How To: Get The Best of Your Beauty Sleep
Sleep is one of my “beauty secrets”. The fact is, when you sleep, your skin and body go into repair mode: your skin cells turnover aka working to make you look and feel pretty. If you don’t sleep well, drink too much, or ate a bad inflammatory meal (basically everything I did last night while watching the Oscars) you can see it on your skin, in your eyes, and I personally get bad stomach aches and don’t digest my food well. Sleep can also combat so many other stress issues, like adrenal imbalances, cortisol levels, and anxiety disorders, naturally.
Getting a good night’s sleep has been the the biggest issue discussed with all of the women in my life. Basically, we are all sleep deprived with slight champagne hangovers due to busy careers, children, and life, especially if you live in New York. I am sure you already know you need routine to get into good sleeping habits and I am not going to tell you what you already know, so here are a few of my personal ”sleeping beauty hacks”.
1. Regardless of of how many hours you can get, you can jumpstart the work with a good bedtime beauty routine an wake up looking fresh as a daisy. This goes with shouting caps YOU MUST WASH YOUR FACE BEFORE BED. I have cleansing wipes on me at all times. By my bed, in the event I can’t muster a move. My favorite are the Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing cloths. They foam without the use of water, leave your skin feeling refreshed and clean.
2. Invest in a cool mist humidifier. This serves a few purposes for me. I often wake up stuffy nosed and congested and my facialist suggested I get a humidifier. The bonus is that the cool mist is giving me a mini facial in my sleep AND the sound of the machine makes me sleep like a baby. My husband thinks the machine is ridiculous and ugly, but little does he know this machine is going to keep me forever young and he benefits dually. My favorite is the Crane Cool Mist Humidifier as it looks a little more fashion than function but also is compact and easy to use.
3. Take a sleepy time supplement. I love a melatonin, but some of them leave me feeling even more hung over than my Moet. I’ve found that Dream Water (pictured above) gives me a peaceful sleep, helps set my Circadian Rhythm (also great for travel!) and aids in helping me fall asleep. All non-habit forming and natural ingredients.
4. Get into a night time skincare routine. Since your skin is doing most of the work at night, this is the perfect opportunity to layer on a few lotions and potions to aid in it’s repair. I’m currently using Georgia Louise’s “Sleeping Beauty” oil. Not only does this potion have skin nourishing vitamins and antioxidants, it has a lovely calming scent thanks to the Frankincense, while the Bulgarian Rose is a a known natural aphrodisiac. Carrot Seed Oil is a main ingredient, which naturally soothes skin, tones, and aids in liver detox. This oil is true magic and worth every penny at $100. A little goes a long way. A drop into your day time routine will help liven up any winter skin dryness. I’m also a fan of the Eve Lom Age Defying and Smoothing Treatment. It feels like velvet and gives your skin that soft, baby-bottom texture. Often I will mix a capsule with with Sleeping Beauty Oil to get a potent antioxidant combo for a quick “while you sleep” facial.
5. A silky pillow case is the ultimate accessory for a sleeping beauty. I take mine with me everywhere I go and I’ve seen noticable results from switching to silk from cotton. Did you know your trusty cotton pillowcase is actually giving you wrinkles? Silk has the natural ability to wick moisture from your face and if a soft enough fiber that will not cause creasing on your face while you sleep. The bonus? It also saves your brows and lashes. Little did you know you are also losing your hair on your eyebrows and eyelashes with a cotton pillow as the fibers naturally grab your hair. If the only thing you actually do to save face, make it this.
