This night-time habit could be making you break-out the next morning

Time to rethink your evening regime

We all have our night-time rituals. Some people take a bath to unwind, others drink herbal tea to make them sleepy, and most of us employ some form of skincare routine. Generally this entails cleansing away the grime from the day and moisturising before bed. However, if you have oily skin, this particular routine might be causing you to break-out over night.

Usually we moisturise our face before bed to keep our skin hydrated as we sleep and protect it during the regeneration process. But this moisturising habit could be the cause of those pesky morning blemishes. Your skin produces natural oils that are hydrating and balancing, so if you already have plenty of this going round, adding more to the mix can end up clogging your pores.

That's not to say that you can't give your skin the added benefit of certain vitamins and minerals if you have oily skin. Serums are much lighter than rich creams and have the ability to penetrate deeply into your skin. If you're after something that will help reverse daily damage, try an anti-oxidant infused serum (find the perfect one with this quiz) - it will help keep your skin protected and promote cell-turnover without clogging your pores.

Also keep in mind that the evening is the best time to target any skin concerns you may have. As you sleep, your skin goes into rejuvenation mode, allowing your skin cells to repair and rebuild themselves during all stages of sleep. This means that any extra nutrients you give to your skin at this time will reach your new skin cells faster than they would during the day when your skin is in protection mode.

However, if you don't have oily skin and you feel like you need extra hydration, embrace moisturiser at night and invest in one of the best night creams available. There's a plethora of formulations out there that can help combat fine lines and wrinkles, reduce the appearance of pigmentation and strengthen your skin's natural barrier to help maintain moisture the next day.