Last updated: February 2026 · Written by Jasmine, founder of Layers of Beauty
Your skin does most of its healing while you sleep. That’s not just something beauty brands say to sell products — it’s backed by real science. Studies show that your skin loses more water and works harder to fix itself at night. So the products you put on before bed actually make a huge difference in how your skin looks the next morning.
If you live in Los Angeles like me, this matters even more. LA’s air is dry (humidity drops below 50% for months), the sun is strong almost every day of the year, and the pollution from traffic is no joke. All of that beats up your skin during the day. Your nighttime routine is when you undo that damage.
Quick Answer: A good nighttime skincare routine in Los Angeles means washing off all your sunscreen and pollution, using treatments that help your skin bounce back from the dry air, and finishing with a thick moisturizer that keeps your skin hydrated while you sleep.
In This Post:
- Overview
- Step 1: Double Cleanse
- Step 2: Tone Your Skin
- Step 3: Exfoliate Weekly
- Step 4: Apply Treatments
- Step 5: Eye Cream
- Step 6: Lock in Moisture
- How to Layer Your Products
- Night Routine vs. Morning Routine
- Pros & Cons
- Who This Is Best For
- FAQs
- Final Verdict
Overview
I’ve tried hundreds of products over the years, and my nighttime skincare routine is the one thing I never skip. After a full day in Los Angeles — makeup on since morning, sunscreen reapplied who knows how many times, and hours in dry air whether I’m in my car or indoors with the AC blasting — my skin is begging for help by the end of the day. The idea behind a nighttime routine is pretty simple: wash off everything from the day, treat whatever your skin needs help with, and lock in moisture so your skin can heal while you sleep. A study from 2017 found that just one night of bad sleep made skin drier, less bouncy, and more rough. So what you do before bed really does show up on your face the next morning. The good news? You don’t need 20 steps. My routine takes about ten minutes. I wake up with soft, glowy skin that’s ready for another day in the LA sun.Step 1: Double Cleanse
Double cleansing changed everything for me. It just means washing your face twice — first with an oil cleanser, then with a regular one. The oil cleanser goes on dry skin and melts away makeup, sunscreen, and all the oily stuff that builds up during the day. I massage it in for about a minute, especially around my eyes where mascara likes to hang on. Then I add a little water to rinse it off. The second wash is a gentle, water-based cleanser that picks up anything the oil missed. Right now I love the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser (around $16 at Ulta or Target). It cleans without making my skin feel tight or stripped. This step is extra important if you live in LA. A 2025 study found that air pollution particles can make your skin rougher and cause it to lose moisture way faster. Between sunscreen, makeup, and smog from driving around the city, your face picks up a lot during the day. If you don’t get all of that off, your serums and creams can’t do their job. After six months of double cleansing, my pores looked smaller and my products worked so much better. Even when I’m exhausted, I never skip this step.Step 2: Tone Your Skin
For me, toning your skin is the most important step. Think of it as a primer for everything that comes next. A good toner helps balance your skin and adds a quick splash of hydration — which matters a lot when you live somewhere as dry as LA, where the humidity can sit around 50% or lower for months. I pat the toner into my skin with cotton pads from target. If your skin is oily, look for a toner with niacinamide or witch hazel. If your skin runs dry lin winter, grab one with hyaluronic acid. The main rule is to avoid anything with alcohol — that’ll just dry you out more in LA’s already dry air. My go-to is the Thayers Lavender Facial Toner (around $12). It’s alcohol-free, super calming, and makes my skin feel soft and ready for the next steps. It’s one of those small steps that makes a big difference by morning.Step 3: Exfoliate Weekly
I exfoliate once or twice a week — never every night. Exfoliating means getting rid of the dead skin cells sitting on the surface of your face. I use a chemical exfoliant (a liquid with gentle acids) instead of a scrub, because scrubs can be too rough and actually hurt your skin’s protective barrier. My favorite is the Liquid Gold Exfoliating Treatment with 5% Glycolic Acid (around $57). I use it on Monday and Thursday nights after cleansing, wait about five minutes, then move on to my serums. If you’ve never used acids before, start slow — maybe once a week — and see how your skin reacts. One big rule: I never exfoliate on the same night I use retinol. That’s too many strong ingredients at once, and your skin will let you know it’s not happy. Dermatologists agree on this one. Living in LA means your skin gets hit with sun every single day. The UV index here reaches 6 or higher in summer and doesn’t drop below 4 even in winter. When you keep dead skin cleared away, your sunscreen actually works better the next day. Plus, my makeup goes on smoother when I’m consistent with this step.Step 4: Apply Treatments
This is the fun part — the step where you see real change over time. I pick my treatments based on what my skin needs that week. Retinol is my favorite ingredient for smoother texture and anti-aging. On retinol nights, I use a tiny amount (about the size of a pea) and dot it across my face before blending it in. I started using it just twice a week and slowly worked up to four nights as my skin got used to it. Since retinol makes your skin more sensitive to the sun, I only use it at night — and I’m extra serious about sunscreen the next morning, especially living in a city with 280+ sunny days a year. My current pick is the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum (around $20 at most drugstores). On the nights I skip retinol, I use a hydrating serum instead. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (around $9) is amazing — it pulls moisture into your skin and costs next to nothing. I’ll sometimes follow it with a brightening serum that has niacinamide for a more even skin tone. If I’m breaking out, I’ll dab a salicylic acid spot treatment right on the blemish after cleansing. One thing I’ve noticed living in LA: the dry air can make strong ingredients feel even stronger on your skin. So I always pay attention to how my skin feels and dial things back when I need to.Step 5: Eye Cream
