#HealthBytes: Essential steps of daily night-time skincare routine

After a whole day of having your face exposed to dirt and other harmful substances, you need to properly cleanse your face.

If you have makeup on, you must remove it, preferably by using an oil-based cleanser.

Avoid scrubbing the under-eye area. Gently pat it with a cotton pad dipped in liquid.

If there is no makeup, clean your face with a water-based cleanser.

Rejuvenate your skin by applying toner over clean, dry skin every night. This step adds an additional boost of hydration to your skin.

Remember to wait till the toner liquid dries up on your face, before applying anything else.

This prevents the acids from neutralizing before they can work.

Toning also balances skin pH and preps your skin for the next steps.

Facial serums contain nutrients, hydrators, and antioxidants that are beneficial for overall skin health. Sometimes, these nutrients are even targeted toward fighting particular skin problems like acne, hyper pigmentation, etc.

Using a serum containing Hyaluronic acid at night injects water from the air into your skin to keep it hydrated while you sleep.

For anti-aging effects, ensure that your serum contains retinol or peptide.

To lock all the essential ingredients from the previous steps into your skin, moisturize your skin.

This keeps your skin hydrated and soft. Choose a light-textured moisturizer to avoid uncomfortable residue.

Use eye creams to hydrate the delicate skin around your eyes.

These products, which usually contain peptides, are useful for avoiding wrinkles, dark circles, fine lines and other signs of aging.

Face masks are the best way of nourishing your skin. But the only limitation here is time.

However, consider applying a hydrating mask to your face at least once a week. Make it a weekend ritual.

You can either go for homemade face masks, or use the ready made ones from store.

For oily skin use clay masks, and hydrating ones for dry skin.