The Bedtime Skincare Routine - Prevage MD

As promised yesterday, I will describe the evening skincare routine. As with morning, it starts with cleansers, often Giorgio Armani's Crema Nera Mineral Cleansing Balm or Lierac Lait Demaquillant Douceur, gentle makeup removers appropriate for dry and/or sensitive skin. If I end up looking like the darling girl raccoon outside, I use a gentle eye makeup remover under my eyes. One of my favorites is made by Vichy and another by Korres (more on them in a later post).

Then I apply Prevage MD on my face and neck and Prevage Eye on my upper and lower lids. You must use antioxidants, and I have found that Idebenone at the 1% concentration in Prevage MD works well. If you Google Idebenone, you will find that it's a powerful antioxidant. Supposedly, its small molecule allows it to penetrate the skin more deeply than many other products. It blocks or neutralizes free radicals and reduces fine lines, wrinkles, roughness, and dryness, while improving tone, smoothness, firmness, and overall appearance. It got a lot or press when it was introduced, and I have found the claims to be true. Prevage Eye is a moisturizing treatment that also includes Idebenone, so you get the dual benefit of treatment and moisturizing in one product. I noticed an immediate improvement in my skin when I started to use these products. While their list price is expensive, a resourceful gal can find deep discounts on the Web.

I follow the Prevage MD with a moisturizer. At night, I switch off a lot, but my favorites are Lierac Hydra-Chrono Baume Extreme, available at select CVS stores, and Cosmedicine Private Nurse, which you can purchase at Sephora or Ulta. Both products are super moisturizers with anti-aging ingredients. They feel good and last all night, even with my face on a cotton pillow case.

To top that off, I use a 12% Lactic Acid moisturizer on my hands and feet right before I go to sleep. Sounds time consuming? It's not, and the difference this routine makes in my skin makes it all worthwhile. I wish I had developed these "habits" long ago, but "back then" we didn't know about free radicals, antioxidants, or the ravages of those baby oil sunning days.