7 Simple Overnight Beauty Fixes to Wake Up Looking Beautiful

They call it beauty sleep for a reason. You’re ready for soothing rest but your skin is preparing to work hard overnight so you can look gorgeous. Here is how to enhance your skincare routine before bedtime to improve your complexion while you dream. 

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Get Your Beauty Rest

While you are sleeping, your skin is regenerating and repairing itself.  During sleep, the cortisol, or stress hormone, of the body decreases, which is a good thing because it’s associated with weight gain, skin discoloration, and thinning skin.  On the other hand, the melatonin hormone is increased, which not only makes you sleepy so you can recharge, but fights wrinkles and age spots.

The best way to ensure these hormones work effectively is to get enough sleep every night.  Follow a relaxing routine before bedtime, such as by having a warm bath or drinking herbal tea, so that you train your body to establish a daily sleep routine.

Read on for more overnight beauty tips:

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Cleanse & Hydrate

You should never got to bed without washing your face, using a toner, and finishing with a moisturizer. This seals in the skin’s hydration so that it can look supple and vibrant. Moisturizers should contain nourishing ingredients that are a tall drink of water for your skin, and these include shea butter and hyaluronic acid. They’re both humectants, meaning they pull water from the environment and quench your skin with it.

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Moisturize Your Skin

Relax in a warm bath.  Light some candles, and add in a few drops of essential oil, such as lavender, jasmine, or chamomile.  If you have sore muscles, add some epsom salt (sea salt works, too!), as the magnesium in the salt helps to flush lactic acid buildup in your muscles, and plays an important role in the absorption of vitamins in your body.

Afterwords, apply a lotion to your body when your skin is still a bit damp so that it will be able to absorb the moisture more effectively.  Make sure you do so wiithin the first 3 minutes after stepping out of the shower or bath to seal in the moisture.  This is also a great way to relax your mind before bed that will make you feel pampered.

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Supple Skin Starts with Vitamin A  

For youthfulness, look for ingredients that repair and restore your skin by boosting collagen production.  A great ingredient that achieves this is retinol.  Since it is derived from Vitamin A it encourages the skin to produce collagen. When surveyed, people who applied a formula containing retinol to their arms were found to have smoother skin after six months of use.  I highly recommend Clinique Youth Surge Night Age Decelerating Night Moisturizer, shown below.

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Clear Up Your Skin

For clearer skin, exfoliate while you sleep.  Glycolic acid is an effective exfoliator to use on skin overnight.  It is often found in chemical peels because it helps to fight acne, as well as discoloration.  It works by dissolving a substance into the surface layer of skin, so that skin cell turnover is increased, thus allowing skin to shed its dead layer, which contains bacteria and pigment.  Glycolic acid is also found in skin brightening products, such as Olay Regenerist Daily Thermal Mini-Peel, shown below.  These help to clear your complexion, so these are a great way to include in your morning and evening beauty routines for brightening results.

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Use Retinol Around Your Eyes

Don’t forget to apply eye cream before bed. Fat in this area of the face falls first, which means skin around your eyes is more prone to aging faster than the rest of your face. Look for ingredients in eye creams like retinol, hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E to keep it collagen-filled and moisturized. If your skin is very sensitive, substitute the retinol for peptides – these boost collagen without being irritating.

Of course, it doesn’t help if you’re applying eye cream religiously but skimping on sleep: you need a two-pronged approach of enough rest and a nourishing eye product to achieve beautiful eyes.

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Nourish Your Hands

Night time is the best time to hydrate and moisturize your hands because you’re not going to be using them while you sleep.  Massage them with hand cream (We love Boots No. 7 Intense Protect & Perfect Overnight Hand Treatment!) and apply a cuticle cream to hydrate your nails as well.  This will keep your fingernails and hands looking gorgeous so you can flaunt your favorite summer nail colors with confidence.

Proper skincare is an important nighttime routine to follow so you can wake up to beautiful skin from head to toe. 

What are your favorite nighttime beauty routines?

xo

A big shoutout to the lovely author, Cassie Brewer, for providing the wonderful tips featured on this post!