These days it can be hard to get the work/life balance right. Trust me, I get it. But putting down the smart phone and prioritising sleep can translate to real skin benefits come morning.
Our always on lifestyle means we have more awake time than ever before — and unfortunately, when our sleep is out of whack, our skin follows. More and more emerging research shows that poor quality sleep leads to cell de-synchronisation. And when cells become de-synchronised, they produce less collagen (even if they’re young!). Long story short, this means that a lack of sleep is directly related to loss of collagen in the skin, which can speed up the visible ageing process over time.
But it’s not all bad news. With this in mind, I have recently found myself looking for simple ways to make my nighttime skincare routine work just that little harder so I wake up looking and feeling refreshed. Here’s what works for me…
Good Cleansing
Cleansing is so important because it’s the first step in keeping skin radiant and healthy. I also find it a good way to start the wind down in the evening. I like to relax in the bath when my youngest son goes to bed so I’ll spend a few minutes while I’m in the tub double cleansing. I start with a cleansing balm because I love how well they take off makeup and sunscreen, then I’ll cleanse again with a milk or gel cleanser depending on how my skin feels. If it’s really humid I’ll go for a gel but if my skin is feeling dehydrated, I’ll opt for a cream or milky formula.
Pay Attention To Your Eyes
We’re Insta scrolling, Netflix bingeing and FaceTiming more than ever — and that’s just after-hours! All that screen time means our eyes are working overtime. All that extra movement (known as periorbital micro-movements) is causing our eye area to lose collagen faster and show signs of ageing sooner. With that in mind, I like to hydrate my eye area and support it. I’ve been using Estée Lauder’s new Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix because it does both. It’s dosed with Chronolux Power Signal technology, which helps repair the skin around our eye and there is also a clever 360° Mesh Matrix tech added, which acts like Spanx to support the skin against all those micro eye movements happening while we deep-dive Tik Tok. The cooling wand also acts like a mini cryotherapy session around the eyes; I really feel like a few swipes boost the circulation around my eyes and help get rid of puffiness. Don’t just use it only at night though, I like to apply this new eye serum in the morning as well for wide-awake looking eyes. I also use any excess left on the wand on my smile lines. I mean, why should my eyes get all the benefits?!
Choose A Night Worker
Enlisting the right skincare is particularly important while we sleep because nighttime is when our skin repairs and recovers from the day’s damage. It’s also when our complexion preps itself for the following day. Our skin can also lose moisture at night so it’s a good idea to keep it well hydrated as you sleep. For this reason, I love to layer with a serum designed specifically for night. Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair is one of my all-time favourites; it’s been around for so long and no wonder because it’s chock-full of hyaluronic acid, which keeps skin hydrated throughout the night, and its special tech, ChronoluxCB, helps boost our skin’s natural night time repair and encourage the skins production of new skin cells. I follow this up with a suer nourishing night cream (the richer the better for my skin) to give my complexion added hydration and boosted radiance by morning.
Me Time
After a long day of work and looking after my two boys, I really like to take some me time to wind down and get ready for bed. I don’t have a set routine but I do like to burn a scented candle in the evening, something with warming notes like rose, lavender, vanilla, amber or musk. I also have an essential oil diffuser which I love to use in the evening. I also try to turn off all tech about 30 minutes before bed; I’ll read a book or just tidy up the house so that it’s ready for the next day. Having everything in its place relaxes me and makes the morning so much easier.
Brought to you by Estée Lauder.
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