Younger you in 8 hours – from £4
Wake up to skin that looks glowing, healthy and smooth. No, this isn’t a dream!
The moisture magnet
During the night, skin is warmer, which is great news for the products you apply before bed – they can really permeate – but the flipside is that you lose moisture and your face can feel dehydrated come morning. Simple Water Boost Hydrating Booster, £6.99, is like a tall drink of water for thirsty skin. You can mix it with your night cream to add an extra hit of hydration or apply it alone for a skin-quenching treatment.
The nightshift oil
Even if you’re one of the lucky ‘eight hours a night’ sleepers, your skin may not be reaping the benefits. Why? Your sleep pattern can easily be disrupted by blue light emitted from your phone or tablet, caffeine, sugar and alcohol, which can leave skin looking dry. Elemis Peptide Night Recovery Cream-oil, £49, elemis.com, supports the skin’s internal clock so it knows to focus on repair even if sleep is broken. Plus, its skin drenching natural oils help counter the effects of the water loss we face each night, too. One hundred per cent of testers agreed they looked like they’d had eight hours sleep.
The fatigue fighter
They say your eyes are the windows to your soul – they also happen to be the biggest giveaway of a bad night’s sleep. The skin around your eyes is delicate so you don’t want to overload it with night cream. Opt for a lightweight serum instead, like Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules, £52. Each vial is filled with enough product to smooth around both eyes. The serum helps strengthen the skin barrier to boost hydration beneath the surface so fine lines, wrinkles and crow’s feet appear smoother. And by stimulating the renewal process, you’ll find dark circles and puffiness look less noticeable.
The soporific soak
Getting a bath before bed can help you nod off. That’s because we experience a slight drop in temperature right before we go to sleep, so soaking in a warm bath helps raise your body temperature artificially before cooling down, coaxing you into that sleepy zone. Turbo-charge your tub time with a generous glug of Feather & Down Bath Essence, £7, under warm running water. It’s infused with lavender and chamomile essential oils to soothe the senses as the cloud-like bubbles soften skin.
Have your bath or shower at least an hour before bed, otherwise you’ll just feel hot and sticky
The sleep SPF
During the day, skin is on high alert protecting itself against the environment, which is why every morning should start with a layer of sun cream – but what about bedtime? Niod Survival 0, £20, victoriahealth.com, acts like an SPF for night. sure there’s no sun, and this product doesn’t contain any UV protection, but it does reverse signs of photo damage and bolster the skin’s defences against everything else, such as blue light, stress and pollution – all while you sleep.