The concept of beauty sleep is age old. Good rest means we’re more likely to wake up bright-eyed and with fresh skin… right?
Our body is kind of magical when you think about it. After a long day we’re supposed to kick back, relax and let our bod take care of the rest while we snooze. The actual dream.
The truth is, sleep is essential for healthy skin and – full disclosure – nothing can beat it. But on the days we’re feeling frazzled because we’ve missed out on our full eight hours of zzzzzzzzzs, our skincare can step in as a powerful deputy. Likewise, makeup can help us fake it, even if we don’t “wake up like this”.
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Why is sleep so important for skin?
“When it comes to your skin, getting enough sleep is one of your basic beauty commandments. Sleep is a fundamental human requirement,” explains top consultant dermatologist, Dr Anjali Mahto. “Experimental studies have demonstrated that lack of sleep can make individuals look less healthy, less attractive and more tired. Studies aside, it’s not rocket science to see that sleep deprivation can worsen under-eye circles and cause sallow, dull skin,” Dr Anjali adds.
Why is the evening such an important time for skin?
“What our skin endures during the day is very different from what it faces at night,” explains Dr Anjali. “In the day time, we are at much higher risk of physical injury, exposure to ultraviolet radiation and microbes, as well as temperature extremes to name a few. So, naturally, it follows that the skin may work differently depending on the time of day,” she adds.
We know our bodies have an in-built clock, or circadian rhythm, which influences our natural sleep cycle, but our skin has it’s own timetable (and spoiler: when it comes to skin renewal, it’s booked and busy in the evening). “There is fascinating scientific work from the year 2000 onwards which demonstrates that skin cells have their own internal clock in addition to the brain’s master clock.” says Dr Anjali. “The skin’s circadian rhythm affects nearly all of its functions. This includes skin hydration and water loss, oil or sebum production, blood flow, skin cell division and barrier function. These processes do not proceed at the same rate during the day and show peaks and troughs of activity,” she adds.
For example, oil production peaks early in the afternoon and is lowest at night (when it could do with a top-up), water loss increases at night (so boosting hydration is key), the skin barrier is more permeable at night (which is great if you want to get good stuff like nourishing skincare in, but bad news if you want to keep toxins and bacteria out) and most skin cells have a higher rate of division at night (which we need for producing new healthy skin cells).
How can skincare support our skin when we’re not getting enough sleep?
Our skin relies on good quality sleep to look healthy and rested, but, to supercharge any snoozing we can rack up, or to sub-in when we’re not getting quite as much as we should, skincare can play an important role. “Skincare can certainly help to combat some of the effects of lack of sleep (dullness, dark circles etc),” says Sarah Chapman, top London facialist founder of the Skinesis skincare line and the woman behind Meghan Markle’s wedding-day glow. “Focus on good night care that can help boost regeneration and replace lost lipids and hydration,” she adds.