What’s Happening to your Skin During Your “Beauty Sleep”

by Emily Linehan on January 03, 2023

Sleep is imperative to maintaining a healthy body and mind. Not only can a good night's rest have a positive impact on your overall health, but it can also play a big role in getting clear, glowing skin as well. In fact, a 2017 study found that after just two days of sleep restriction, participants perceived attractiveness was negatively impacted. 

So, what exactly makes sleep such an important part of your skincare routine? Let's dive into what’s happening throughout the night and how it affects your skin. 

Skin Cells are Repairing and Regenerating 

During the day, our skin is playing defense against environmental pollution, UV exposure, sweat, bacteria, and more. However, at night our skin switches to recovery mode. During this time, our skin works hard on repairing the damage from the day and regenerates new healthy skin cells. In addition, the body produces growth hormones at night that stimulate new collagen production, which is key for plump, bouncy skin. 

If you don't get enough sleep, this reparative process can't happen (or can't happen in full), which can leave you with skin that is lackluster and dull in appearance.

Skincare Products Are More Effective 

Since our skin is focused on recovering (as opposed to defending itself) throughout the night, products are able to work more effectively. In addition, at night we have higher skin blood flow and an elevated skin temperature, which can increase barrier permeability, allowing ingredients to be easily absorbed.

This is one reason why it is recommended to apply certain ingredients, such as retinols and acne-fighting ingredients (like micronized benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, etc.) as part of your nighttime skincare routine. By applying products like Acne Eraser or The Pink Potion at night while the skin is healing and regenerating, they can clear acne quicker.

It is also recommended that some anti-aging ingredients are applied at night as they do not have to compete with UV exposure, which allows them to work safer, minimize irritation, and produce the highest benefit.

Skin can Relax

As mentioned above, our skin is busy throughout the day battling a variety of pollutants. Therefore, when we remove these environmental factors such as UV exposure and makeup, our skin is able to enjoy some downtime. This is one of the many reasons why it is so important to complete your nightly skincare routine prior to heading to bed!

Much like the rest of our body, sleep is a stress-reliever that can benefit the skin. When we don’t have enough sleep, we can see a rise in cortisol levels (the stress hormone), which can put our skin in an inflammatory state. While breakouts are most commonly associated with stress-induced skin troubles, it can also affect our skin in several different ways, such as swelling or puffiness under the eyes and more. 

Skin Can Lose Water Moisture 

Oil production slows down throughout the day, often leading to Transepidermal Water Loss, or TEWL, occurring at night. This process occurs when water passes from the dermis (the middle layer of the skin) through the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) and then evaporates. To put it simply, TEWL causes the skin to lose vital water and moisture, which can cause a variety of issues such as dry or dull skin, redness, itchiness, or tightness.

This is why locking in moisture before heading to bed is especially important. Typically, you would use a humectant first, like our Skin Quencher Gel, and follow with an emollient-rich moisturizer to provide your skin with additional hydration throughout the night. However, if you are on our Clear Skincare Set, Lighten Up Skincare Set, or are using Acne Eraser, do not apply moisturizer on the nights you use your Acne Eraser. If you’re experiencing dryness throughout the night be sure to complete our online check-in form so we can make any necessary adjustments!

With our busy schedules, it’s not uncommon for us to miss out on a good night's sleep. However, getting your beauty sleep is one of the most important things you can do to get clear, glowing skin and prevent premature aging. So, begin making it a priority to aim for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night and your skin will thank you.

xoxo, Emme

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