Night Time is the Right Time
Sleep helps your body repair itself, and recover from daily stresses and damage. It is also when your beauty products are most effective – there is a reason it is called “Beauty Sleep”. According to Lindsay Carney, Kiehl’s Educator, at night the skin renews and repairs itself, the process is called cell mitosis (cell division). During this renewal time, your skin will get the most benefit from your skincare routine. During sleep is when your body produces new collagen (click here to read all about the benefits of collagen, and how it is essential to prevent fine lines and wrinkles), and increases blood flow to your skin.
So, as we mature, and our skin dries out and starts to dull, we should incorporate night products into our skincare routine (and not just a night cream, although this is an essential part of the routine). Night products are specially formulated to be more nourishing and repairing, and they are generally thicker, to take advantage of your skin’s repair cycle while you sleep. So, in addition to getting 7-9 hours sleep a night, we also recommend adding some of these tried and tested night time beauties to your nightly routine.
Serums
Serums are a lighter consistency than moisturisers, and are designed to penetrate deeper into your skin for maximum repair. For this reason, serums designed to work at night can really help your skin. We have a few go-to night serums we love at Beauty Over 40. According to Lindsay Carney, Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate regenerates, restores, and replenishes the skin barrier skin for smoother, healthier skin. With a blend of essential and botanical oils, it works with the skin’s natural nocturnal activity – when skin is most receptive to repairing itself from daily aggressors – to dramatically restore skin. 30ml RRP $66.00 (also available as an eye cream and cleanser). Reveal a smoother, more radiant, younger look with Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II (an update of the original best-seller). Maximising the power of skin’s natural nighttime renewal with the exclusive ChronoluxCB¿ Technology, Advanced Night Repair dramatically reduces the look of all key signs of ageing. 50ml RRP $150.00 (also available as an eye cream and mask). Dr. Hauschka Night Serum supports your skin’s natural processes and helps to strengthen, regulate and balance it during the night. The oil-free and lightweight formula contains organic berner rose apple blossom extract and apple fruit hydrosol for radiant, firm and refreshed skin. The serum helps to soften, revitalise, strengthen and stimulate the renewal process in skin. 25ml RRP $79.00.
Eye Creams
The skin around our eyes is so delicate, and it is one of the first areas to show the signs of aging. The skin around our eyes is up to 10 times thinner than the skin on our face, and as a result aging shows up in ways such as dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and eventually wrinkles. The skin around our eyes also has very few oil glands, so is unable to produce and retain as much moisture as facial skin. To keep your eyes looking as youthful as possible, it’s essential to apply a night time eye cream, to help the repair and recovery process. We love Mavala Switzerland Eye Contour Double Cream. The fragrance-free cream is a light, moisturising treatment which helps prevent the development of wrinkles around your eyes. The formula contains active ingredients, such as shea butter, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid which help revitalise, firm and intensely hydrate the delicate skin surrounding your eyes, and is fragrance and colour free. It is designed to be applied at night, for maximum benefit. 15ml RRP $38.95. Dr. LeWinn’s Eternal Youth Day & Night Eye Cream is brilliant for more mature eyes, as it is formulated to target the upper eyelid as well as crow’s feet, dark circles, puffiness and signs of fatigue. The formula contains ingredients to help rejuvenate cell performance, lift the upper eyelid, reduce crow’s feet, fade dark circles and reduce puffiness. It also features Neodermyl, which stimulates elastin and collagen production. The eye cream delivers these ingredients via a brass contoured massage applicator that both cools and micro-stimulates the area around your eyes. 15ml RRP $69.95.
Night Creams
The staple of any beauty routine, by the time we hit our mid-30’s, should be a good night cream. Night Creams are designed to be supremely hydrating, and to be worn all night, without make-up over the top, so your skin can reap their benefits. Look for creams which are ultra-moisturising, and work to help your skin produce collagen, or reduce fine lines and wrinkles – essential to slow the signs of ageing. Made right here in Australia, endota spa Organics Nourish & Repair Night Cream contains native davidson plum, which has powerful antioxidants to help support collagen production, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Also containing Omega 3, 6, and 9, as well as Vitamin E, the lush scented cream works overnight to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 40ml RRP $70.00. Another favourite Australian beauty is Jurlique Purely Age Defying Night Lotion. Formulated with powerful ingredients, the lightweight moisturiser helps address the visible signs of lines and wrinkles while comforting the skin and improving skin tone, whilst providing long-lasting moisturisation and hydration. Antioxidant vitamins C and E help improve your skin tone and protect against environmental aggressors. 40ml RRP $69.00. Clinique Smart Night Moisturizer immediately plumps skin by up to 75%. The clever formula then works all night to help visibly smooth lines and wrinkles, even skin tone and lift sagginess. The smart hydration technology in the formula helps skin attract and retain moisture, for gorgeous plump skin. 50ml RRP $102.00. Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Night Cream is another anti-ageing night cream that will visibly plump your skin and help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles overnight. The fragrance-free formula contains an amino-peptide complex to minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and anti-ageing ingredients to improve and activate collagen rejuvenation. Skin structure is strengthened, and cell turnover is boosted, whilst antioxidants help to protect skin from free radical damage. 50g RRP $48.99.
Masks
Just as face masks used once or twice a week during the day will help improve your skins moisture levels, night time masks are designed to deeply hydrate and help repair your skin. They work so well as they are left on overnight, so your skin can receive the full benefit of the ingredients, and your skin can breathe more freely without makeup. Used once or twice per week, in addition to your normal moisturiser, your skin will really see the benefits, and they are an easy way to get extra hydration into your skin – all you need to do is sleep on it. We like the Neutrogena Youthful Boost Sleeping Mask, a rich leave-on cream, which is formulated with adenosine, hyaluronic acid and shea butter to help reduce the signs of ageing while you sleep. The mask comes in a small pod, which contains one dose, sealed for freshness. 10ml RRP $4.99. Another favourite of ours is the Shiseido Ibuki Beauty Sleeping Mask, an overnight leave-on gel mask that is like a full nights sleep in a jar. Containing condensed antioxidant vitamin capsules which melt into your skin, so the ingredients can work all night, the formula has a relaxing fragrance, to help aid sleep. Phyto complexes give your skin a boost of moisture, for a plump, well-rested look. Awaken to skin that looks dewy and glowing. 80ml RRP $54.00.
So, there you have our tips for gorgeous glowing skin overnight. Do you use a overnight skincare products? Which one is your favourite, and why? Let us know in the comments below.
