Unlock the Secret to Flawless Skin: How to Get Clear Skin Overnight

Published: May 11, 2023

Clear, glowing, radiant skin can feel like an out-of-reach fantasy for many of us. Imagine falling asleep and waking up to find that your dream skin was actually not a dream at all. There are steps you can take to wake up with clear, glowing skin–some of which may be simpler than you realize.

Countless factors impact the health and appearance of the skin and many of these factors are in your control. Clear skin represents your overall health and it helps you feel your best. Below, we’re sharing the inside scoop on how to get clearer skin overnight.

"To help the skin to reset during the night, drink a glass of water before bed, get a full rest, and avoid salty food in the evening."

Monica Poli, [ comfort zone ] Skin Science and Technologies Manager

woman washing her face for a clear skin after the night

Understanding Your Skin Type

It’s hard to know where to start when you’re trying to achieve healthy, glowy skin. Understanding your skin type is a great first step so that you can know exactly what your skin needs to support it. Common skin types include dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, and sensitive skin.

Dry Skin

If you have naturally dry skin, then you likely struggle with rough, itchy, or flaky skin. When your skin is irritated it might peel or crack. Dry skin can benefit from using products that provide extra moisture and avoiding products that are overly drying. Skin care product ingredients that benefit dry skin include jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and prickly pear. Skincare ingredients that should be avoided if you have dry skin include alcohol, alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), fragrance, and retinoids.

Oily Skin

Oily skin is naturally greasy and can be prone to clogged pores and acne breakouts. One good thing about oily skin is that the oil actually preserves the skin, helping to prevent wrinkles and keep the skin looking youthful. But too much oil can cause clogged pores and acne breakouts. Some tips for caring for oily skin include: washing your face twice a day, using a gentle cleanser, avoiding oil-based cleansers, moisturizing daily, and using blotting papers throughout the day.

Combination Skin

If you’re scratching your head trying to figure out what type of skin type you have, it may be because you have combination skin. Combination skin is oily in some areas while being dry in other areas. Often, combination skin is dryer in areas like the cheeks and more oily on the forehead and chin. Products that work well for combination skin include AHAs and BHAs, water-based formulas, and oil-free formulas. To care for combination skin, use a gentle facial cleanser, exfoliate regularly, moisturize daily, and avoid touching your face.

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is easily reactive to skin care products and is prone to redness, itchiness, stinging, and skin flushing. People with sensitive skin usually have to be very careful about what types of products they use and have to stick to a very gentle and sometimes minimal skincare routine.

Pre-Bedtime Skincare Routine

Resolving skin issues relies heavily on having a consistent and effective skincare routine with proper skincare products for your skin. One of the most important times of the day to nourish your skin is before you go to bed. This is because, throughout the day, your skin is exposed to all types of dirt and debris. Your skin has also likely released plenty of oil throughout the day which continues to sit on the skin overnight when you don’t clean your face properly. Nourishing your skin at night with the right products before bed is one of the keyways to wake up feeling radiant and refreshed.

Cleansing

The first step in an effective skincare routine is always cleansing with plenty of water. A good everyday skin cleanser is the key to scrubbing away any dirt or grease that has built up on your skin throughout the day. Cleansing also helps to wash away any makeup that you applied earlier in the day.

The Essential Face Wash by Comfort Zone is the perfect everyday cleanser that works well on any skin type. This gentle foaming cleanser helps to wash away makeup and impurities, leaving the skin feeling clean and soft.

Toning

Face toner is the next step in cleansing the skin. Toner works to further remove dirt, makeup, and any other stuff that’s sitting on your skin at the end of the day. It can also help to soothe the skin and prevent redness, increase absorption of other products, and balance the pH of the skin.

The Essential Toner by Comfort Zone is an alcohol-free toner that will cleanse and revitalize the skin without causing damage or dryness.

Moisturizing

Cleansing the skin can leave the skin feeling dry so you should always follow up with a good moisturizer. Moisturizing helps to quench the skin so that you can have a dewy glow when you wake up in the morning. The Renight Mask is a nourishing overnight treatment that works well for individuals with dry skin. If you have oily or acne prone skin then we recommend the Active Pureness Collection.

Treatments

Cleansing and moisturizing can be considered the bare bones of an essential skincare routine but if you want to take things up a notch, consider adding some additional skincare treatments to your routine, such as exfoliating masks, or an enzymatic peel. Exfoliating is great for oily skin that tends to end up with clogged pores since it helps to scrub away any built-up grease. Enzymatic peels help to peel away dead skin cells and leave skin feeling soft and smooth.

