ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO NIGHT-TIME SKINCARE

Woman using a foaming facial wash to clean her skin

Publish Date: November 27, 2025

Taking a moment to care for your skin before bed can make a big difference. Even on nights when you’re tired and tempted to skip it, removing your make-up and following a routine isn’t just skincare - think of it as a nightly ritual to relax, unwind, and give your skin the support it needs overnight.

A consistent night-time cleansing routine removes the day’s build-up of make-up, excess oil and environmental pollutants, while preparing your skin to rest, regenerate, and rehydrate - exactly what it needs to wake up looking radiant and refreshed.

The benefits of effective night time cleansing

During the day, your skin is constantly exposed to environmental aggressors such as pollution, UV rays and make-up. Overnight, however, it enters recovery mode - working to regenerate, repair and replenish itself while you sleep. A gentle, thorough cleanse each evening is essential to give your skin the best foundation to do that.

Our double cleansing ritual - rooted in Japanese skincare tradition and modern ceramide science - supports this essential process. The first step is using an emulsion-based or oil-based cleanser to gently dissolve makeup, sebum and sunscreen while preserving essential ceramides.

The second step, using a water-based cleanser like our Curél Foaming Facial Wash, lifts away any remaining impurities without stripping the skin’s moisture barrier.

When your skin is clean, it’s far more receptive to moisturising care - allowing moisturisers to work more efficiently.

When you effectively clean your skin before bed, you’re also enjoying the following benefits:

Minimising the risk of breakouts: Removing makeup at night and thoroughly cleansing away impurities helps prevent clogged pores and reduces the risk of breakouts.
Supporting skin hydration: Cleansing removes barriers like excess oil and dead skin cells, enabling moisturisers to penetrate more deeply and maintain skin hydration throughout the night.
Promoting better sleep: Engaging in a night-time skincare routine can be a calming ritual that signals your body it's time to wind down, potentially improving sleep quality.

Cleansing skin in the morning

Even if you don’t wear heavy makeup, your skin still benefits from double cleansing in the evening. This combination of gentle, effective oil and water-based cleansing removes not just cosmetics but excess sebum and microscopic pollutants - all without compromising your natural skin barrier.

In the morning, a single cleanse using a gentle foaming cleanser is typically enough to refresh your skin and remove any overnight build-up of sweat, sebum and dead skin cells.

As another option, our Hydrating Makeup Cleanser offers a unique rinse-free alternative to foam cleansers, or traditional micellar waters which can often have a drying effect on skin. Expertly formulated for dry, sensitive skin and infused with Biomimetic Ceramide Technology, this milky emulsion effortlessly glides across skin and lifts away impurities while replenishing ceramide levels, delivering intense hydration and soothing comfort.

It can be used as the first step in a double cleansing routine, or as a standalone cleanser for a simpler ritual, leaving skin clean, calm, and nourished - no rinsing required.

Woman removing make up effectively with a cotton pad

Caring for mature skin overnight

As skin matures, it naturally becomes more vulnerable to dryness, sensitivity, and a loss of firmness - challenges that are often amplified overnight when skin goes through its essential repair processes.

Mature skin has a natural reduction in ceramide levels as it ages, weakening the skin’s moisture barrier and making it more prone to dehydration, fine lines, and lack of plumpness.

Our Restorative Aging Care range has been developed specially for dry, sensitive skin that’s showing signs of ageing, offering gentle, daily solutions that replenish and support the skin’s natural barrier.

Enriched with Biomimetic Ceramide Technology, Ginger Root Extract and Allantoin, these products provide deep hydration, boost skin plumpness, and promote visibly firmer, smoother skin - making it the ideal overnight companion for those with mature, sensitive skin seeking comfort and care without compromise.

For best results, we recommend pairing these products with a cleanser from our Intensive Moisture Care range, helping to gently purify the skin while preserving essential ceramides - the perfect first step in your nightly skincare ritual.

Curél Restorative Aging Care range of products against a purple tiled background

What happens if you don’t remove your make-up at night?

Skipping an effective night cleanse doesn’t just affect the surface of your skin. Makeup, excess oil, and environmental particles can trap bacteria and clog pores. This can lead to breakouts, or even accelerate the appearance of fine lines due to moisture loss.

More than that, not cleansing properly before bed can disrupt the skin’s natural repair cycle. As you sleep, your body increases cell turnover and regeneration. If your skin is still coated with makeup or pollutants, this process can be hindered - leaving you more likely to wake up with dull, congested skin.

Does not cleansing at night affect your skin the next day?

Absolutely. If your skin isn’t properly cleansed and hydrated at night, you may find that your makeup doesn’t apply smoothly or evenly the next day. Foundation may cling to dry patches or slide off oily areas where your skin is overproducing sebum to compensate for dehydration.

By contrast, thoroughly cleansed and well-moisturised skin feels more comfortable, looks fresher, and provides a smooth canvas for applying makeup.