredients that are absorbing into your body while you sleep. Thankfully, though, nature has provided.
There are great skincare products for your skin type that don't sacrifice quality natural ingredients for effectiveness. Whether you’re dealing with dry skin, oily skin, breakout-prone skin, or anything in between, there are 100 percent natural ingredients you can use at night to wake up to beautiful, glowing skin by morning. Simply find your skin type below, and personalize your nighttime skincare routine with the right ingredients and habits to suit your facial needs.
Acne-Prone Or Sensitive Skin:
Cleanse Away Breakouts With Dead Sea Mud
Three Artisan Dead Sea Mud Soaps , $25, Amazon
Mud from the Dead Sea contains loads of minerals, like magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, and sulfur, all of which are paramount when it comes to retaining moisture, easing inflammation, and healing skin from the inside out. These artisan Dead Sea mud soaps not only contain genuine Dead Sea mud from Israel, but they also have healing and hydrating ingredients like shea butter, olive oil, and coconut oil, which has natural antibacterial qualities to fight acne. Reviewers love it because it won’t dry out your skin, but it still targets breakouts, acne, and blackheads.
Tackle Bacteria With Manuka Honey
Wild Naturals Honey Face Cream Moisturizer , $19, Amazon
When it comes to acne, honey is one of the best natural remedies there is. It moisturizes skin from the inside out, but it also has antibacterial and probiotic qualities that target breakouts at the source. This Wild Naturals honey face cream is filled with natural ingredients like Manuka honey, coconut oil, and vitamins that cleanse and moisturize skin without clogging pores. Those who use this cream love how smooth the texture is, how nicely it absorbs into skin, and how soothing and gentle it is on extremely sensitive skin.
Control Acne-Causing Sebum With Argan Oil
Pura d'or Organic Acne Treatment , $11, Amazon
Argan oil naturally regulates the production of sebum, which makes it a great resource for reducing breakouts. Pura d'or's organic acne treatment's top ingredient is argan oil, but it also contains natural and bacteria-fighting tea tree oil, calming lavender oil, and lemon oil, which acts as an astringent to cleanse and tighten pores. The fact that it possesses anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties makes it a great option for those with sensitive skin. After washing your face, two drops before bedtime can help treat stubborn breakouts and redness, and one reviewer said that after a few weeks, she now has no problem going makeup-free.
Oily Or Temperamental Skin:
Pull Out Impurities With Charcoal
Barbary Natural Charcoal Face Wash , $20, Amazon
For oily skin (or skin that fluctuates between oily and dry), you’ll want something that’ll help balance your sebum production and pull out anything that might be blocking your pores. This Barbary natural charcoal face wash contains pure activated charcoal that purifies skin without drying it out, soaking up any impurities like a magnet. It also contains green, white, and rooibos tea, which act as powerful antioxidants to produce brighter, healthier skin, as well as various vitamins to promote collagen growth.
Absorb Excess Sebum With Clay
Oshi Glows Facial Clay Mask , $15, Amazon
When it comes to before-bed treatments for oily skin, a good clay mask will do wonders, due to its super absorbent properties. The Oshi Glows clay mask contains both bentonite and kaolin clay — two substances that are really effective when it comes to soaking up all that excess sebum. However, it also contains healthy and balancing ingredients like aloe vera, grape seed oil, and kelp, and when combined, all of these things effortlessly clear skin, tighten pores, reduce oil production. It’s easy to apply, washes off with just a warm washcloth, and leaves skin feeling silky smooth.
Balance Your Skin’s pH With Apple Cider Vinegar
Restoar Apple Cider Vinegar Face Toner , $23, Amazon
Apple cider vinegar is an awesome option for those with temperamental skin, as it naturally balances the pH so your skin can stay at an ideal level between oily and dry. Restoar's apple cider vinegar toner combines organic apple cider vinegar with other toning and balancing ingredients like rose water, tea tree, lavender, and cedarwood. Reviewers especially love that, instead of APC’s usual sour smell, this one has a fresh and invigorating scent, and waking up with clean, toned skin is a definite plus.
Dry Or Itchy Skin:
Use A Soap That Nourishes Instead Of Strips
Incredible By Nature African Black Soap , $13, Amazon
If you’ve got dry or flaking skin, your soap is the first place you should look. Most bars strip all of the hydration, natural oils, and health-giving flora from your skin, but Incredible By Nature's bar gently cleanses while replenishing all the nutrients and moisture you’ve lost. It’s filled with all-natural ingredients like palm oil, cocoa pod, coconut oil, unrefined shea butter, plantain ash, and vitamin E, and it works wonderfully for everything from your usual wintry dry skin to eczema and psoriasis. Perhaps that’s why words like “Amazing, “Miracle,” and “Best Soap Ever,” are being tossed around by reviewers.
Gently Exfoliate With Hydrating Coconut Milk
First Botany Cosmeceuticals Coconut Milk Body Polish , $15, Amazon
A before-bed exfoliation session could work wonders as far as removing dead skin and dry flakes, but you really have to be careful here — dry skin means that your face is already a little agitated, and if you don’t use something gentle, you might be doing more harm than good. First Botany Cosmeceuticals has a coconut milk formula that uses Dead Sea salt to carefully get rid of that top layer of dead skin. It also has vitamin E, grapeseed oil, and avocado oil to soften, heal, and moisturize, and those who use it are thrilled with everything from the smell to the texture, and of course, the results.
Moisturize With Olive Oil
Olivella All Natural Virgin Olive Oil Moisturizer , $12, Amazon
Olive oil is absolutely loaded with antioxidants, vitamin E, and vitamin K, but it’s also a humectant, which means it helps skin to pull in and retain moisture. That’s what makes Olivella's olive oil moisturizer an incredible option for dry and flaking skin. When this olive oil is paired with orange and lavender, it creates this ultra-hydrating and healing moisturizer that’s great for before-bed use.
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