Cosy up with a new bedtime beauty routine and wake up looking and feeling refreshed!
WORDS: CARLY HOBBS
With spring still some way away and the evenings dark, now’s the perfect time to don your pyjamas, cosy up and lavish some attention on your skin. And we’re not talking about just popping on a face mask – this is the time to make your bedtime beauty routine really count.
‘The concept of beauty sleep isn’t a marketing notion,’ says dermo-pharmacist Dr Colette Haydon, founder of Lixir Skin (lixirskin.co.uk). ‘Science shows that good sleep is essential for repairing, regenerating and restructuring the skin. During the day, your skin’s main job is to keep hydrated and protected against dirt, pollution and UV rays, so repair takes a back seat. But when you’re sleeping, skin switches into recovery mode.’
It seems your skin is hardwired to get busy at night – research* found cellular energy metabolism follows the rhythm of your circadian clock. ‘Circadian rhythms refer to the 24-hour oscillations in behaviour and physiology that we see in every cell of our body, including skin,’ says dermatologist Dr Anita Sturnham of skincare clinic Nuriss in Harley Street, London (nuriss.co.uk). ‘Circadian rhythm optimises cellular functions at night, helping our skin to adapt to the daily environmental challenges it’s exposed to. We also know that epidermal barriers weaken and sebum production reduces overnight.’ Additionally, while your body rests, blood vessels relax, dilating so that more toxins are moved along and a fresh supply of nutrients can be supplied to your skin cells.
All this makes night the ideal time to apply targeted products according to your specific skin needs – here’s how to maximise those magical hours…
STEP 1:
Cleanse well
‘Cleansing is critical in your evening skincare routine – what you remove is just as important as what you put on,’ says Dr Haydon. ‘Clean skin will allow your products to work more effectively.’ Here’s our handy skin-type specific bedtime cleanser guide.
Oily Skin… To remove excess sebum in the evening, use heat to encourage oils to melt away and to speed up your skin cells’ metabolic repairing rate. Massage some Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (£10, boots.com) onto your face – it’s enriched with cocoa butter, rosemary, chamomile and eucalyptus to cleanse, purify and
