Sleeping Beauty
Nocturnal skin saviours for all skin types
Beauty sleep: there’s a reason it’s a thing. A 2015 US study published in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology showed that good sleepers (those who grab between seven and nine hours a night) had on average 30 per cent more effective skin barrier recovery compared with bad sleepers. In short: you want fewer wrinkles? More radiance? Dewier skin? Go to bed earlier – it’ll help.
But we all know the realities of life – a deadline needs to be met, a child needs to be nursed through a tummy bug, a Netflix series needs… binge watching.
Like every other part of our body, our skin operates in a circadian rhythm – a pattern of functioning over a 24-hour period, says More Than Skin National Training Manager Lauren De Vries. It means the minute we lie down to sleep, our skin wakes up and goes into intense self-renewal mode. The bad news: the less we sleep, the less effectively our skin can perform this function. The good news? You can recruit products to minimise the damage. Lauren’s recommendation: optimise your pre-sleep routine with a gentle cleanser to remove every scrap of dirt and makeup, followed by a serum to treat your skin and a nutrient-dense moisturiser to hydrate it.
The PROBLEM Redness The SIGNS Flushed skin due to reactive capillaries that become dilated more readily than they should. Can be caused by sensitivity to certain products or mild inflammation due to diet or environmental factors. Rosacea is another cause. If redness is intense and persistent, visit a dermatologist to determine the cause and the best line of treatment. But if it’s relatively mild, read on.
The SERUM Look for non-irritating products (ideally fragrance-free) that are packed with vitamin E and essential fatty acids to help reduce inflammation and strengthen the skin’s sensitive barrier.
The CREAM Again, find a non-irritating cream that will assist your skin’s natural healing and defence processes.
The SHOPPING LIST 01 Ren EverCalm Anti-Redness Serum from Mecca Cosmetica, $76. 02 Natural Instinct Restoring Night Cream, $15.
The PROBLEM Dryness
The SIGNS Itchy, rough, tight-feeling skin, often featuring flaky patches.
The SERUM Hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water: it’s a great hydrator. It also strengthens the skin’s moisture-trapping barrier – all good news for those suffering from dry skin. Smooth on serums that make use of this superhero.
The CREAM Look for nutrient-rich formulas that deliver some heavy hydration by way of vitamin-packed plant oils, such as rosehip, tomato, avocado, cranberry and acai seed.
The SHOPPING LIST 03 Trilogy Nutrient Plus Firming Serum, $44. 04 Sukin Moisture Restoring Night Cream, $21.50.
The PROBLEM Ageing
The SIGNS Wrinkling, sagging texture that lacks the plumpness and ample collagen of its youthful days.
The SERUM Once again, antioxidants are the order of the day for their free radical-quashing, collagen production-preserving abilities. With high dosages and effective penetration, serums are the best means of administering ingredients rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin C.
The CREAM One word: retinol. Slather on night creams rich in it. This vitamin A derivative sweeps away dead skin cells for a brightening effect and boosts collagen and elastin by getting to work on cell repair at the deepest level of the skin while you sleep. The SHOPPING LIST 05 Sávar Pure and Natural Wonder Lift Serum, $85. 06 Ren Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Cream from Mecca Cosmetica, $118.
The PROBLEM Acne
The SIGNS Angry, red bumps that can last a few days. Caused when pores become blocked with bacteria, dead skin or oil. In its efforts to expel the blockage, the skin becomes inflamed in pimple form.
The SERUM Formulations boasting salicylic acid as a starring ingredient are your friend. The acid makes for efficient cell-shedding and works to unclog pores.
The CREAM Even if you feel like your skin’s oil production is such that it could power a small lamp, that’s no reason to skip moisturising creams. Just look for an oil-free or water-based moisturiser, which gives the hydration you need without pore-cloggers to go with it. Avoid ingredients such as petroleum, mineral oil or silicones (all of which will block pores) as well as alcohols, which will dry your skin and send it into an oil-producing frenzy. The SHOPPING LIST 07 Joyce Blok Serum BHA3, $26. 08 Goodness Every Evening Cream, $24.
The PROBLEM Pigmentation
The SIGNS Dark patches of skin normally affecting those of medium or dark tones. It’s caused by an increase in melanin, and can be brought on by acne or overexposure to the sun. Best prevented by sound sun protection – think a wide-brimmed hat, oversized sunnies and a good broadspectrum sunscreen.
The SERUM Look for a formulation that’s stocked with antioxidants, found in vitamins A, C and E. Put simply, antioxidants thwart free radicals (which are responsible for abnormal melanin production) by neutralising their chemical construct.
The CREAM Glycolic and lactic acids induce chemo-exfoliation of the skin. In other words, they speed up cell turnover, quickening the eventual shedding of the melanin that’s sitting in the lower layers of your skin and causing the darkened colour. Look for night creams that tout these acids as active ingredients. The SHOPPING LIST 09 Antipodes Apostle Skin-Brightening Serum, $65. 10 Joyce Blok Alpha-Beta Radiance Cream, $52. g