If you usually wake up to beauty nightmares like puffy eyes, frizzy hair and sleepy skin, here’s some news to get out of bed for: It’s easier than you think to look like the girl of your dreams. Make just a few simple changes to your pre-bed pamper ritual and, hello, sleeping beauty.
Dream Skin: While you sleep, tucked away from the UV and other free-radical assaults of the daytime, your skin can focus on what it should be doing: regeneration. Night creams are formulated to pep this process along, so are well worth the investment. Before you apply a night lotion, cleanse skin thoroughly of makeup and daytime grime; exfoliate, too, every few nights, which will not only extra-clean but make skin most receptive to the nutrients in a night cream. Consider also investing in a specialised treatment. If, say, you want to treat general signs of ageing, apply a prescription form of vitamin A (see a dermatologist for the best one for you). Or, if your main concern is problem pores, target affected areas with a salicylic acid-based gel, such as Neutrogena SkinClearing Fast Acting Gel ($9.99 from pharmacies).
Good Morning, Sunshine: Pre-bed is a perfect time to apply fake tan; you give the formulation plenty of time to develop to full potential, plus you wake up looking like you’ve been somewhere much more exotic than just your own bed. Best bedtime tanner is a bronzing moisturiser (no sheet-staining risks). And the popular Johnson’s Holiday Skin now comes in a night-time version ($6.99 from supermarkets and pharmacies) - it contains higher levels of glycerin to keep snoozing skin snug and nourished. If, however, you prefer to use a regular tanner, soften rough patches (elbows, knees, feet) with a rich body cream first, as this will ensure colour doesn’t excessively grab to these dry areas. To tint your face, neck and décolletage, simply mix night cream with equal part tanner.
Salon While You Sleep: To wake up looking like you’ve stepped out of a nail bar, try this before-bed routine: Massage cuticle oil into nailbeds and a rich cream into hands, then slip on cotton gloves. Slather feet, too, with a thick cream (a sorbolene-type one will do the trick) and climb into a cosy pair of bedsocks. You may not feel like the chicest woman in the world in gloves and socks - but there’s nothing else like it for re-infusing skin with softness.
Pillow Talk: If you often say good morning to puffy eyes, try sleeping on an extra pillow. By elevating your head, you’ll encourage drainage of the excess fluids that can cause this swelling. And while you’re at it, make that a satin-covered pillow - this is much kinder on hair, helping to keep cuticles smooth and hair frizz-free.
Top Sleep Tip: They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing. When you’ve had the right amount of zzzzzs, you look bright-eyed and glowy-skinned. But that exact amount differs from person to person. Some of us thrive on six hours, others crave eight-plus. To work out the best shut-eye time for you, measure it by how long it takes you to wake up naturally. Sleep experts insist that we don’t rely on alarm clocks to rise and that the best measure is your body’s own natural timer.