The skin around your eyes is way thinner than the rest of your face. It’s usually the first place that shows fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness. That’s why I use eye cream every single night. I scoop out a tiny amount (like a grain of rice) and gently tap it around my eye area with my ring finger. No rubbing or pulling — just soft pats until it sinks in. I focus on the outer corners where I see fine lines starting. Right now I’m using the One Skin OS-01 Eye Cream (around $109). It’s hydrating without being heavy, and it works well under my eyes without causing irritation. If puffiness is your main concern (hello, late LA nights), look for an eye cream with caffeine — it helps calm down that morning swelling.Step 6: Lock in Moisture
The last step is a thick moisturizer that seals everything in. Think of it like putting a lid on a jar — all the good stuff you just applied stays locked against your skin while you sleep. My night cream is heavier than what I use during the day, and that’s on purpose. Your skin naturally loses moisture overnight, and that happens even faster when you live somewhere dry like LA. During fall and winter, when the Santa Ana winds blow in, the humidity can drop even more. Your skin needs that extra protection. I use the Ilia The Base Face Milk Essence & Lightweight Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid (around $58). It’s packed with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane — ingredients that help draw moisture into the skin and keep it there — plus soothing allantoin and barrier-supporting lipids to keep skin calm and hydrated. On really dry nights, I’ll add a few drops of The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane (around $9) on top for an extra layer of protection. I smooth it on in upward motions and take my time massaging it in. It feels relaxing, and it helps with puffiness so I wake up looking less swollen.How to Layer Your Products
The order you put on your products matters more than you’d think. The simple rule: go from thinnest to thickest. Watery products go first because they need to touch your skin directly to absorb. Thick, creamy products go last because their job is to sit on top and seal everything in. Here’s my exact order: oil cleanser → water-based cleanser → toner → exfoliant (1-2x a week) → serum → eye cream → moisturizer → face oil (optional). I wait about 30 seconds between steps. Nothing fancy — just enough time for each product to settle before I add the next one. The whole thing takes ten minutes, tops. On nights when I use retinol and my skin is feeling sensitive, I do the “sandwich method.” That just means I put moisturizer on first, then retinol, then another layer of moisturizer. It cushions the retinol so it’s less irritating but still works. This has been a game changer for me, especially when LA’s dry air is making my skin extra touchy.Night Routine vs. Morning Routine
My nighttime routine and my morning routine have totally different jobs. In the morning, I keep things light and fast. The focus is on protecting my skin for the day ahead — antioxidants, toner, a light moisturizer, and always, always sunscreen. Especially in LA where the sun is strong year-round. At night, I switch gears to repair mode. That’s when I bring out the heavier hitters: retinol, exfoliating acids, and rich moisturizers. Science shows that your skin cells renew faster at night and absorb products better in the evening, so this is the best time for your strongest treatments. Plus, ingredients like retinol make your skin more sun-sensitive, so nighttime is safer. My morning routine takes about five minutes. My nighttime routine gets ten. I know that sounds like a lot, but it honestly feels like a little moment of peace after a long day. And if I had to pick just one routine to be consistent with, it would be nighttime every time. That’s where I’ve seen the biggest changes in my skin.Pros & Cons
Pros
- I wake up with soft, glowy skin every morning. The difference is noticeable, especially living in LA where the dry air can make skin look dull fast.
- Using treatments at night means they actually work better. Your skin is in repair mode while you sleep, so ingredients like retinol and acids can do their thing.
- Double cleansing cleared up my skin like nothing else. Getting all the sunscreen, makeup, and LA pollution off my face every night stopped so many breakouts.
- It’s become my favorite part of my evening. Ten minutes of taking care of myself helps me wind down and sleep better.
- My products don’t go to waste. When you layer everything in the right order, each product absorbs instead of sitting on top of the last one.
- My makeup looks better because my skin is hydrated underneath. I need less foundation and my skin has a natural glow.
- Staying consistent prevents problems before they start. I rarely deal with breakouts or dryness anymore.
Cons
- It takes some trial and error to find the right products. I definitely wasted money on things that didn’t work before landing on my current lineup.
- Some ingredients make your skin worse before it gets better. When I started retinol, my skin broke out for about three weeks before it cleared up and looked amazing.
- There are nights when you just want to fall into bed. Skipping my routine always shows on my face the next day though, so that keeps me motivated.
- Building the full routine costs around $100-$300 up front, but each product lasts me two to three months.
- Traveling with everything is a pain. I’ve learned to pack a simplified version — just cleanser, retinol, and moisturizer.