Many of us lead busy, active lives, and by the end of the day, we’d rather curl right up in bed than stand in front of the mirror. But cultivating a skin care ritual offers a wonderful, soothing way to unwind — a moment of well-deserved self-love, focused on cleansing and restoration.
An ideal nightly routine focuses on repair and rejuvenation. By cleansing and nourishing our skin before we sleep, we give our body the chance to restore itself to full vitality overnight and be ready for a new day.
Our skin works hard to protect us from the elements — sun, wind, and extreme temperatures, dust and dirt, and even bacteria. Environmental factors can cause irritation, especially on the delicate skin of the face. Because our skin forms a protective barrier, it can also accumulate buildup, including bacteria, oil, dirt, and debris. Over time, this buildup has the potential to penetrate the epidermal layer and lead to inflammation.
In an unpredictable world, creating intention-centered ritual offers a sense of stability and continuity, rooting us back into the flow of time while offering a sense of renewal.
An ideal nightly routine focuses on repair and rejuvenation. By cleansing and nourishing our skin before we sleep, we give our body the chance to restore itself to full vitality overnight and be ready for a new day. We also help our skin stay clear and firm into the future. The concept of “beauty rest” is more accurate than we might think: during the nighttime, our skin is better able to absorb the nutrients in skin care products, which accelerates healthy cellular regeneration.
1: Cleanse
Begin by cleansing the skin with Sageborn’s Purifying Cleansing Oil. Cleansing with oil might sound counterintuitive at first, as we’ve been buffeted with messages of “oil-free” from the skin care industry. But facial cleansing oil has been trusted and beloved for hundreds of years, and thanks to its proven benefits, oil is gaining ground again in mainstream skin care. Oil cleansers work on the principle of “like dissolves like.” Our Purifying Cleansing Oil combines sunflower, avocado, and rosehip oils to provide the skin with essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins. The formula helps clean out clogged pores while gently removing dead skin and makeup, all without stripping the skin of its natural oils.
For more inspiration on cleansing with oil, watch our how-to video and read our blog post on cleansing with oil.
Remove the Purifying Cleansing Oil with our soft, reusable, organic Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloth. Soak the cloth in warm water, and then easily wipe away all the dirt, oil, makeup, and free radicals loosened up by the Cleansing Oil. Using bamboo on the face versus a washcloth is truly a nourishing experience!
2: Refresh
After cleansing, it’s time to refresh, soothe, and hydrate with our Refreshing Botanical Facial Mist. The mist is formulated with anti-inflammatory properties and provides light but powerful hydration for the sensitive skin of the face. Antibacterial and high in essential fatty acids, it helps with fine lines while calming any redness.
3: Treat
If you have blemishes, this is where you could apply our Healing Blemish Treatment. It helps to alleviate acne and blemishes with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial organic oils, which soothe redness and puffiness without causing the skin to dry out.
4: Hydrate
Finish up your evening of self-care by adding a couple of drops of our Rejuvenating Facial Oil into our Anti-Aging Carrot Seed Moisturizer — an uber-hydrating but light-textured blend formulated to nourish, protect, and restore. A moisturizing treatment supports your skin’s vibrancy and natural defenses.
5: Weekly Masque
Once a week before bed, we suggest applying a facial masque. Masques provide our skin with a reset, with different ones offering different benefits. Regular masques can provide us with an extra boost of superpowers when it comes to naturally flawless skin.
Our Vitamin C Facial Masque supports skin brightness and a more even pigmentation while improving overall skin tone. This masque can even be added to any smoothie for a burst of vitamin C!
Our Montana Clay Facial Masque heals and detoxifies the skin, harnessing the pure mineral power of natural clay to draw impurities and toxins from the pores while improving complexion for all skin types.
On masque days, we recommend the following steps for your nightly routine: cleanse, mist, and then apply the masque. Remove the masque with your Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloth. Then, mist again, and hydrate with either Rejuvenating Facial Oil, Vitamin C Facial Oil, or Anti-Aging Carrot Seed Facial Moisturizer. Our Facial Masque Brush and Facial Masque Bowl make masque applications easy and pleasant, allowing you to keep both your face and fingers clean.
For more inspiration on applying and removing masques, watch our how-to video.
6: Relax
Aromatherapy invites peace of mind and body and prepares us for restful sleep. Try our High Desert Perfume roll-on, scented with lavender and sage, for a deep sense of calm and relaxation. Apply it to your pulse points, inhale, and let go of the cares of the day.
Finding Your Routine
Settling into the perfect nightly skin care routine will take time, as you explore and discover what feels best for you and your skin. Give yourself time as your evening self-love ritual becomes more habitual. To create consistency, make sure you set aside time each night to devote to your skin care practice. It takes your cells time to regenerate, so give it at least two to four weeks before expecting to see results. In the meantime, enjoy the time you’ve dedicated to yourself in this calming, sensory experience. Even if you just have fifteen minutes, we promise that you’ll experience positive changes — not only in how your skin looks and feels, but in your state of mind and overall wellbeing.
To create consistency, make sure you set aside time each night to devote to your skin care practice. It takes your cells time to regenerate, so give it at least two to four weeks before expecting to see results.
Caring for ourselves in this way offers a chance to reconnect with our bodies. It is an expression of gratitude and trust for the incredible physical vessel which carries us through life. And in an unpredictable world, creating intention-centered ritual offers a sense of stability and continuity, rooting us back into the flow of time while offering a sense of renewal.