At-Home Remedies for Clear Skin

Having the right skin care products on hand is essential to overall skin health but you may be surprised to find that some of the most nourishing skin care products are already available to you–in your kitchen, of all places. Try any of the following simple remedies to treat a wide range of skin concerns. Some of our favorite skin care remedies include aloe vera, honey, lemon juice, and cucumber.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is an effective natural remedy to help moisturize the skin. Aloe vera is commonly used to soothe redness, dryness, and sunburn. You can use aloe vera gel directly from the plant or you can purchase it in a bottled form.

Honey

Honey contains natural enzymes that help to exfoliate and clean the skin. You can use honey on your skin by applying it directly to any areas of impurity, such as acne scars or dark spots. Honey can be used as a short-term spot treatment, or you can leave it on overnight to give it even more time to work.

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice contains antibacterial and antifungal properties which can help with soothing spots of inflammation and preventing blackheads. Be wary of using lemon juice on your skin if you have sensitive skin, you may have to dilute it with some water to prevent irritation.

Cucumber

Cucumbers are nutrient-rich and they can help to shrink the appearance of pores and provide moisture to the skin. To use cucumbers on your skin, wash and peel a cucumber and blend it. You can strain out the solid bits of the cucumber. Then apply the remaining paste to clean, dry skin. Let it sit for 10 minutes before rinsing it off.

Diet and Lifestyle Changes

What you put on your skin has a huge impact on your skin health but it’s also what’s going on inside your body that impacts your skin as well. Making sure to eat a healthy diet and live a healthy lifestyle will influence your skin’s health even more than the products that you put on your skin. Unhealthy habits can lead to many skin problems including breakouts, dullness, and wrinkles. Below, we’re breaking down some of the most important lifestyle habits to ensure healthy and glowing skin.

Hydration

Staying hydrated is incredibly beneficial for the body as a whole. When you drink enough water every day, it helps your skin stay hydrated and glowy. Drinking water helps to balance the amount of oil and water that exists on the surface of your skin and it helps to maintain your skin's elasticity. When you drink a lot of water, you’re less likely to suffer from scars, wrinkles, and other signs of aging.

Healthy Eating Habits

Eating healthy foods helps to fill your body with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants–all substances that can help to keep the skin healthy. Healthy fats and getting the right amount of protein can help keep your blood sugar balanced which in turn keeps hormones balanced and can keep hormonal acne at bay. Eating higher amounts of saturated fats and sugar has been found to increase your likelihood of getting wrinkles.

Adequate Sleep

Getting a proper amount of hours of sleep each night provides us with the required rest and recovery we need to wake up feeling refreshed. The effects of sleep on your skin are no different. A lack of sleep will have damaging effects on your skin health. During sleep, the skin’s blood flow increases, and the skin rebuilds collagen and repairs damage from UV exposure. This helps to reduce wrinkles and age spots. You should also make sure that you are washing or changing your pillowcases regularly if you have acne prone skin. Your skin may also benefit from using a silk or satin pillowcase over cotton.

Stress Management

It’s hard to deny the fact that life can be stressful. Managing stress well will not only positively influence your mental health and well-being but it could even help your skin health. When your body detects stress, it releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol can increase oil production and cause the pores to become clogged and increase acne breakouts. Try some stress management techniques like meditation and breath work, doing exercise, and carving out time for yourself to do things you enjoy.

Tips for Maintaining Clear Skin

If you want to wake up with clear skin and a radiant complexion, it is good to take steps the night before but truly healthy skin hugely relies on the steps that you take every single day to keep your skin looking clear. Below we’re sharing more of our top recommendations for maintaining clear skin.

Stress Management

Exfoliating the skin helps to scrub away dead skin and oil-clogged pores. It is recommended to exfoliate your skin two to three times per week for best results. Exfoliating regularly can make the skin soft and smooth and even brighter.

You can use manual or chemical exfoliants. Manual exfoliants are those that require you to physically scrub your skin, The Essential Scrub is one example. Chemical exfoliants use special ingredients to help dead skin peel away, such as the Sublime Skin Peel Pads.

Sun Protection

Applying sunscreen to your skin daily helps to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Too much sun can cause wrinkles, age spots, and even cancer. Sun protection is especially important when you plan to spend extended periods of time in the sun but your skin is still exposed to daily UV rays even just from sitting in your car or shorter stretches spent outside. For this reason, it is important to find a high-quality daily sunscreen that your skin can tolerate.

Avoiding Breakouts

Take steps to prevent breakouts by sticking to your daily skincare routine, eating a healthy diet, managing stress well, and trying not to touch your face throughout the day.

Follow the Right Routine and Achieve Clear Skin

Even if it feels impossible, anyone can have clear skin if they follow the right steps. Healthy skin relies on several different factors, including using high-quality skin care products, maintaining a consistent skincare routine, and living a healthy lifestyle.

You can support your skin health by stocking up on the best skin care products while also utilizing simple skin care regimens such as those you already have in your kitchen and pantry. You will not regret taking steps to care for your skin, especially when you wake up with a brighter glow than ever before.