Even if you’re relatively new to the grooming game, you probably already know what an impact following a solid routine can have in the way you look and feel as the years tick by. But if casual here-and-there face washing and moisturizing is what you’re used to, we've got a proposition: try adding a couple quick nighttime grooming steps to your bedtime routine.

Why? Well first, you’ll wake up feeling refreshed and well-kempt each morning. But more importantly, it’ll only be a couple of weeks before you begin to notice a serious difference in your skin’s health. Caring for your skin before you go to sleep makes sure prevents pollutants from taking up residence in the deeper layers of your skin overnight. Plus, it saves you a bunch of grooming time in the morning, so you can focus on getting out the door as quickly and smoothly as possible

That being said, there’s a sea of grooming products and guides out there, and finding what’ll work best for you can seem to be a daunting task. Luckily it doesn’t take Patrick Bateman-esque obsession to make a difference in your skin’s appearance that you’ll notice every day. That’s why we’ve put together a bulletproof nightly grooming routine to help you wake up each morning feeling a bit more handsome.

Wash Up

You’re (hopefully) already familiar with the benefits of washing your face each day for improving your skin’s structure, elasticity, and overall appearance. Unfortunately, most men limit this part of their routine to mornings and post-gym showers.

Not only will a purposeful wash right before bed mentally refresh you after a long day away, but it’ll remove a day’s worth of dirt, air pollution, and dead skin cells from your pores, so they don’t have a chance to cause serious acne, unflattering oil buildup, or dry, flaky surface skin. Plus, a just-cleansed face is the perfect setting for the other products you use to be as effective as possible, which will help you get the most out of every drop.

Try Some Toner

Toner usually isn’t found in most guys’ medicine cabinets, but it should be. Splashing some on is an indispensable step in a nightly grooming routine that’ll remove excess oil, prevent breakouts and blackheads, soothe and prevent irritation post-shave, and reduce the size and visibility of your pores, which makes for a much smooth appearance. Not to mention how refreshed you’ll feel after slapping some on.

Basically: it gets your skin extra clean and extra nice-looking. Try it after you wash up, or in lieu of face wash if you don't want to bother with a full wash.

Get Hydrated

Once your face is clean and refreshed, it’s best to give your skin some much-deserved hydration that’ll sink in overnight and make a noticeable improvement by sunrise.

Most grooming guides recommend a PM-specific moisturizer as a counterpart to AM ones that have SPF built-in (essential for protecting your face from skin-wrecking UV rays during the day). But our nighttime go-to for hydration is a high-quality facial serum – basically, an extra concentrated, oil-based moisturizer. It’ll pack more nutrients and moisture into a smaller usage size, and penetrate much deeper into your pores, which means more hydrated skin from the inside out. Most of 'em are labeled as “anti-aging” because continued use will fight harder against fine lines, wrinkles, and overall wear-and-tear than any other product in your cabinet.

Just add a few drops into your palms and gently rub into your face each night to bid farewell to dry skin for good. And if you've got heavy facial hair, a few drops of beard oil (same idea, but for hair instead of skin) will do just the trick for keeping your whiskers in line.

Repair Those Eyes

With the rest of your face squared away, the last step of a perfect PM routine is to give the delicate skin around your eyes some much-needed attention.

The reason to take extra care here is simple: your under-eyes are more susceptible to oil and dirt buildup as well as environmental damage, so the skin reveals signs of aging at a faster rate than the rest of the face. That’s why most tried-and-true grooming brands offer an eye-specific PM cream in addition to a regular moisturizer. A good one will show fine lines, wrinkles, under-eye bagginess, and dark circles who’s boss while you’re busy counting sheep.

Just add a tiny dab onto your finger and rub into the skin around your eyes for a well-rested appearance once morning comes.

It seems fussy, we know, but trust us: do these steps before you hit the hay, and it’ll make all the difference once the alarm rings. Then you can meet the day with the freshest face possible.