Stop Sabotaging Your Beauty Sleep with These 5 Habits

Beauty sleep is not a myth. Not only does inadequate slumber increase your cortisol (stress hormone) levels, but it also triggers inflammatory responses, resulting in aggravated skin issues. Apart from the common effects of puffy eyes, dark circles, and dull skin, lack of sleep also robs your skin of the chance to repair daytime damage.

The creams and serums you apply before bed work while you’re dozing off. Between 10 pm and 2 am, skin regeneration is at its height, increasing cell renewal and allowing skin to recover moisture loss. Poor sleep keeps all of these processes and more from happening, resulting in an overall tired appearance and skin aging. 

Good sleep quality matters, but so do your habits. You may not realize it but some of the things you do before and during sleep can negatively affect your skin and sabotage your beauty sleep. These include: 

1. You’re consistently staying up late or pulling an all-nighter.

What’s keeping you from sleeping early? Is it because of a new show you’re binging, your late afternoon caffeine, or doom scrolling in bed? Over time, doing this consistently can lead to poor skin health and rapid aging. Sleeping late and waking up early can also lead to low energy, poor concentration, and puffiness and dark circles.

If you want to stop staying up so late, there are things you can do to shift your bedtime schedule. Seeing a doctor helps, as well as tweaking some of your habits. 

• Adjust your bedtime gradually. Make adjustments in 15-minute increments over a couple of days.
• Avoid caffeine late in the day or leave about six hours before your last coffee and your supposed bedtime.
• Try to avoid or cut down on screen time before bed. 
• Get regular exercise, but avoid vigorous workouts close to or less than an hour before your bedtime. 
• Get natural light in the morning.
• Avoid naps early in the afternoon or keep them under 30 minutes. 

2. You don’t change your pillowcases.

Your pillowcases might look clean and smell fine, but it does harbor bacteria and can even be dirtier than the average toilet seat, according to this study. The latter is true for bedding that you don’t frequently wash. Do take note that sweat, saliva, oils, bacteria, and product residue collect on your pillowcases and even be transferred to your skin. 

Don’t let your skin always be in contact with what’s on your pillowcase. Flip them every midweek or wash/change them every week. And if you have oily or blemish-prone skin, change them more often or every two to three days to prevent breakouts. You might also want to consider silk or satin pillowcases, as they are gentle on the hair and skin.

3. You sleep face down.

Sleeping face down or on your stomach causes your face to be smashed against the pillow. This can then create friction on the skin, which may cause unwanted lines and creases. Sleeping in your back helps prevent lines, as this doesn’t put any pressure on the face. The use of silk or satin pillowcases is also beneficial.

But what about sleeping on your side? This position alleviates acid reflux and reduces sleep apnea symptoms, but it does put pressure on one side of the face. Side sleeping is better than sleeping face down, but it is ideal to alternate which side you sleep on to avoid uneven lines or more creases on one side of the face.

4. You forgot to wash your face at night. 

While a night of not washing your face isn’t likely to have serious side effects, it can still compromise your skin health. Keep in mind that dirt, oil, and grime can stay on your face overnight and sink in on your skin. Doing this more often can lead to breakouts, irritation, and premature skin aging.

This is why no matter how sleepy or exhausted you are, always make sure to cleanse your face. If you don’t have time for a multi-step skincare routine, use a micellar water or rebalancing toner to remove any accumulated impurities. Don’t make it a habit though; commit to a skincare regimen to take better care of your skin and avoid exacerbating existing skin issues. 

5. You skip using moisturizer. 

There is less oil production at night and the skin experiences great moisture loss (transepidermal water loss). This only makes it important to always moisturize at night or use hydrating products. Bear in mind that you don’t need to slather on heavy creams; use a formula that is right for your skin type. 

Apply a quality face moisturizer as the last step in your skincare routine. This seals in everything and helps prevent water loss. You can also use a humidifier to reduce side effects brought on by dry air. It can improve your sleep quality and skin health, as well as provide relief from respiratory issues. 

How Sanctuary by Cutis can help

Sanctuary by Cutis is your destination for radiant confidence. If the effects of poor sleep have been lingering on your skin, we recommend getting your sleeping habits back on track and supplementing your effort with skin rejuvenation treatments. We offer facials, chemical peels, and other light-based solutions that can breathe new life into your skin. 

Some of the treatments that can help include:

• Chemical peels – gently resurface the skin to improve overall tone and clarity, as well as reduce the look of lines, wrinkles, and scarring.
• HydraMaster – a facial that cleanses, exfoliates, and infuses your skin with beneficial serums. It can help you achieve a more vibrant and younger-looking skin. 
• Crystal Carboxy – infuses the skin with CO2 to increase oxygen and nutrients in the skin. It can help with cell restoration and provide whitening, face slimming, pore reduction, and moisturizing benefits.  
• Dermamelan Depigmentation Method – a depigmenting solution that lightens existing spots and prevents their reappearance. It keeps hyperpigmentation under control and can be used on freckles, melasma, sun spots, blotchy skin, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
• DiamondTome Microdermabrasion – gently exfoliates the skin to unveil a younger-looking and more supple complexion. It helps promote the growth of healthy new skin and stimulates collagen production.
• Photo Facial – uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to safely and effectively improve skin tone and texture. It targets skin imperfections caused by photodamage, as well as facial redness caused by skin trauma and rosacea.

Looking to elevate your skincare game? Let Sanctuary by Cutis be your partner in doing so and supplementing your routine. WhatsApp us at +65 9780 2079 to learn more or book an appointment.