Sleep is crucial, that’s a given. But what can we do to boost our beauty sleep? Or is beauty sleep just a myth?Let’s learn some more with our top sleeping masks and sleeping facts and tips from Picky Expert and Doctor Stella!
What Our Skin Does While We Sleep
Ever heard of the term ‘circadian rhythm?’ Basically, it helps our body regulate our daily sleep-wake schedule. When it’s bright outside, a hormone called melatonin decreases, keeping us awake. Then, as it gets darker at night, our brain releases more melatonin that triggers us to feel drowsy and ready to call it a day. Besides being a sleep hormone, melatonin offers antioxidant properties that help counteract damage to the skin throughout the day by neutralizing free radicals from external stressors like smoking, air pollution and UV rays.
During the first few hours of sleep, another hormone called human growth hormone is secreted. Thanks to this hormone, our skin goes into its repair-and-regeneration mode. It also helps to stimulate cell production and collagen synthesis that makes the skin firm and plump.
Then, enter the stress hormone aka cortisol. When we rest, the cortisol level in our body naturally drops, thus muscle relaxes, blood flow improves, and core temperature gradually cools down. These allow our skin to rest and recover, leaving us with a healthy glow in the morning.
Not Getting Enough Sleep?
Sleeping is the time when our skin finally gets that much needed cellular repair. That being said, a lack of sleep can cause a wide variety of negative effects to your skin health. A few of the obvious ones are signs of fatigue around our eyes, such as hanging eyelids, red eyes and dark, under-eye circles.
Another well known aftermath of inadequate sleep is development of acne. If we don’t rest, our body undergoes constant stress. As a consequence, our cortisol level remains high which interferes the skin’s natural ability to recover. In addition to that, excess cortisol ramps up the production of sebum that may clog the pores and cause breakouts. Along with elevated cortisol, lack of sleep can damage the structure of collagen in our skin as well. This will develop into signs of premature ageing, such as skin sagging and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You also might experience skin that is dry and flaky, red and inflamed, or extra shiny. It may also feel tight and itchy.
In short, they are all the things we don’t wish to happen to our skin. Trust me, it is not worth the sacrifice. Especially not for some TV series you can watch the next day.
Beauty Sleep Tips
- Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
- Always go to bed with a clean face.
- Give your skin extra hydration before bed.
- Create an ideal sleep environment—quiet, dark, cool temperature.
- Put your gadgets away at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Change your pillowcase every few days or once a week.
- Sleep on your back to prevent formation of sleep wrinkles.
Top Sleeping Masks
Alright now it’s time to highlight our favorite sleeping masks! We break it down by skin type and skin concern, so check it out to find the right one for you.
Oily Skin
Laneige – Water Sleeping Mask
Combination Skin
Youth To The People – Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask
Dry Skin
Origins – Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
Aging Skin
Fresh – Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask
Irritated Skin
Skinfix – Redness Treatment Overnight Mask
Acne Prone Skin
Allies Of Skin – Promise Keeper Blemish Sleeping Facial
Dull Skin
Glow Recipe – Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask
Pigmented or Uneven Skin
Some By Mi – 30 Day Miracle Brightening Sleeping Mask
Damaged Skin
Abib – Rice Probiotics Overnight Mask Barrier Jelly
More Sleeping Masks?
Hungry for more sleeping masks? You can find many more on the Picky app by just searching or reading through Discuss to see which masks people are buzzing about! We love helping skincare enthusiasts and newbies alike find what works best for their skin! So make sure to use all the fun features and functions the Picky app has to offer! Follow our Instagram for even more skincare science content and our YouTube channel!
Created With
Stella
@stellamarselie
Doctor
