Review: The Ultimate Night Time Routine

One of the most satisfying things I do before bedtime is to wipe away all the day’s stresses and dirt. Due to the environmental impact of makeup wipes, however, I have opted for a less wasteful alternative. Hoping to adopt a more eco-conscious approach to my night time routine, I ditched the wipes in favour of VIL Skin Care’s C The Difference Vitamin C Cleanser and their Karmic Konjac Sponge. The Konjac Sponge has been popping up more and more in beauty mags as of late and although it’s been under the radar until recently, this little tool is fast becoming essential in my world. Vegan-friendly and sustainable, it’s made from Japanese Konjac Root (meaning no unwanted perfumes or chemicals) and its fibrous yet supple texture gently exfoliates, buffs and cleanses the skin, leaving me with a notably smoother and more polished complexion. As I wanted to integrate the Karmic Konjac Sponge into my nightly cleansing routine, I paired it with VIL’s C The Difference Vitamin C Cleanser. Enriched with vitamin C alongside other skin-friendly actives, the Cleanser not only rids the skin of dirt and oil but lightens old acne marks after a period of time. By infusing key antioxidants such as Alpha Lipoic Acid into the skin, the Cleanser reduces blemishes and breakouts and revives my fatigued, uneven skin tone just in time for next morning’s drill.

To start with, I run warm water over my Konjac Sponge to soften it, squeeze out the excess and apply half a pump of Cleanser. It’s pretty amazing how far such a small amount goes! I massage the Sponge over my face and although it’s soft and gentle, the sponge gets into my pores a lot more than my old face wipes did. There’s no need to apply pressure as I did with the wipes, which is vital when it comes to cleansing my super sensitive eye area. I once read that Konjac sponges are also extremely effective when used with water alone, so to finish, I rinse the sponge with warm water and go for a second cleanse, to ensure all my cakey makeup is thoroughly removed.

After gently patting my face dry with a towel, I feel a suppleness to the skin that my previous ‘wipe and go’ skincare regime didn’t give me. With regular use over the previous month, my overall complexion has massively improved. Now for my vitamin-infused cherry on the top: the Vitamin A Night Shift Repair Cream. As well as cleansing away impurities, the night time is the perfect opportunity to apply strong, regenerative products that work while you sleep! By design, night creams are formulated to repair the skin over the course of several hours. Their texture is often richer and they tend to be more penetrative whilst stimulating collagen production – what better time than when you’re getting your beauty sleep, eh? After my first slumber with my new go-to companion cream, I noticed the following morning just how moisturised my skin was. It was smooth to the touch, and the dry patches I usually get around my nose had disappeared overnight! With nightly use, I noticed that my skin tone was becoming more even. As I have redness around my nose, I am constantly trying to cover it up with a pale setting powder or concealer. This is the first week in a while where I’ve not felt the need to do this as the nutrient-rich formula had banished the discolouration in these problem areas!

Due to its quick results and minimal environmental impact, this is a routine I look forward to adhering to. Taking off my makeup after a long day, is no longer a chore but a soothing self-care ritual – and the satisfaction that comes from being eco-conscious is a bonus in itself!

– Mari Roberts