None of us are perfect. Even the best of us, have those nights where we party too hard, don’t sleep enough, or get stressed out over things beyond our control. All of these things directly affect our skin, but perhaps the worst offense is inadequate sleep. Your skin repairs itself overnight, and if you don’t get an adequate amount of sleep, the effects show up on your skin almost immediately.
According to Los Angeles Dermatologist, Dr. Howard Murad, “Dehydrated skin, puffy eyes, dark circles, and sallow or ashy complexions are characteristics of a poor night’s rest. There’s a lot happening with your skin at night, and sleep enables the body to reverse everyday free radical damage through cellular renewal.”
In addition, sleep also reduces Cortisol (the stress hormone) which causes discoloration and thinning skin. It also increases Melatonin (the sleep hormone), which acts as an antioxidant to combat fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. Adequate sleep also increases the efficiency of growth hormones that repair and regenerate cells that produce collagen, which is responsible for your skin’s elasticity.
When you’re not able to get a perfect night’s sleep, there is still hope! Here are my go-to tips for improving stressed out/tired skin, that will have you looking and feeling like yourself again in no time.
1. Cleanse Thoroughly & Massage
First, prep your skin by cleansing thoroughly with a gentle cleanser to remove any oils, leftover makeup and dirt. A good one to try is Murad’s Refreshing Cleanser ($36). Be sure to also give yourself a good mini facial massage while your lathering up your cleanser.
Really concentrate on your eye area by gently tapping your fingers around your orbital bone in a clockwise motion to increase circulation, which helps to decrease dark circles and puffiness.
Then firmly pinch along your eyebrow area back and forth with your thumb and forefinger to prevent drooping eyelids. Do this about four to five times.
Next, make small, firm “c” shaped strokes with your fingers along your forehead to relax your muscles and lessen the appearance of fine lines. Do this back and forth about 5 times or so.
Finally, use brisk pinching motions with your thumb and forefinger all over your face to decrease any extra puffiness and further brighten your overall complexion.
After a good cleanse, your skin is now clean and ready to exfoliate!
2. Exfoliate Gently
If you didn’t get the proper amount of shut-eye, then your skin did not reap the benefits of the natural exfoliation process that happens while you’re asleep. “While cells repair and rebuild at all stages of sleep, the majority of cell turnover and regeneration occurs during deep REM [rapid eye movement] sleep,” says Dr. Murad.
You can mimic this process by using a good exfoliator in the morning instead. Be sure to use one with soft, natural, round kernals or beads to avoid any added irritation. Also try to avoid any products with glycolic or salicylic acid when your skin is already stressed out, which may cause you to appear red or blotchy.
My favorite exfoliator right now is the Micro Exfoliating Honey Cleanser, by Circadia ($36) This particular product is even gentle enough to use every day, which most other exfoliator are not. Using a good exfoliator will instantly brighten your complexion and even out your skin tone, making you look less tired.
3. Further Decrease any Leftover Puffiness
If your skin is puffy, especially around your eye-area, try this quick tip for instant results:
Fill your bathroom sink (or a large bowl) with cold water, and toss in a bunch of ice cubes (about 10-12). Then pour 1/3 of a cup of natural or organic witch hazel (without alcohol) into the water. Dunk your face in and out of the water 10 times, submerging your entire face each time.
Cold temperatures shrink will capillaries in the skin and stimulate lymph drainage, while the witch hazel has natural anti-inflammatory, puffiness-reducing properties.
4. Moisturize Well
Because tired skin lacks adequate oil production and did not experience the proper amount of cell turnover during the night, skin can appear drier and duller than usual. This means you need to moisturize! After exfoliating, the skin is now more receptive to products applied afterwards, and they will penetrate much more effectively than before. This is when you will want to apply your moisturizer! You will want to use a moisturizer that is packed full of Hyaluronic Acid, which binds moisture most effectively. I love Dermalogica’s Pure Light with SPF 50 ($60) or Anavita Moisturizing Anti-Wrinkle Cream ($77).
5. Apply Eye Cream
Finally you will want to apply a great soothing eye cream that both moisturizers effectively to reduce wrinkles and dullness and increases circulation to reduce the appearance of dark circles. I love Dermalogica’s Age Smart Multivitamin Power Firm ($58), because it goes on silky, not greasy, and I noticed a difference in my puffiness and dark circles instantly! Over time, I also noticed a complete reduction overall in the fine lines under my eyes. I also like Mario Badescu’s Ceramide Eye Gel ($18), because the cooling gel formula instantly refreshes the eye area, and reduced my puffiness and circles in within about five minutes. Try storing it in the fridge for an even cooler sensation, and it works even faster if it’s kept cold.
Stay tuned for my next Damage Control post on how to further improve tired, stressed skin through your makeup application!
*Tell me, do you have any tips/tricks or go-to products that work for you when your skin looks tired or dull? Or if you’ve tried any of my recommendations, have they worked for you?*
Shepic Skincare & Beauty 