From The Straits Times    |

6 easy and fool-proof ways to wake up with better skin story

 

You might consider getting ample sleep each night (at least a solid seven or eight hours) akin to “beauty sleep”. And while it is true that getting enough sleep can make a difference to the health of your body and in turn your skin, the fact remains that nailing woke-up-like-this perfection does tend to require a few extra steps before bedtime.

What steps, you ask? Well, a surprising number of things can impact your skin while you sleep, from the material you sleep on to the things you consume before bed and of course what you slap on your skin. So keep reading for our guide to waking up with your best skin ever!

READ MORE: 10 unexpected lipstick hacks, including the latest layering tip to expand your lipstick wardrobe

 #1 Get a silk pillowcase
Silk sheets aren’t just a beauty urban legend from an era gone past. There’s actual merit to sleeping on a silk pillowcase, at least where your skin (and hair) is concerned. If you find yourself with a pillow-creased face in the morning, you might want to try out a silk one. They’re supposed to prevent those ageing crease lines and also reduce friction between your skin and the pillow, which is especially important if you have skin that is very sensitive to abrasions. Many a beauty guru has also attested to softer skin after trying silk pillows. A slightly pricey but high quality option? This $115 pillowcase.

#2 Use a repairing night serum or peel
I always feel like it’s a waste of a sleep cycle if you aren’t using the time to repair your skin via the right skincare. Skin does the most healing and renewing of cells overnight, so recovery or repair serums are the perfect night time skincare essential. If you’ve got very rough or dull skin, you might want to try something a little more intensive, like an overnight peel or a salicylic acid face wash before bed.

My favourite nighttime skincare heroes are Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair serum, Allies of Skin’s Bright Future Overnight Facial, Kiehl’s Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate and Philosophy’s Overnight peel.

#3 Avoid caffeinated drinks
Beauty sleep has its name for a reason. Getting in a full eight hours is not only good for your insides, it’ll benefit your outsides, too. Caffeine, on the other hand, not only dehydrates your skin but can also disrupt your sleep cycle if you guzzle it too close to bedtime. Research has shown that more sleep provides better benefits when you sleep earlier instead of waking up later, so avoid caffeine that will keep you up past 10pm.

#4 Use a lip mask
Skincare is all well and good while you sleep, but our lips are often the quickest to show dehydration. A good lip mask that works overnight will hydrate your skin and prevent your lips from chapping when you sleep in an enclosed air-conditioned room. Flakiness is especially annoying when you love matte lipsticks, so a mask is well, a must. We recommend Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Masks, the new Urban Decay Rehab Prep Lip Love, Eve Lom’s Kiss Mix or First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Lip Therapy.

#5 Use eye cream
While the rest of our face might be resting throughout the night, our eyes tend to get more of a workout. We know the skin around our eyes is a lot thinner and requires more TLC, so it’s best to invest in an eye cream that has hydrating and reparative qualities. Plus, a more hydrated under eye area means your concealer will go on a lot more smoothly the next morning and won’t look dry and crepe-like throughout the day. Just keep in mind that if an eye cream is giving you little white milia spots under your eyes, it’s probably too rich for your skin and you should switch to a more lightweight eye cream or gel. Not sure where to start? Check out the eye care winners from the 2017 Her World Beauty Awards.

#6 Sleep with a humidifier
If you’re someone who sleeps in air-conditioning almost every night, you’ll probably find your skin feeling dehydrated, taut and even itchy. One thing you can do to alleviate this is invest in a humidifier that can sit by your bed. You can find some inexpensive ones that simply require water in a bottle or a small USB-powered contraption. It will help keep your skin (and insides) more hydrated while you sleep. I even keep one on my desk at work to counter the dehydrating office environment; this has a wonderful side benefit of helping me relax, so give it a go. Handy travel tip: a small USB-powered bottle humidifier could be great for a long plane journey. Just remember to fill it up at the water coolers in the airport terminal just before you board the plane.

 

READ MORE: Things you should cut out of your skincare if you have sensitive skin, The May 2017 new beauty buys you need in your life.

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