My overnight sensations
These night-time marvels work their magic on skin and hair as you sleep
Since this is a sleep-themed issue, rather than talk about pillow sprays and relaxing bath soaks, I thought I would concentrate instead on some skin and hair favourites – old and new – that work while we snooze.
Aussie G’Night Moisture
Sleep In Serum (1, €25.99, boots.ie) produces silkier, shinier hair by morning and leaves no residue on pillows. A pump or two on dry hair is all you need.
Next up is skincare and retinol specifically, since night-time is the right time to apply this anti-ageing ingredient. That’s largely because it is light sensitive and can make skin more vulnerable to UV rays (remember always to apply SPF when using it during the day). To reduce the look of fine lines and pores I suggest Naturium Retinol Complex Serum (2, €25, spacenk.com) – this cult brand launched here to great fanfare last year.
If you’re new to retinol you should start slowly and apply once or twice a week gradually building up the dosage. Retinol can irritate the skin and on a recent weekend away a friend came down to breakfast with a bright-red face as she’d been liberally applying it every evening without realising the side-effects.
If you have a spot crisis the classic Mario Badescu Drying Lotion (3, €18.95, spacenk.com) will come to the rescue while you’re in dreamland and that pimple will be gone by morning.
Skin – like the body – goes into repair mode at night so it’s also a good time to apply cream that helps support this process.
L’Oréal Paris has extended its
Age Perfect Cell Renew range with a Midnight Cream (4, €23, boots.ie) to add to the already popular serum.
For those afflicted with chapped lips, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Sensai
Total Lip Treatment (5, €84.35, parfumsdreams.ie) is the best I’ve used and transforms them overnight. It’s expensive but brilliant and you don’t need a full depress of the pump.
In last week’s column I wrote about barrier creams and
Murad Essential-C Overnight Barrier Repair Cream – to go alongside the Firming Radiance
Day Cream (6, €95 each, murad.com) – is a great new offering. The vitamin C will boost your skin’s resilience and help brighten the complexion, too.
A key part of my bedtime routine includes applying
Vegamour Gro Brow Serum
(7, €68, vegamour.com). It’s simple to put on using a sponge applicator and has helped my brows to look fuller. I apply it again in the morning. To thicken lashes, Uklash Eyelash Serum
(8, €45, uklash.com) is beloved by pretty much everyone I know – in fact, some find it almost too good with lashes enhanced so much that they touch the top of the eye socket and cause some mascara transfer.
Skin repairs itself at night so it’s a good time to apply cream