In this blog, I share with you the benefits of sleep, how to have better beauty sleep and my recommended skin care night routine to maximise the over-night repair and regeneration of the skin.
Sleep does many wondrous things.
1. It’s the time when our skin turns over i.e. dead skin cells shed to allow new cells to surface.
2. It’s the time your body rest and repairs – boosting your immune system, strengthening your brain power, forming memories and boosting your moods.
3. It balances your hormones allowing you to lose weight, feel good, concentrate and feel better.
4. It boosts your growth hormones which are important to lose weight, keep your bones strong, your skin firm and plump.
5. It boosts your melatonin, a powerful anti-oxidants which helps fight age spots and wrinkles.
How to have Better Beauty Sleep
1. Eat Early
By eating early, your food will be fully digested before you go to bed. That way, the energy used by your body can be directed to repairing your body and skin, keeping you looking and feeling young and beautiful. If you eat late, you would still have a lot of food that needs digesting so the energy is directed instead to digesting your food overnight instead of repairing your skin.
To make sure you get better beauty sleep, do your best to eat before 7pm and if you have to eat late due to work, choose lighter options e.g. salads, soups, juices or smoothies which are easily digestible.
2. Sleep Early
The best window to sleep is between 10pm to 6am. This may prove difficult if you’re travelling, working or have kids.
The most important thing is not putting your body in any extra stress. If you’re feeling tired, go to bed. It’s better to wake up earlier to catch up on work than sleeping late. That way, you don’t have extra stress hormone, cortisol swimming in your blood stream which can cause increase in blood sugar, inflammation and cellular damage. This in the long term can make you look and feel older than you really are.
3. Enjoy Sex
Sex releases endorphines and dopamines which relaxes the body and mind, allowing a much better and deeper sleep. Orgasm activates the parasympathetic system – the automatic nervous system that’s in charge of rest and repair. A study from Denmark shows that if you have sex 3 times a week for a year, you will look 10 years younger (of course, this is best with a trusted partner that you are in love with, in an honest relationship).
4. Cut Out Light & Sound Pollution
Even the slightest glimmer of light or distraction of sound will keep our senses awake and trick our body thinking it’s day time. Remove all artificial lighting e.g. phone chargers, television on stand-by and even glow-in-the dark clocks. Make sure you invest in thick double blinds and double glazing windows to keep the light and sound out for a good night sleep.
5. Switch Off
With our daily lives moving so fast, it’s no wonder when we find it a challenge to switch off before we go to bed. It’s difficult to sleep when our mind is racing 100 miles per hour. Try switching off all laptops, mobile phones, ipads or TV at least an hour before you sleep. Take a hot bath or have a massage to unwind. Light your favourite scented candles and oils to calm your mind and unwind your muscles ready to maximise your beauty sleep.
Skin Care Night Routine
1. Cleanse
Use a gentle cleanser with a muslin cloth or a Clarisonic brush (which I love). My favourite cleanser at the moment is the Nutriganics Foaming Face Wash by Bodyshop (as I have acne prone skin).
If you have dry skin, you can opt for Nutriganics Softening Cleansing Gel oil which is creamy and gentle, perfect for sensitive dry skin
2. Exfoliate
Exfoliating the skin will prevent build up of sluggish dead skin and allow better penetration and absorption of skin. Do this 2-3 times a week if you have oily skin and up to once a week if you have sensitive, dry skin. My favourite exfoliator at the moment is the Exfoliating Polish by ZO Skin Health.
3. Hydrating Serum
This is a MUST especially during the winter months, if you have central heating or even air conditioning. Modern environment is so drying to the skin and your skin will need it’s thirst quenched. My favourite products at the moment are:-
Collagen Triple Boost Serum by Exuviance
Drops of Youth Concentrate by The Body Shop
4. Targetted Serum
I use a brightening serum over my hydrating serum as I’m prone to pigmentation and would like to even my skin tone.
My favourite products at the moment are:
Illuminating Serum by Neostrata Enlighten range – this has Neoglucosamine, Peptides, Licorice extract and Vitamin C to target pigmentation. It can be quite strong for some people so I would recommend using Vitamin C Facial Radiance Capsules by The Body Shop, a luxurious silky serum that brightens the skin with Vitamin C and added brazil nut oil for boosted moisture.
5. Sleeping Mask
This is currently my all time favourite product!
The Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask.
I bring it EVERYWHERE with me and I use it at night as a substitute to a night cream, on the plane on top of a hydrating mask for added hydration, during my holidays when my skin needs the extra repair and whenever I need a little boost to my skin’s firmness (which is everyday 🙂
It contains hyaluronic acid for a boost of hydration and using stem cell technology to harness the regenerative properties of Edelweiss flowers, one of the most resilient flowers in the world, flourishing in the extreme weather of the Alps.
You can also use this on top of your nourishing cream if you require added moisture. It has a unique bouncy texture which when cools, moulds onto the skin like a glove, sealing in the other products and keeping the skin hydrated, firm and bouncy.
And there it is, my recommended routine to sleep better towards better health and beautiful skin.
Lastly before you turn off to dreamland, remember to drink a big glass of water, breath and say thanks to the day that’s gone and to the new day ahead of you. Make a choice to make it even better.
Sweet dreams 🙂