Cosmetics: the importance of chronobiology
Putting care is not a simple fad. Our skin has needs that respond to very specific biological rhythms. It is this chronobiology that we must respect if we want to preserve our beauty capital.
If chronobiology was initially used to determine when taking medication was effective and least risky in terms of side effects, today it has gradually extended to several areas including cosmetics. Why in beauty? A cosmetic product will not be tolerated and will not act in the same way depending on when it is applied. Explanations: the skin is subject to a circadian rhythm, a rhythm of about 24 hours, itself governed by different parameters such as body temperature, hormonal variations, the sleep-wake cycle…
At the level of the epidermis, our biological clock is therefore well regulated according to a day/night process: during the day, the skin protects itself against external aggressions (UVpollution, stress…), while at night it regenerates and repairs itself. >> To read also: Dartres, chapping, redness: your anti-cold strategy
Day cream: optimal effectiveness before 1 p.m.
During the day, as we have seen, the skin needs to be protected. For this, we prepare our skin as soon as we wake up.
Step 1. Make-up removal. The ideal is to remove make-up with a gentle cleansing such as thermal spring water or lotion which will rid the skin of impurities remaining during the night, advises our specialist. >> To read also: Make-up remover: how to choose it well?
Step 2. The day cream. “From waking up until 1 p.m., the skin becomes less and less permeable”. You must therefore apply your day care as soon as possible if you want the active ingredients to penetrate deeply. We choose a moisturizer with possibly active ingredients adapted to our skin type (mattifying, anti-aging, UV filter). >> To read also: The questions we ask ourselves about our day cream
If we sleep in, we don’t skip the day cream. If the active ingredients penetrate less easily and are therefore less effective, the epidermis still needs to be hydrated and protected.
Night cream: just before bedtime
Our skin is a night owl! In the evening, we take the opportunity to pamper her: first we removes make-up to clean it and remove excess sebum.
Then we apply a night care, and this as late as possible. The ideal? “Just before bedtime, answers Nathalie Broussard, penetration will be optimal”.
Whether firming, regenerating, anti-aging, etc., this cream will boost cell regeneration. It is indeed at night that skin cells regenerate. Not very logical while we sleep? On the contrary. “At night the cells are more active because they are not subject to external aggression. They therefore have plenty of time to repair themselves”, explains Nathalie Broussard, director of scientific communication at Vichy International. This cell renewal experiences a “peak of activity with a maximum number of cell divisions between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.”, depending on the habits of sleep of each one. During this time, the skin is more permeable (it is at its maximum at 4 a.m.!), it eliminates toxins and needs nutrients to renew its cells. This is where the assets will most penetrate and be assimilated.
Exfoliation: in the evening after 7 p.m.
Aficionados can exfoliate their skin once or twice a week, preferably in the evening. The skin exfoliates more easily in the evening. “The desquamation [destruction des couches superficielles de l’épiderme, ndlr] is maximum between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. “, specifies our expert.
For a face scrub, don’t forget to remove make-up first. Once our skin is exfoliated and soft, we can go to the mask or directly to our night cream! >> More information on scrubs and peels in our file.
Anti-cellulite treatment: in the morning on an empty stomach
To eliminate adipocytes and fat cells more easily, we apply our anti cellulite in the morning on an empty stomach, because the cells are already in the destocking phase.
If we can’t on an empty stomach, we wait until the end of the morning. We avoid after breakfast because the cells store more after the meal.
If you prefer to apply your care in the evening, you put it away from the meal. The must for optimal effectiveness: a massage with its treatment before a sports session or before dinner. >> More info on cellulite in our file.
