Beauty Tips for Ministers

To Night Cream Or Not To Night Cream?

March 29, 2008 on 9:30 pm | In Make-Up And Skin Care |

Darlings, Caroline Divine asks PeaceBang’s opinion on night cream. Someone advised her to forget about it and to “let her skin breathe.”

That’s an interesting idea, and God knows that MotherBang has beautiful skin at the age of 69 without having washed her face with anything but soap over the years or having used night cream (she now uses various retinol-based creams, however). I’m sure it can be done.

However, PeaceBang’s skin looks and feels MUCH better when she follows a nightly regimen of washing with a gentle cream-based cleanser (currently using one by REN), smoothing on an anti-oxidant serum with retinol in it (this excellent product by Paula’s Choice) and finishing off (after giving the serum time to soak in) with a healing, redness-reducing moisturizer (currently by REN). She dots ROC eye cream with retinol under and around her eyes (the evidence is undeniable; I had worse crow’s feet two years ago than I do now), puts in her night bite guard and goes to sleep at a decent hour.

During the day, I wash with a gentle cleanser in the shower, smooth on an anti-oxidant pomegranate serum by Desert Essence, top it with a Neutrogena SPF 30 sunblock (or I skip it and use a Neutrogena tinted moisturizer with SPF 30 — not really enough but I’m not much in the sun until the warmer months). I must thank Miss Conduct, Robin Abrahams, for turning me on to this wonderful Neutrogena product.

I exfoliate twice a week or so with either a fruit enzyme masque or Aveda’s Tourmaline Charged Radiance Masque. I cannot use anything even vaguely granular on my skin; not even so-called “gentle” scrubs.

If you are adding up the cost of all these products, believe me, I am too. The masques and serums last for many months. The eye cream lasts even longer than that. I use the expensive cleanser only at night (when I try to massage it in for a full, relaxing minute or so) and a $8-10 one for daytime use, when I’m in a hurry. I portion out my REN moisturizer carefully and even the small pump bottle lasts pretty long, though not as long as I would like, because I LOVE REN products and think they’ve done wonders for my skin. They are worth every penny, and when I don’t have enough pennies to keep myself in REN, I switch to the closest drugstore equivalent I can find.

This recent photo was taken in winter sunlight: I’m wearing eye make-up and lip color, but nothing on my face but the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer Tinted Moisturizer and some creme blush. I’m 42 years old, very fair and have extremely sensitive, blotchy-and redness-prone skin. I’m happy with the results of all my potions. Drinking enough water, eating well and exercising also make a big difference in my skin’s appearance, of course, and so does being happy. Do what works for you, pigeons!