There’s so much that your body does to reset and refresh while you’re sleeping, and your skin is no exception.

“Just like our entire body, the skin has a circadian rhythm,” said dermatologist Dr. Helen M. Torok. “It repairs at night and protects during the day. The skin works hard to renew itself from the damage done throughout the day. Your skin cells regenerate at night, recovering from high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, that can wreak havoc on your body during the day.”

As such, it’s important to make the most of the money you’re spending on skin care during the overnight hours, when it can work its magic most effectively. Essentially, it’s your chance to undo everything that you did to your skin throughout the previous day.

“The repair of damage from UV exposure, pollution and other environmental stressors occurs at night, when the skin’s blood flow increases,” said dermatologist Dr. Sonia Badreshia. “This is also when collagen production is boosted and harmful free radicals are neutralised.” Dermatologist Dr. Blair Murphy-Rose added, “It’s believed that the rate of skin renewal doubles at night.”

As productive as the skin is at night, you can make it even more so with the application of products it can really drink in and use. “If you aren’t doing targeted nighttime care, you’re missing the opportunity to support skin’s natural repair mechanisms,” Badreshia said.

“Your nighttime skin care routine should facilitate repairs and regeneration,” Murphy-Rose said. “The nighttime skin care product you apply can boost the skin’s hydration overnight or target cell turnover while you rest,” Wolinsky said.

Each of the experts revealed what they believe to be the biggest non-negotiable for nighttime skin care.

Murphy-Rose insists on using an eye cream. “Our skin undergoes significant water loss through the skin at night if we don’t take measures to prevent it,” Murphy-Rose said. “While some will tell you that an eye cream is unnecessary, the truth is that an undereye cream, which is typically richer than your facial moisturiser, can help to prevent water loss through this very thin skin while sleeping. Dehydrated eyes are more tired-appearing eyes, so I do recommend applying an undereye cream before bedtime.”

Wolinsky suggests using your most potent products at night. “Night is a good time to use any products that may have a slight odour, or may bleach clothing, like benzoyl peroxide, or which may be deactivated by the daytime UV rays, like tretinoin and some other retinoids,” Wolinsky said.

Retinol gets another vote: “My opinion is that with the exception of people with rosacea or overly sensitive skin, everyone should be using a retinol, and they’re ideal for nighttime use,” said dermatologist Dr. Corey L. Hartman. “The benefits are numerous and unparalleled and are arguably the most important step that you can take for overall skin health and anti-aging after sun protection factor. Retinols regulate cell turnover, promote effective exfoliation, prevent acne, even discolouration, control oil, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, unclog pores and so much more.”

And if you can’t even with the idea of slathering something on, at least wash the dirt off, experts said. “The biggest mistake people make is not washing their faces,” Hartman said. “The one thing you must do is wash your face at night before you go to sleep. You want to remove makeup, oil and other impurities that are “stuck” to the face from the day. If you go to bed with your face unwashed, you are asking for a breakout, or oily skin.”

If the thought of caring for your skin is the last thing you want to do most nights, know that these dermatologists understand the struggle is real. One way to ensure that you’ll follow through is to simplify this one part of your life. “The majority of patients tell me that they are more consistent with their morning routine versus their nighttime routine, as a result of being tired from the day and just wanting to crawl into bed out of sheer exhaustion,” Torok said. “Others find their nighttime routine overwhelming and are not confident on how to layer their nighttime skin care routine.”

“Patients tend to overdo skin care and add unnecessary steps,” Wolinsky chimed in. “My recommendation is to cleanse the skin with a gentle cleanser and then follow with a small amount of a retinoid if tolerated and a hydrating thicker moisturiser. If skipping retinoid that evening, then just moisturise.”

“Consistency is key,” Badreshia said. “The benefits of nighttime skin care accumulate over time, and a consistent, targeted approach can lead to significant improvements in skin health and appearance. Listening to your skin and adjusting your routine as needed can also help address emerging issues before they become more significant concerns.″

If niacinamide were a person, it would already have earned a Nobel Peace Prize. As a skin care ingredient, it can go pretty much everywhere, calm things down right away and get everything working well together. But until they start awarding global honours for skin creams (and really, why not?), mighty niacinamide continues to prove there’s little it can’t do for beleaguered, stressed and irritated skin.

Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3, a water-soluble vitamin that’s a powerful antioxidant everyone needs to support a number of cellular processes. “It’s not produced naturally by the body, so you must use skin care products specifically formulated with niacinamide to experience the ingredient’s benefits,” Tom Allison, senior vice president and global head of professional marketing at CeraVe, told HuffPost.

It appears in products intended to alleviate fine lines and wrinkles, acne, eczema, discolouration, rosacea, large pores, oily skin and sun damage, among other things. If that seems like a tall order for one ingredient to address all those issues, niacinamide is up to the job, experts say.

Erin Greer, executive director of education and training at Alastin Skincare, explained that one of the ingredient’s superpowers is restoring the moisture barrier function of the skin. “As we get older, we can lose the lipid barrier that makes skin radiant and luminous. Niacinamide produces ceramides that help to restore that barrier, reduce dehydration and help skin look better.”

In a sign of our overstressed times, dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali said, “In general, there’s a trend toward ‘calming’ ingredients. Niacinamide is a popular option since it’s so well-tolerated. It’s truly a star ingredient and one I recommend often.”

You knew we couldn’t get this far into a skin care article without talking about free radicals, those pesky molecules with unpaired electrons that can build up and cause oxidative stress, which harms other cells and speeds up aging symptoms like wrinkles. “As a true multitasker, niacinamide neutralizes free radicals and helps to address the slowing of skin aging through repair and rejuvenation,” dermatologist Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin said. But wait, she said, there’s more: “Because it’s also been shown to regulate oil secretion and cell skin turnover, it’s recommended for both dry, sensitive skin and oily, acne-prone skin types, too.”

It might be hard to find a skin care ingredient that plays so well with others. “Niacinamide tends to complement and work well when layered with several other active ingredients that compose a typical skin care regimen,” said dermatologist Janiene Luke, co-chair of the Skin of Color Society technology and media committee and associate professor and director of the dermatology residency program at Loma Linda University. “It typically can be used in people who also use retinoids, salicylic acid and other chemical exfoliants, as well as hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.”

“Most people can tolerate niacinamide, but I’d suggest looking for concentrations that range from 2% to 10%, since higher concentrations sometimes can cause irritation,” Luke said.

“With my patients, I’ve seen them do well with up to 6% niacinamide,” Bhanusali said. “If it’s higher than that, you should spot treat first and make sure you tolerate well before applying all over.”

If you like the results you’re seeing on your face, try using it all over your body, Deanne Mraz Robinson, dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale New Haven Hospital, told HuffPost. “Look for it as an ingredient in body lotion, as well. It’s a helpful ingredient for dry, itchy skin.” She did note some caveats: “It shouldn’t be used simultaneously with skin care products that contain vitamin C. When combined with vitamin C, it turns into niacin, which can cause redness and irritation in sensitive skin.”

Once you begin regular applications, you’ll need to be patient. “Niacinamide typically takes eight to 12 weeks to work if you’re using it regularly,” dermatologist Ellen Marmur said. “But in some cases, you will see almost immediate improvement.”

And, as always, use common sense: avoid it if you’re allergic to it, of course. And go slowly. “Some people do get irritated by higher concentrations of niacinamide, so you can get too much of a good thing,” said Michelle Wong, the chemistry Ph.D. behind the Lab Muffin Beauty Science blog.