Sometimes taking care of your skin can seem like a drag...wouldn't it be better if you could easily improve your skin while you sleep?
You can.
Here are my favorite ways to unwind before bed and wake up glowing.
Beauty Techniques
Cleansing the day away
Wash your hair: Do you ever wake up finding one side of your face has acne while the other one is clear? That's probably because you're going to bed with dirty hair, you dirty girl you! (kidding).
If you're acne prone you should shower before bed- or at least sleep with a head scarf to protect your face and pillow from bacteria.
Showering at night also lowers your bodies core temperature, and that makes you sleepier...We’re off to a good start.
Face wash and makeup removal: While makeup removing wipes are convenient, they should not replace a proper cleanser for nightly use. The constant rubbing on your face, especially under your eyes, causes unnecessary friction and sensitivity..
The constant rubbing on your face, and especially under your eyes causes unnecessary friction and sensitivity.
The best remedy? An all in one- makeup remover face wash. It requires no rubbing and takes less time.
My favorite face wash for acne prone or oily skin, is the Aveeno foaming cleanser.
For dry to normal skin, use cold cream like Ponds, which is a classic choice that effectively removes makeup without stripping your skin of moisture.
Cold cream is the OG of the cosmetic world. Slather this on your face, wash away with water, and like magic, your makeup has vanished.
Apply lotions and potions to suit your skin needs
Night time is the best period to use anti-aging products because your body is already in restoration mode. Your face has a better opportunity to make use of the cosmetics applied to it.
Aging:
Unless you’re under the age of 20, you should be using anti-aging products.
There are a few key ingredients that have been scientifically proven to enhance skin texture and elasticity. These include :
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) -They help other anti-aging ingredients work better by sloughing away dead skin.
Recommendations
$39.95
$20.00
$15.99
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) - Improves cell metabolism, regeneration, and skin elasticity. Fantastic for dry or irritated skin.
Look for products with at least 2% for efficacy.
Recommendations
$12.95
Retinol (Vitamin A) - Speeds up cell turnover, improves circulation, and boosts collagen production.
Retinoids are the gold standard of anti-aging.
Recommendations
$19.99
$21.00
For deeper wrinkles go for retinal instead of retinol. It works better, but is also more likely to cause skin irritation.
Acne Prone Skin
You should still use moisturizer, but look for products that say “oil free” or “non-comedogenic.” Retinol has also been shown to improve acne due to its ability to unclog pores and improve skin texture.
Recommendations
$14.95
$25.00
Dull Skin and Dark Spots: Find a moisturizer with Ascorbic acid, aka L-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
$38
$118
Don’t Just Stop at Your Face!
The rest of your body needs love (in the form of moisture) too. Find a scent that makes you feel relaxed.
This step is particularly important if you have cellulite.
Cellulite is formed due to the connective tissue surrounding your fat. Tissue that is constricted because of body composition and poor circulation will squeeze the fat cells, having a dimple effect on the skin.
Massaging these areas loosens the tissue,spreads out your fat deposits, and increases blood flow. This diminishes the appearance of cellulite. Similar to stretching your muscles, you need to do this on a regular basis to maintain benefits. It takes about a week for results to show, so keep at it!
Use a silk pillow case
It provides more slip than cotton pillow cases, preventing unnecessary wrinkle formation and frizzy hair.
Plus- it makes you feel like a princess.
Copper pillow cases have been shown to reduce wrinkles. But,in my experience, have a monstrous effect if you have curly or dry hair. If you're still curious, check out Glow beauty boosting pillowcase .
Sleeping Success
Timing:
Begin getting ready for bed 2 hours before you go to sleep.
The 2 most important factors in regulating sleep are lights and food.
Lighting:
Exposure to artificial (blue) light mimics sun light, and is detrimental to melatonin production: Your body’s slumber hormone.
We have all heard to stay away from technology before bed time…. but easier said than done, right?
If you’re the type of person that likes to send texts and emails before bed, use a blue light filter for your screens.
For mac computers there’s f.lux.
For iPhones you can buy iphone screen protectors
Androids phones have a free to download “blue light filter-night mode”
If you read in bed you can replace your bedside lamp with a red or orange light bulb. These bulbs are on the opposite spectrum of blue lights ( the ones from phones and T.V’s) so they’re great to keep on as you are completing your nightly time activities.
Food
Enjoying a mid-night snack is fine if you have no sleeping issues, but if you do, snacking could be the cause.
Allow me to nerd out on you for a minute:
Our bodies are only designed to do certain key processes at a time.
When we eat, our bodies are in digestion mode. All of the resources go to assimilating the food we have just eaten.
During a fasting state[> 8 hours after the last meal], our bodies go into repair mode, just as it does when we sleep.
So... if we’re sleeping and still digesting the food we just ate, we’re not taking advantage of this awesome healing function.
If you find you’re not getting restful sleep, try eating your last bite > 2 hours before bed.
Temperature
Keep it cool
Set the temperature to around 60-67 degrees.
Similar to showering, sleeping in colder temperatures mimics your bodies natural tendency to drop in temperature as you sleep, allowing you to flow easily through sleep cycles.
If this feels too cold for you, wear socks.
Have a Routine
It's easy to become overwhelmed with all the tasks that go into becoming a sleeping beauty. Make your routine simple and enjoyable, so that you will look forward to it.
My bedtime routine
1. Turn on night time lighting
2. Shower & exfoliate with Exposed scrub.
3. Apply Arbonne RE9 anti-aging moisturizer on my face.
4. Use lavender or pumpkin pie lotion on body
5. Drink 8oz of water
6. Write or read
7. Apply Burts Bees pomegranate lip balm
8. Sleep happily ever after
Anti-cellulite massage methods:
http://topbeautybrands.com/anti-cellulite-massage/
Liked this article and want to learn more about beauty, health, and sleep?
Comment below with a question you want answered, and I will address it on my next blog post !
About Julia
Julia has been a professional makeup artist and hair stylist since 2011 and became registered as a sleep technologist in 2017. Her goal is to educate others to lead a healthier and more beautiful life.
