PREPARING for a fruitful night of beauty sleep starts way before your head hits the pillow, advises one pharmacist. In fact, if you nail down solid pre-sleep rituals , she believes you can wake up looking a few years younger. Beauty sleep can be aided through a plethora of oral care, skincare and haircare practices.
Fabulous spoke to Jana Abelovska, Superintendent Pharmacist at Click Pharmacy , about the best way to harness the regenerative power of your kip. “A good night’s sleep will make you look and feel more refreshed in the morning, so the most important tip of all is making sure you get enough sleep,” she tells. But that’s not all.
The type of pillow you use could keep your locks strong, while sleeping on your back can work wonders for face wrinkles. Here’s pharmacist Jana’s top tips for getting the most effective beauty sleep of your life..
. Just like skin, our hair can suffer the impact of ageing. As women age, our hair can become coarser, drier or more brittle due to decreased oil production in the scalp.
What’s more, women’s oestrogen levels decrease (especially during and after menopause) which helps maintain hair thickness, often causing thinner hair. As a result, our hair can unnecessarily age us. To protect your hair in your sleep and give it the best chance of rejuvenation, Jana urged people to never go to sleep with damp tresses.
“Your hair is more fragile before it dries,” she explains. “Lying on it - and moving in your sleep - could damage it. “Feeling stressed has also been linked to increased hair shedding.
“That’s yet another way that a relaxing evening routine is good for you - it can help protect your hair.” Skipping a 10-minute blow dry before bed just isn't worth it in the long run. WE'VE all heard of beauty sleep, but what's actually going on while we catch good quality Zs that's actually making us more beautiful? It’s age old advice for a reason - getting enough sleep is the secret to getting beauty sleep.
Jana seriously recommends getting around eight hours a night to give your cells time to repair and rejuvenate. “Some people say sleeping on your back is best for reducing wrinkles, but sleeping on your side has been proven by doctors to have some health benefits,” she adds. Some people say sleeping on your back is best for reducing wrinkles, but sleeping on your side has been proven by doctors to have some health benefits “Such as reducing sleep apnea and back pain, and helping your breathing.
“If you’re worried about your pillow leaving wrinkles on your face , you can swap to a silk or satin pillowcase, which will be gentler on your face. “This will reduce the pulling and rubbing on your skin which is a key cause of morning wrinkles.” As retinol can make your skin more sensitive to UV rays, it’s important you only apply it close to the time you’re going to bed, says Jana.
Sunset in August is around 8:30pm, so a good time to aim for is 9pm. Retinol, a derivative of vitamin A, provides chemical exfoliation to the skin and speeds up cell production, resulting in a more youthful complexion over time. Retinol is a major buzzword in the beauty industry right now.
.. Retinol is a chemical exfoliant that belongs to the retinoid family, a group of compounds derived from vitamin A.
It promotes the shedding of old, dead skin cells and the production of new, healthy cells. This process helps to keep the skin smooth and glowy by improving texture and tone. By accelerating cell turnover, retinol also helps to unclog pores, making it an effective treatment for acne.
Regular use of retinol can significantly enhance the overall texture and tone of the skin. It can minimise the appearance of pores, smooth rough patches, and even out pigmentation. Retinol also helps to fade dark spots and hyper-pigmentation by accelerating the turnover of pigmented cells and promoting the growth of new, evenly pigmented cells.
“The best time to wash your face at night depends on lots of factors,” Jana explains. “That includes what’s most comfortable for you in terms of building a relaxing night time routine. “Another factor is the products you choose to use.
“Dermatologists often advise using retinol close to the time you’re going to bed, as exposure to light can reduce its effectiveness.” Jana also shared that there’s “no harm” in trying the face taping trend doing the rounds on TikTok right now. Some content creators believe it has the power to shave decades off your face while you count Zs.
Special adhesive tapes, often made of medical-grade materials, are stuck between the eyebrows, on the forehead and over the jowls as part of this beauty routine. The tape stretches the skin slightly and holds it in place, restricting movement in that area. The goal is to prevent repetitive facial expressions, like frowning or squinting, which can contribute to wrinkle formation.
“Face taping, or wrinkle taping, is a popular trend right now,” Jana says. “If you have a big day ahead and fancy trying out something new, there’s no harm in giving it a whirl and seeing if it helps reduce the appearance of fine lines in the morning. “Just make sure that you use a product that’s actually intended for skincare - these little adhesive patches should be gentle on your face.
“While there have been a lot of clips circulating on TikTok showing people using normal tape, this is not formulated for use on your skin, and could hurt you when you remove it.”.
