“Time for my “beauty sleep”, you may have heard someone say, but do most know what it actually means? Few realize the importance and benefits of a good beauty sleep and the preparation that goes into it. We are going to tap into the “secrets” of why beauty sleepers wake up looking ready for a cover page photo shoot every morning!
1. Skin Preparation And Treatment
Most shower/bath products will stipulate an all-in-one combination for your skin which tends to promote ease of use and convenience. This is not ideal when it comes to proper skin care. Generally, men will use one product for their entire body and a shampoo for their hair. The ladies, however, understand that there’s far more that goes into skin care. So gents, you too can get into a habit of this routine and you will be amazed at the difference in your skin!
- Begin with a good facial cleansing product containing Hyaluronic Acid, which attracts water into the skin and locks in the moisture – and then rinse.
- Next, spray your face and neckline with a French facial mist which is essentially spring water with other hydrating ingredients, to sooth and hydrate the skin after the wash in order help bind the facial serum to the skin.
- Follow this by gently applying an anti-aging facial serum evenly to your face and neckline. This will deliver its active ingredients deeper into the skin.
- Finally, we suggest applying a night cream containing Hyaluronic Acid and other hydrating ingredients. This should leave your skin feeling plump and well moisturized.
2. Aromatherapy Oils
Lavender Oil can help you fall asleep faster and can increase sleep quality by 20% according to a study at Southampton University, England. It acts as a natural relaxant which can help calm the nervous system. It repairs and restores cells to their natural condition. Lavender only takes 5 minutes to enter the blood stream when applied topically. Massaging it into the meridian points is the most effective delivery method.
3. Sleep On Satin Or Silk Pillowcases
The high quality of the fibers will prevent a very bad hair day, and the texture will soften wrinkles and fine lines due to it causing less friction between the pillowcase and your skin. Silk is easier on your hair as it helps avoid tangles and breakage, and better for your skin as it glides easier and minimizes creasing and wrinkles.
TIP: We suggest sleeping on 2 pillows as it tilts your head slightly which allows for better fluid drainage and prevents the puffy look and dark circles around the eyes.
4. Change Your Pillowcases Frequently
Rotate your pillowcase with a clean set on a regular basis, as you don’t want your lovely skin to absorb bacteria nested in your pillowcases for 8 hours at a time. It is also suggested to flip your pillows over in between pillowcase wash days.
5. Sleep On Your Back
This may be hard to do if you’re in the habit of sleeping on your side. There are a number of benefits to sleeping on your back to begin with, but for the purposes of a good beauty sleep, sleeping on your back may assist in reducing wrinkles and creasing on your face, and even prolong the development of wrinkles and creases.
6. Avoid Salty Bed Time Snacks And Booze Before Bed!
Consuming high levels of sodium found in popular snacks such as chips, nuts and crackers, before bed can significantly disrupt your sleep. Studies have shown that people who consume salty snacks within hours of their bedtime tend to wake up more often with the need to rehydrate with water. The disruption in sleep can lead to morning grogginess, with the dreaded tired and puffy eyes which don’t help when you have a model shoot the same day!
The consumption of alcohol also has dehydrating effects on the skin and body, again resulting in the need to drink water throughout the night. For most people, a little overindulgence has a shrinking effect on the brain due to the dehydration, which leads to headaches. As per usual, everything in moderation.
7. Avoid Drinking Too Much Water Before Bed
On the flip side of drinking too much alcohol before bed, is drinking too much water before bed. This is rather self-explanatory, in the sense that you may experience multiple trips to the toilet during the night. As much as being hydrated will leave your skin looking good in the morning, disruptive sleep affects your sleep patterns leading to fatigue. We suggest consuming a portion of fruits and veggies before bedtime as this aids in a slow release of hydrating effects without causing sleep disruption.
8. Sleeping On The Right Mattress
Yes! Believe it or not, this plays a major factor in the beauty sleep process. A bad mattress or just a mattress that doesn’t suit your sleeping habits can lead to back and neck aches. No matter how pretty your skin looks, you’re going to be reminded by the aches and pains thanks to the wrong mattress.
We highly recommend coming into our store and trying out our unique Sleep Laboratory [insert link] which will give us accurate information through an image imprint on screen by lying on a bed rigged with 1500 sensors designed to show us your body’s contours and pressure points. The information is then discussed with you by our bed experts and the best options are then presented to suit you and your budget.