Importance of Beauty Sleep
A full night's sleep (the experts recommend nine hours, but we'll take a restful seven) plays a big role in skin health and performance. Exhausted skin shows. Dark circles, puffy skin under eyes, and a dull, muddy complexion are all visible signs of a sleepless night. But at work underneath the skin are dehydration (hello, fine lines and wrinkles!) and a weakened defense system. This leaves skin extra vulnerable to environmental pollutants and other chemicals. Then there is the stress associated with exhaustion, which can lead to inflammation and other visible skin imperfections. Okay, we sound like a mom, but this is pretty important advice.
Midst our daily habits of too-much-to-do and over-commitments, make time to de-stress and get a restful night's sleep. Here are some tips:
- Avoid drinking caffeine at least 4 hours before your intended bedtime. Alcohol can affect your sleep, too.
- Establish a regular bedtime routine and try to get in bed at the same time every night. This sort of conditioning helps the mind relax and expect sleep.
- De-stress with a nightly bath.
- Check the electronics at the door. We know it's hard, but do not scroll through your smart phone or iPad in bed. Instead, opt for a real book instead of stimulating newsfeeds.
- If counting sheep can’t lull you to sleep, let essential oils get the job done. Essential oil of lavender, for example, is very effective in calming the senses to induce sleep. Spritz some of our B at Peace Eco Spray on your linens or around your bed.
- Try daily meditation in the evening, close to your bedtime. This will help you relax so you can quickly be off to dreamland when your head hits the pillow.
Good sleep isn’t the only factor of "beauty sleep." During your slumber, your skin is hard at work repairing and renewing itself. New skin cells are formed to replace older and damaged cells, and your body undergoes important hormonal and metabolic changes. You can aid in this rejuvenation by creating an effective nighttime product ritual that helps clean skin and restore natural balance.
Our recommended nighttime routine:
- Cleanse your face with a gentle, non-toxic cleanser to remove makeup and dirt.
- Follow up with a toner made with natural alpha hydroxy acids to clean deep within pores.
- Pat our Intensive Eye Repair under each eye (skin is delicate in this area so be gentle!) to help reduce inflammation and dark circles.
- Mix a scoop of our reparative Antioxidant Skin Boost with your night cream or moisturizer (we love mixing it with our collagen-boosting Peptide Booster Serum) to neutralize free-radicals and feed your skin important vitamin nutrients.
- Analyze your sleeping environment. Since you are most likely using AC or heat, consider adding a moisture-replacing humidifier near your bed or our B Quenched Facial Oil to your skin care routine.
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