Skincare can be confusing enough without having to work out what time of day you’re supposed to use everything! Do you really need different products in the morning and evening? Can your favourite serum be used twice a day?
The truth is, you don’t need two completely different routines or a bathroom shelf overflowing with products! Some products can happily be used both morning and evening, while certain ingredients make more sense at different times of day.
The easiest way to think about it? In the morning, your goal is to protect and hydrate. At night, it’s all about repair and renewal.
So, what should you be using in the morning, what’s better saved for the evening, and which products can happily do both? Keep reading as we reveal all!
Should you use the same products morning and night?
Some of them, absolutely! Your cleanser, hydrating serum and even your moisturiser may work perfectly well morning and evening. Where the two routines tend to differ is in what you’re asking your skincare to do.
Think of your morning routine as preparing and protecting your skin for the day ahead, while your evening routine is about helping it recover and supporting its natural renewal processes overnight.
That means mornings are generally about antioxidants, hydration and SPF, while evenings are the ideal time for targeted actives such as retinol, along with plenty of hydration and nourishment. You don’t need twice as many products, you simply need to use the right ones at the right time.
So, what should you use in your morning skincare routine?
Your morning routine doesn’t need to involve lots of steps. Keep the focus on hydration, antioxidant protection and SPF.
Step 1. Start with your cleanser
Start with a gentle cleanser to refresh your skin and remove any oil, sweat or product residue from overnight. Your skin should feel clean and comfortable afterwards, never tight or stripped!
Step 2. Choose your serum
This is where you can tailor your morning routine to what your skin actually needs.
If brightening, antioxidant protection or uneven skin tone are your priority, vitamin C is a great choice for the morning. As a powerful antioxidant, it helps protect against free-radical damage caused by environmental stressors while helping skin look brighter and more even.
We LOVE Pevonia’s “C” Complexe with Oxyzomes. Its Oxyzomes delivery system is designed to enhance the delivery of its vitamin C complex to the skin, helping you get more from this powerful antioxidant. It helps brighten dull skin, improve the appearance of uneven tone and fine lines, and leaves the complexion looking smoother and more radiant. What’s more it feels like heaven on application and smells DIVINE.
If dehydration, dryness or fine lines caused by a lack of moisture are more of a concern, reach for a hydrating serum instead. Hyaluronic acid helps attract and retain moisture in the skin, helping it look plumper, smoother and more supple.
We can’t recommend enough the Pevonia Power Repair Hyaluronic Acid Hydra-Serum. It is a beautiful option when skin is feeling particularly thirsty and unlike vitamin C, there’s no particular time of day you need to reserve it for. You can use it morning or evening, depending on when your skin needs the extra hydration.
And if you want to use both products for that extra burst of nourishment and protection you Vitamin C and Hyaluronic acid are exceptionally good together! They are safe, fully compatible, and complement each other.
Step 3. Apply your moisturiser
Follow with a moisturiser suited to your skin type to lock in hydration and help support your skin barrier throughout the day.
Step 4. Never forget your SPF!
And finally, the non-negotiable morning step is sunscreen! Make sure you always apply a broad-spectrum SPF every morning to help protect your skin from UV damage, premature ageing and pigmentation, whatever the weather!
What should you use in your evening skincare routine?
At night, your routine shifts from protection to renewal, repair and nourishment.
Step 1. Cleanse your skin
Cleansing is particularly important in the evening to remove makeup, sunscreen, excess oil and the impurities that have accumulated on your skin throughout the day!
Step 2. Now choose your targeted treatment
Just as you would in the morning, choose your evening serum or treatment according to what your skin needs most.
If fine lines, uneven texture, dullness or loss of firmness are your main concerns, this is the perfect time to reach for retinol! Retinol is one of the most researched skincare ingredients for visible signs of ageing, helping to improve the appearance of all of the above over time.
Pevonia’s best-selling Micro-Retinol Essential Serum is a brilliant choice. It’s formulated with advanced micronised retinol technology to help refine skin texture and visibly smooth, brighten and firm the complexion.
Just remember, if you’re new to retinol, introduce it gradually rather than diving straight into nightly use. Your skin will thank you for it! You can find out more about retinol, its benefits, side effects and how to use it correctly in our complete guide to retinol after 40.
And if your skin simply needs a little extra nourishment or support? This is where other targeted serums containing ingredients such peptides, ceramides, hyaluronic acid or collagen-supporting actives can come into your routine.
Pevonia’s Power Repair Age Correction Intensifier – Collagen is an excellent option (and an absolute favourite of mine) when you skin is dry, dehydrated or those fine lines are suddenly looking a little more noticeable! Formulated with Marine Collagen Polypeptides, it gives moisture-depleted skin an intensive hydration boost, helping to plump and soften the appearance of fine lines while leaving skin beautifully soft, supple and far more radiant.
Step 3. Finish with your moisturiser
Finish with moisturiser to replenish moisture and support your skin overnight. If dryness, fine lines or loss of firmness are among your concerns, a richer formula such as Pevonia Age Correction Marine Collagen Cream can be a lovely choice. Rich and nourishing without feeling heavy, it combines marine collagen, hyaluronic acid, squalane and vitamin E to deeply replenish moisture, plump and smooth the skin while you sleep. Expect to wake up to skin that feels softer, more supple and beautifully hydrated!
And finally, if skin is feeling depleted and in need of a little extra TLC, a good face oil is the answer. A face oil helps replenish lost lipids, lock in moisture and leave skin feeling softer and nourished by morning! In winter we can’t get enough of Pevonia’s Vitaminic Concentrate. This vitamin-rich facial oil helps replenish lost lipids, support the skin barrier and lock in moisture overnight.
Which skincare ingredients should you use morning or night?
Ok so here’s the really easy part to remember. It’s what we’ve said above but in layman’s terms.
Vitamin C: Morning
Its antioxidant properties make it particularly useful during the day, ideally underneath your SPF.
Retinol: Evening
Retinol is best used as part of your evening routine, with daily SPF particularly important while using it.
Hyaluronic acid: Morning & evening
Use it whenever you like! Hyaluronic acid works beautifully morning and night and layers well with most other skincare ingredients.
Peptides: Morning & evening
Another flexible ingredient. Peptides can generally be used at either time of day to help support smoother, firmer-looking skin.
Ceramides: Morning & evening
Ceramides help support your skin barrier and retain moisture, so there’s no need to restrict them to one particular routine.
Exfoliating acids: Usually evening
AHAs and BHAs such as glycolic, lactic and salicylic acid are generally better suited to your evening routine. Just be careful not to overload your skin with too many active ingredients at once.
Can you use vitamin C and retinol on the same day?
Yes! And one of the simplest ways to use both is Vitamin C in the morning. Retinol at night.
Separating them between your morning and evening routines means you can enjoy the benefits of both without layering multiple powerful actives at the same time.
If your skin is sensitive or you’re new to active ingredients, introduce them gradually and one at a time so you can see how your skin responds.
So, what’s actually essential?
Probably less than you think. You don’t need a complicated routine with endless layers of serums, creams and treatments. A gentle cleanser, good hydration, moisturiser and daily SPF give you a great foundation.
From there, it’s about choosing targeted ingredients based on what your skin actually needs. Vitamin C can add antioxidant protection and radiance to your morning routine, while retinol can target visible signs of ageing at night. Hyaluronic acid, peptides and ceramides can happily support your skin morning and evening.
And remember, more skincare doesn’t necessarily mean better skin. A simple routine filled with products that suit your skin (and that you use consistently) will almost always beat an overflowing bathroom cabinet you don’t quite know what to do with!
