Lianna Albrizio, Assistant Editor 03.14.22
Consumers can spend hours every week applying their tried-and-true skincare products to keep their faces, neck and decolletage looking its most healthy, supple and youthful. But the time and energy spent on their skincare regimens is counterproductive without a good night’s rest. It’s not called “beauty rest” for nothing.
To emphasize the importance of getting quality shut-eye, the National Sleep Foundation designated National Sleep Awareness Week (March 14-20) to raise awareness and education on sleep and its ripple effects on the body.
While sleep can play important roles in cognition, particularly memory, immunity and energy levels, and can affect reaction times and mood, sleep deprivation can also lead to high blood pressure and the development of other serious and sometimes life-threatening conditions such diabetes, obesity, depression, heart disease and cancer. As many as 45% of Americans say that insufficient sleep interfered with success in their daily activities, according to information from the National Sleep Foundation.
Dermatologists, too, urge patients to get their beauty rest.
“Sleep is a time of renewal, and if you don’t get enough, it will show in your skin,” says Dr. Robin Ashinoff, chief of dermatology, surgery at Hackensack Meridian Health.
From a cosmetic standpoint, a lack of sleep can not only cause a person to feel “out of it,” but look out of it as well.
“When you sleep, the repair process takes place, allowing for collagen production to happen,” explained Nadia Murdock, a mindset and movement coach. “More collagen means more plump skin, which helps to combat fine lines. Poor sleep can result in dark undereye circles, swollen eyes, droopy corners of the mouth and fine lines. When you sleep, your blood flow increases which assists in rebuilding collagen and repairing skin damage from UV exposure. Less sleep leads to a higher likelihood of fine lines and damaged skin.”
According to Ashinoff, there is scientific proof that beauty is contingent upon a good night’s sleep. She explained that as the skin undergoes repair at night, various hormones are secreted including growth hormone crucial for collagen repair. Collagen is the main structural protein found in skin and other connective tissues that plays a critical role in the skin’s elasticity, loosely defined as its ability to quickly bounce back after being stretched. Collagen can decrease with age leading to sagging skin, but its breakdown is expedited by various environmental factors such as smoking, a diet lacking in anti-inflammatory foods like fruits and vegetables, and UV exposure.
Other hormones, such as melatonin, she explained, are secreted by the pineal gland and linked to the time of day. Cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, triggers the body’s inner alarm system that sounds when experiencing unpleasant emotions such as anxiety and decreases when asleep. Consumers unable to sleep due to stress or burn midnight oil to make a deadline can cause blood vessels to leak. That, Ashinoff said, results in dark circles and sunken, dehydrated skin. What’s worse, long-term sleep disturbances can lead to premature aging such as wrinkles, inflammation, obesity and even cancer.
While sleep is vital to achieve great skin, it’s quality over quantity; there is no magic number for the right amount of sleep.
“Some (people) get by with four and others seven,” said Ashinoff.
Beauty Products Improve Skin Health
Whether consumers seek to maximize the effects of their beauty rest with top-tier skin care products or correct the damage, Ashinoff encourages a nightly beauty routine before bed. This regimen, she said, should consist of gently washing the face with an agreeable cleanser and applying a serum followed by an antioxidant-rich moisturizer to maximize sleep’s renewal effect. The result? Waking up to a dewy, vibrant complexion.
Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair is a good place to start. Consumers can dispense a few droplets of the fast-absorbing serum, formulated with Chronolux Power Signal Technology, onto clean, dry skin every night before bed to improve skin texture and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for radiant, younger-looking skin overtime. Its key ingredient, hyaluronic acid, provides 72 hours of hydration with eight hours of antioxidant power after just one use. According to research by the company, after three weeks, 88% of women said skin looked more youthful.
Estée Lauder’s DayWear Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant 24-Hour Moisture Cream with broad spectrum SPF 15 can be applied on top of the serum. With a cool cucumber melon scent, the moisturizer refreshes skin with lasting hydration while working to improve multiple signs of aging from fine lines and wrinkles to dullness. Ninety-six percent of consumers said skin felt instantly smoother and fresher with just one use, according to the company.
Moisturizing creams such as
For cleansing, products such as Cetaphil’s Gentle Skin Cleanser hydrate while lifting and washing away pore-clogging impurities such as dirt, oil and makeup so that skin can retain its natural moisture barrier. Philosophy offers Purity, a one-step facial cleanser made with the scent of meadowfoam seed oil for a deep clean and the removal of skin-damaging pollutants.
