It’s every girl’s dream to wake up looking flawless in the morning and post a true #woke up like this selfie. The reality is that most of these “natural” selfies on Instagram are anything but. Most of us roll out of bed with puffy eyes and pillow wrinkles, stumbling to the kitchen for a glass of water because we’re drenched. If we’ve had an especially late night we may have some raccoon eye action going on as well.
Now in a perfect world we’d all get the recommended 8 hours of sleep we need to look refreshed in the morning. We’d never say no to the restoring benefits of sleep if we had the chance. And with research showing that not getting an adequate night’s rest is actually prematurely aging us, we try our best to get ourselves to bed early. Most of us know that getting enough sleep just doesn’t happen so we pack on the under eye concealer hoping our boss can’t tell that we’ve had an all work type of day and an all play type of night.
Are you tired of looking tired every day? After these 8 tips to waking up looking truly beautiful, you won’t need to pile on the makeup, or down 4 cups of coffee on your way to work. With a few easy tweaks to your nighttime routine you can be giving your face a refreshing makeover overnight.
1. Hydrate During The Day.
We may not always be able to get 8 hours of sleep a night, but we can make sure we drink 8 glasses of water a day. Staying hydrated makes all the difference in our appearance because unlike creams and moisturizers, water hydrates our skin from the inside out. Why is staying hydrated important for healthy glowing skin? When our skin is dry it is more prone to wrinkles because dry skin has less resilience.
The unsightly face bloat from dehydration happens because of water retention. If we don’t hydrate ourselves our bodies retain the water they can hold on to, adding to facial swelling. This is especially true when we eat an entire box of pizza and then go to bed. Who does that? Not me…
Hydration doesn’t have to come just in the form of water, either. So if you’re one of those people who has tried to consume a gallon of water a day and just hasn’t been able to keep up with it, there’s good news. Throughout the day you can help keep your body hydrated by eating certain foods, mostly fruits and vegetables. Strawberries, celery, cucumbers, and tomatoes are just a few foods you need to incorporate into your meals.
2. Remove Your Makeup Before Bed.
Unless you are a magical unicorn, you’ve probably slept in your makeup before. It’s OK, we understand that once in a while. But the truth is not removing makeup before going to bed can do extensive damage to your skin. Foundation and concealer is very oily, clogging pores and contributing to blackheads and acne breakouts. You don’t have to take our word for it, but don’t be surprised when you wake up with a new pimple after not washing your face before bed.
We know it’s late, you’re tired but remove ALL makeup. Mascara left overnight can actually make your eyes more puffy and cause eye irritation and redness. Wipe your face with a makeup wipe, or wash your face with a cleanser before bed. It only takes a few minutes, and the benefits are worth it. Here’s a quick tip, keep your makeup remover wipes next to your bed in your night stand for a quick makeup removal if you’re too tired to go to the sink. A clean face in the morning helps you look fresh and beautiful!
3. Sleep On A Silk Pillowcase.
Celebrities love silk sheets, it’s their little secret for smoother hair and skin. Invest in some silk sheets and pillowcases. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase has been shown to reduce hair loss and breakage and reduces wrinkling of your face. If you can, try to sleep on your back. Sleeping on your side contributes to permanent facial wrinkles.
4. Protect Your Hair.
If your hair is color treated, thin, or damaged you know that you need to take special precautions when it comes to taking care of your hair. You can buy expensive hair products but if you’re not protecting your hair while you sleep it can all be for nought.
Don’t sleep with your hair up in a pony tail. It may seem harmless enough, but keeping your hair up for extended periods of time can actually contribute to a receding hairline. Aside from that, sleeping in a pony tail can cause extensive damage to your already fragile locks. You may think you’re sleeping calmly, but can actually be tossing and turning, be damaging your hair and not even realizing it.
Never go to sleep with your hair still wet or damp, as hair is more likely to break while wet, and always brush your hair before bedtime. Every so often you should apply a treatment overnight like Moroccan oil, or a hair mask.
5. Moisturize Your Skin.
We’re back to hydration, because it is that important. Every cell in our bodies requires moisture to be able to function properly, and that includes skin cells. Put moisture back into your skin after cleansing or exfoliating before bed with a moisturizer. Invest in something that is good for your specific skin type because as bad as dry skin is, oily skin isn’t great either. When skin is too oily or too dry, skin problems like acne and breakouts begin to creep in.
Failing to moisturize properly can bring a whole slew of skin issues with it. If you do not moisturize, you could develop wrinkles. And not moisturizing can make the wrinkles you already have look worse. Your skin can appear dull and even flaky, resulting in awful makeup application when trying to cover it up.
6. Use A Night Cream Or Oil.
Night creams are excellent in fighting aging because they put collagen back into your skin. They reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Collagen and elastin are crucial to maintaining a youthful face. Night creams and oils also increase better blood circulation which in turn reduces dullness and makes skin glow.
7. Sleep In An Eye Mask.
When we sleep, our bodies take that 8 hours to restore themselves- it’s incredible. Sleep improves mood and fights depression and anxiety, it helps keep your waistline smaller, and even makes you smarter. But how exactly do our bodies heal themselves?
When we sleep, our brains trigger the release of hormones responsible for encouraging tissue growth. We recover quicker from injuries, muscle aches and cuts while we sleep. We produce more white blood cells which protect us against colds and infections. So a sleep mask is one of the best tools to overcome sleep problems and ensure a restful night. The darkness from the mask aids in melatonin production that makes us sleepy.
8. Ditch Distractions.
Close your book, turn off the tv, and put away your phone! We mean it! If you’re trying to maximize your sleep, you have to ditch the distractions that can cause restlessness and insomnia. The brightness from the television or your phone actually suppresses melatonin, and in turn gives you insomnia. To ensure you get your recommended 8 hours of sleep, remove distractions.
Now you have the tools to boost your beauty in the morning. No more scurrying to the bathroom to put on your makeup and fix your hair. Wake up with confidence and a healthy glow. Sleep better, look better! #wokeuplikethis!