Getting enough sleep is so important for healthy skin
Here at Victor & Garth, we understand the importance of getting in the zzz’s, but as busy working mums, we know that’s easier said than done.
If like us you could do with a few extra hours in bed, and your skin is starting to show the tell-tale signs, here are a few tips to help you get the most from your beauty sleep.
What happens to the skin during those midnight hours?
Night-time is when our body enters repair mode, and the skin is at its most active, working hard to repair any damage from the day before. The more sleep you manage to get, the more chance your skin will have to replenish itself.
During our sleeping hours, the body’s cortisol levels drop, which allows the skin to regenerate. Consistently high cortisol levels can begin to impact how our bodies heal which leads to an increase in inflammation and potential breakouts of acne. Cortisol also breaks down collagen, which is responsible for keeping skin healthy, so extended periods without sleep can result in premature ageing. Disruption to sleep can also inhibit the production of human growth hormone which stimulates cell production and collagen and without this, the skin struggles to repair damage which will ultimately lead to signs of premature ageing.
And if you struggle to sleep?
For those who struggle to get a solid 8 hours kip, try to remove your makeup and cleanse your face as early in the evening as possible, as this will give skin longer to actively repair. The products we often apply at night support our skin’s natural overnight processes such as cell proliferation, collagen stimulation and antioxidant production, so the earlier you can allow skin to start this, the more beneficial it will be.
Always cleanse using lukewarm water to get rid of grime and dead skin cells. If your skin is at all sensitive use a gentle cleanser that’s non-foaming and preferably fragrance-free, as that can exacerbate skin conditions. Salicylic acid in your cleanser or as an acid exfoliant helps to combat acne but be mindful not to over-exfoliate. You may benefit from a double cleanse in the evening if you’ve been wearing make-up throughout the day.
After cleansing at night, eye patches can also be a relaxing way to indulge in a pre-bedtime routine. The skin in this area is quite thin and delicate and the patches offer a safe way to tackle signs of tiredness such as loss of volume under our eyes and thinning skin. Under eye patches can lessen these effects by brightening and hydrating the area.
As we all know retinol can really do wonders for your skin and for optimal use, it should be applied at night, two to three times per week. Retinol has been shown to improve fine lines and wrinkles, improve pigmentation and reduce pore size.
Retinol can be an irritant for skin so to help ease these effects, try to use it in conjunction with a product that includes a hydrator such as niacinamide as it stabilises barrier function and increases skin hydration. When you wake up in the morning, after cleansing apply a Vitamin C to enhance skin’s natural brightness.”
And what treatments are there that can help tackle tired skin?
Collagen boosting treatments such as skin boosters, laser resurfacing or microneedling can have fantastic results following a few sessions. Morpheus8 is a great treatment to consider as it rejuvenates from within. It combines radio frequency to tighten and lift the face with microneedling to increase the skin’s collagen production. Results improve over time post-treatment, meaning that the effects should last for up to a year.
Skin boosters such as Profhilo, Teoxanee redensity 1 and Naeuvia Hydro Deluxe are treatments that nourish skin from the inside out. Akin to an injectable moisturiser, they hydrate the skin from within while also stimulate the skin’s production of collagen and providing a lifting effect. Production of collagen decreases as we age, starting from around mid-twenties at a rate of 1% each year and not everyone realises that long term sleep deprivation can also speed up this process. Patients tend to see fantastic results following a few sessions.