For those with oily skin, Biore’s Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser creates a gentle foam with a charcoal scent. Made with skin purifying technology, the oil-free foam wash purports to draw out twice as much dirt and impurities than a basic cleanser to leave pores twice as clean after one use.
Retinol, a type of retinoid, a vitamin A derivative, can also be incorporated into a skin care routine to obtain and maintain youthful skin. It carries the benefits of improving skin texture and tone that has been damaged by acne and sun overexposure and works to stimulate collagen production and cell turnover to reveal a smoother complexion.
Some consumers, however, want an alternative to this potent formula which is known for producing temporary redness with the first few uses before the skin has had a chance to adapt.
One such alternative is Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Texture Renewal Serum by Dr. Dennis Gross. The ferulic counteracts the redness. SkinCeuticals Prevent C E Ferulic is another retinol alternative. The serum, packed with powerful antioxidants, smooths away signs of aging, fades discoloration and hydrates skin while providing advanced environmental protection against photoaging.
Promoting a Better Night’s Sleep
With the face set, it’s time to get the rest of the body ready for bed. According to Ashinoff, retreating to a cool, dry room with comfortable bedding of cotton or silk sheets can promote a better night’s sleep.
And, according to sleep planner and happiness coach Christina Bergman Ribel, with warmer temperatures on the way, bedroom windows can be cracked open to invite fresh air in. Or, set the thermostat to 68-70 degrees, she said.
Bergman Ribel also recommends taking a short, cold shower before bedtime to help bring down body temperature and keeping a glass of purified water on the night table. She additionally encourages turning off cellular devices, as the blue light from smart phones can throw off the body’s circadian rhythm by blocking melatonin and inhibiting sleep—not to mention concerns about blue light’s impact on skin.
The right bedding is also important. Bergman Ribel suggests changing the pillows as they absorb body oil, dead skin cells and hair which can exacerbate allergies and create a hotbed of dust mites.
Herb + Flora—a skincare brand founded by French triathlete and cosmetic industry veteran —includes a pillow in its line. The brand says its Morpheus Pillow Recovery Pillowcase makes skin brighter and more radiant after just two weeks and minimizes the appearance of fine line and wrinkles while improving skin’s firmness after four weeks. The pillowcase is woven with copper fibers.
According to experts, it is all about sustaining rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The sleep state occurs 90 minutes after dozing off and brain activity in the form of intense dreams is increased.
“If you get too hot during the night, it can impact your REM sleep and result in a poor sleep pattern. It is during REM sleep we get our deeper sleep, which is what helps us feel rested in the morning,” said Bergman Ribel.
Bath products can also help consumers get quality shut-eye. Dr. Teal’s Foaming Bath with Pure Epsom Salt Sleep Bath with Melatonin & Essential Oils can be poured into the tub while drawing a warm bath. Melatonin helps regulate the sleep and wake cycle, while notes of lavender and chamomile essential oils reduce stress levels and encourage relaxation.
Murdock says other essential ingredients like magnesium are essential to overall well-being to not only improve sleep, but improve migraines and combat depression.
“All of these conditions can disrupt your sleep, so weaving in magnesium not only helps improve your quality of sleep, but helps with additional wellness issues as well,” said Murdock.
The BetterYou Magnesium Sleep Body Spray can be applied before bed and onto the pillow to support a restful night's sleep. Active ingredients include Zechstein magnesium chloride with lavender and chamomile. Consumers can also drink away the stress with Relax Youtheory Magnesium Powder, which can make a flavorful drink packed with amino acids, GABA and L-Theanine to combat stress.
For bodies stressed-out post-workout, Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate offers fast muscle relaxation due to its superior absorption properties, too. Further, BetterYou Magnesium Muscle Bath Flakes create a lemon and rosemary-infused bath with zechstein magnesium is ideal for recovering after rigorous exercise or to reset a weary mind after a long, strenuous day of work.
For bodies stressed-out post-workout, Thorne Magnesium Bisglycinate offers fast muscle relaxation due to its superior absorption properties, too. Further, BetterYou Magnesium Muscle Bath Flakes create a lemon and rosemary-infused bath with zechstein magnesium is ideal for recovering after rigorous exercise or to reset a weary mind after a long, strenuous day of work.
Quality sleep is more than sweet dreams.
“We live longer if we sleep better,” said Bergman Ribel. “If we sleep less, we age faster and our bodies deteriorate faster. We can go without water for three days, and without food for up to 21 days, and about 10-11 days without sleep. That’s how important it is, which means that it is a cornerstone in our health—both physically and mentally.”