The night is a crucial time of repair for your skin.
While you are sleeping, your skin is fighting off signs of aging as
well as environmental damage from pollutants and the sun. During this
process, cell turnover occurs, and your skin is regenerating the
collagen-producing cells that are responsible for skin elasticity.
All of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. that are in your serums and other face products can help with this process and make sure that your skin gets the most out of its beauty sleep. Some more intensive treatments that often produce overnight results in terms of improving skin appearance are sleeping masks.
In fact, masks are getting hotter and hotter in the beauty world with 66% growth in 2013. Why? Well, masks definitely offer immediate benefits. You simply rub them into your skin before you sleep (generally once or twice per week) and wash them off in the morning. While you are sleeping, the mask will work its magic!
There are different types of sleeping masks that are designed for various skin needs. Check out these healthy products:
For intense hydration, apply the La Neige Water Sleeping Pack ($27 on amazon.com)
before you hit the sack.
Water sleeping masks are a common product in Korea that have made it over to the US. Korean beauty brands including La Neige make such a product. It's the perfect way to add a surge of moisture to your skin as you sleep, whether the winter weather is drying out your skin or you simply want to get a healthy glow. The invigorating gel consistency is refreshing and non-greasy. Key ingredients like ceramides, chesnut extract, beta glucan, and hunza apricot extract help purify skin, regenerate cells, prevent moisture loss, and improve skin's texture.
To brighten overnight, slather some Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial ($48 at Sephora).
Want to wake up to more radiant skin? The Korres Brightening mask can do the job! Potent wild rose and vitamin C help fade dark spots, even skin tone, moisturize, and protect skin. One night wearing this mask will give you that radiance that you get after receiving a facial. Perfect for women of any age or skin type!
Improve skin elasticity with the Dr. Jart+ Premium Firming Sleeping Mask ($48 at Sephora)
Using hyaluronic acid to help skin retain moisture, kava to boost collagen production and elasticity, and Korean medicinal herbs to purify and boost cell turnover, this masks creates a protective barrier that locks nutrients and moisture into your skin as you sleep. So, you wake up with skin that feels supple, plump, and soft.
If you want to fight blemishes when you sleep, try the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Clarifying Colloidal Sulfur Mask ($42 at Sephora)
It's tough to find sleeping masks that target oily/acne-prone skin, but Dr. Dennis Gross makes one! In addition to minimizing pores, this mask acts as a pore strip that draws out black heads, impurities, excess oil, and bacteria as you are sleeping. Sulfur helps fight pimples, licorice reduces acne scares and inflammation, and bentonite mattifies. And the mask does all of that without drying out skin. If you have a big day ahead of you, apply this mask the night before to make sure that you don't wake up unpleasantly surprised with a fresh zit that morning.
Next time you have a big event...a party, appearance, holiday...slap on one of these sleeping treatments the night before so that you can put your best face forward ;)
Look no further! Some of the best facial treatments can be found in your kitchen. Why spend hundreds of dollars on products, when you can make them yourself?
1. Cleanser = Baking Soda + Honey
Not only does baking soda draw out impurities from your pores like a packaged face wash would, but it also provides gentle exfoliation (much gentler than salt or sugar). It is a little difficult to rub over your face, so use honey to make a more user-friendly paste. Honey is, in my opinion, one of beauty's best kept secrets. It has moisturizing and antiseptic properties and is packed with anti-oxidants. This powerful combo will leave your skin glowing!
2. Toner = Rice Water + Green Tea
Take some uncooked rice and dump it into some water. Swirl the rice around in the bowl, until the water becomes cloudy. Strain the rice out of the mixture, so that you're left with the cloudy, rice water. Rice water has the ability to naturally soothe and calm skin with its anti-inflammatory, hydrating, and nourishing properties. Next, soak a green tea bag in the rice water for 10 minutes. Green tea will help remove left-behind residue, tighten pores, and provide anti-oxidant protection.
3. Mask = Banana + Yogurt
Mush up a banana with a fork and then mix it with some plain yogurt (you don't want to have chunks of preserved fruit your face) and then smooth it over your face. Leave it on your skin for 15-20 minutes before rinsing it off. Bananas are a natural skin conditioner. Rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E, this anti-aging fruit brightens and restores moisture to dull skin. Yogurt also offers a variety of skin benefits. First, it tightens pores and evens out your complexion. Second, it has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, which helps keep breakouts from forming. Lastly, the lactic acid will help exfoliate, soothe, and moisturize.
4. Treatment = (Aspirin + Cinnamon) or (Red Wine) or (Apples + Strawberries)
If you are concerned about blemishes, you can find a natural version of the common acne-fighting ingredient, salicylic acid in aspirin. Simply, take an un-coated (coated tablets don't break down very easily) and allow it to dissolve in a bowl of water. Add a dash of cinnamon before applying the concoction to your skin. Cinnamon will dry out zits and pull nutrients to the skin's surface.
If you are concerned about wrinkles, put a few drops of red wine on a cotton ball and rub it over your face using a gentle, circular motion. One of the strongest anti-oxidants in skincare is resveratrol, which comes from grapes, and helps delay signs of aging. Red wine is full of resveratrol, and it's much less sticky than rubbing a grape against your face.
If you are concerned about dark spots, place an apple slice and a strawberry in a small bowl
of water...mush and stir the ingredients to release the fruit juices. Use a cotton ball to sweep the solution over your skin. Apples contain natural alpha-hydroxy acids, which promote cell turnover. Strawberries also contain alpha-hydroxy acids and are rich in vitamin C...a great brightening agent. Many of us have heard of using lemons to lighten hair. Lemons have bleaching properties, so they can also be used to lighten skin, but they can also make your skin very sensitive to the sun, so be careful if you decide to use it.
5. Moisturizer = Olive Oil
Olive oil (or you can substitute it for almond oil or grapeseed oil) is an ancient beauty secret. The premier skincare brand, DHC, even features olive oil as its main ingredient because it creates a barrier against free radicals and irritants. And not to mention, it has great hydrating properties. Pat some over your face and then rinse off the excess with a little bit of cool water.
The best part about making your own skincare products is that you can ensure that they're healthy and toxin-free. Whether you're short on cash, have sensitive skin, or are an organic products geek, these quick and easy steps will leave you looking radiant and feeling fresh.
