The beauty routine you implement before bed can have long-lasting effects that keep rumbling on throughout the months and years. People who adopt the right system often find themselves stunned by the results they see in the mirror.
But what exactly should you be doing around bedtime to make yourself look great? What works?
That’s what we look at in this post. We explore how to nail a beauty routine and wake up stunning the next morning.
Use An Aromatherapy Mist
First, you want to start by setting the scene and creating an aromatherapy mist. Adding scents and spritzes to your regimen is a great way to enhance the effects and get you in the mood for bed.
Most women use chamomile or lavender at night (or a combination of both), since these are calming and relaxing options. Many of these scents interact with relaxation centers in the brain, allowing you to snooze off into a deep sleep.
You can include aromatherapy in your routine by burning incense or essential oil-infused soy wax candles. Potpourri or diffusers are additional options if you prefer a fire-free environment.
Nourish Your Hair
Next, you want to think about nourishing your hair. Adding a mask or leave-in conditioner makes it easy to deal with split or broken ends while strengthening the rest of your hair
Look for hair products with natural ingredients in them with proven benefits for the follicle. For example, you could use formulations with caffeine or rosemary to enhance the effects.
If you want to leave the conditioner overnight before washing it out, use a silk or satin pillowcase. These low-friction options avoid any hair tugging or abrasion at night, helping to reduce damage long-term.
Indulge In Foot Care
Another item to add to your bedtime routine is better foot care. Taking care of your feet makes you more comfortable and reduces the risk of having to go to the podiatrist.
The best way to take care of your feet is to apply a specialist moisturizing and skin care formulation with glycerin and urea. These help to exfoliate dead skin while also protecting the skin’s natural barrier, leaving it feeling strong and cared for.
You can also lock in this moisturizing goodness by wearing special socks at night. Not only do these keep your feet warm and help you sleep better, but they also allow the moisturizing agents to do their job instead of rubbing off on the bedding.
Treat Your Lips
You could also treat your lips as part of your bedtime routine. This way, you can prevent them from getting cracked and dry after a long day in the office.
Most women use an overnight lip mask with peppermint oil and lanolin. These ingredients penetrate the tissue and make it more supple.
You can also use lip balms, which usually contain natural ingredients like beeswax. Again, these are great for locking in moisture and preventing dryness of cracking.
Button Up Shapely PJs
Another approach is to button up your shapely PJs to enable you to adopt the figure you want. Brands like Faja allow you to create an hourglass figure (or others), depending on your preferences.
Wearing nice pajamas allows you to go to bed feeling your best. These can pair well with an evening gym routine and are wonderful to slip into after a long shower.
Add Eye Creams
You also want to ensure your evening beauty routine includes eye creams. These help to brighten the eyes and work throughout the night, often releasing active ingredients like HA and vitamin C.
Eye creams usually come in small tubes with fine applicator tips. These let you apply a small quantity of the product to the under-eye area before massaging it in.
The best products contain a combination of skin-active ingredients, like ceramides, caffeine, and vitamin C. Which precise formulation you choose requires experimentation, but it shouldn’t take long to work out. Try different evening routines for a couple of weeks and see which work best for you.
Add Evening Moisturizer
Alongside eye creams, you also want to add an evening moisturizer to your routine. Slathering this on your face can be an excellent way to trap moisture in the skin and enhance the skin barrier.
These days, there are so many night creams. However, the simplest are often the best, so you don’t need to spend a fortune, unless you think you have to.
When you apply this moisturizer, make sure you put it on your face and neck. Many women focus on the complexion and forget about the rest of their visible skin, leading to differential aging patterns.
The key for preventing this is to ensure you apply moisturizer all over, even on the decollage if necessary. This keeps everything looking roughly the same and reduces the risk of a smooth face combined with a rough or wrinkly neck.
If your moisturizer has retinoids in it, always ensure you wear sunscreen the following morning. While these ingredients are great for the skin, they can weaken the barrier, making it more prone to burning.
Use A Chemical Exfoliant
Years ago, many women added physical exfoliants to their evening routines (which were a bit like sandpaper). However, the current state-of-the-art is chemical options. These dissolve away dead layers of skin and other contaminants, leaving the face fresh and zit-free.
Lactic acid is perhaps the most common chemical exfoliant on the market today. It’s natural, gentle, and cheap to produce, making it a real winner.
Mandelic acid is a bit stronger but also highly effective. If you use this one, you’ll want to add it to your routine every three or four days.
More powerful AHAs and BHAs are also available; just check the product’s packet. These enable better nutrient delivery to the skin.
Use A Cleanser
Finally, always ensure you use a cleanser as part of your bedtime beauty routine. Removing makeup and other gunk from the day is essential for opening pores and avoiding breakouts. The lighter the cleanser, the better.
