What if we told you that you can get that dewy skin by just having a good night’s sleep? Yes, it’s possible. The magic words are sound sleep and using sleeping masks. For every obstacle that you have towards achieving glossy skin, you can overcome it by using a sleeping mask that can address your concern overnight while you get your beauty rest. They do make a great choice to rescue your skin a night before an important event. Let’s find out if the science behind the sleeping masks makes it the right choice for you to opt for or not.

What are sleeping masks?

Simply put, sleeping masks are the ones that can supercharge your skin overnight. There are many names that you may see labelled with. They are even called overnight masks, sleeping packs, leave-on masks but they all do the same job pretty much. When your skin has a compromised skin barrier, that is when your skin can easily go through havoc. Sleeping masks are known to hydrate and repair your skin from deep within. They are known to have potent ingredients, that you can find in your serum, and a great shot of moisturiser packed in.

How do sleeping masks benefit your skin?

1. Skin Regeneration

It is said that while you’re sleeping, the skin’s metabolism is up, and hence the skin cell’s turnover and renewal speed up. This is the best time to provide your skin with essential ingredients that could improve the texture and tone of your skin. Sleeping masks come in handy for this since they are designed to stay on your skin for a longer duration.

2. Shield and Seal

Sleeping masks are known to be able to sit on your skin without budging. So when you apply a layer on the sleeping mask, they will prevent dirt and dust from clogging your pores and at the same time seal in the moisture that your skin has naturally and due to the ingredients present in the sleeping mask.

3. Stop Ageing

Hydration plays a key role in making sure your skin functions optimally. Without hydration, your skin will turn dry and flaky and even end up with a compromised skin barrier. This will make your skin vulnerable to damage and speed up your ageing process. Sleeping masks are known to come in handy in such situations since they are loaded with ingredients like Ceramides, Peptides, Hyaluronic Acid, Sea Buckthorn, Emollients, etc. This promotes Collagen production and will even out fine lines and wrinkles.

3. Address your Immediate Concern

Certain times you see your skin breaking out, becoming flaky, or turning dull due to weather change, diet change, or just a change in the routine. Sleeping masks are available to address different skin concerns. If your skin seems dull, you can look for a sleeping mask that has Rosehip Oil, Jojoba Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Copper Peptide to revive your skin. We’d highly recommend The Switch Fix Restorative La Vie En Rosehip Overnight Face Butter that has the goodness of Rosehip Oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil, and Hyaluronic Acid to restore your skin.

What’s the difference between a sleeping mask and a night cream?

While sleeping masks are designed to penetrate deep within your skin, night creams are generally thick and cannot be absorbed as quickly.

Sleeping masks contain some very potent ingredients that can address your specific need but night creams contain comparatively less potent ingredients. This is also the reason why night creams can be used every night but sleeping masks are generally used once or twice a week when you feel like your skin can use an extra pump of care to reboot.

Sleeping masks can be used at any time of the day. Yes, that means you can use it during your afternoon naps as well when you want to have an evening function to attend. With night creams you need to be careful since they are designed to be specifically used at night. They may contain ingredients like Retinol which can only be used at night.

What’s our final verdict for sleeping masks?

So far from what we’ve gathered, sleeping masks pretty much sound like a rescuing hero/heroine that can come in handy when your skin needs an extra push. They are also very flexible to use it seems. If after a super hectic day, we need to go on a date the next day then we’d surely reach out for a tub of the sleeping mask to get that glowy skin. They can also come in handy when we have a very specific skin concern to address. Let us give you some ideas.

Ageing skin? There’s a sleeping mask for it. Try Ciel Anti Ageing Overnight Mask that has Apple Stem cells, Vitamin C, and Pomegranate Extract that slows down ageing and brightens your skin overnight.

Breaking out? There’s a sleeping mask specifically for that. Try Aminu The Multitalented Overnight Peel which is pretty much an all-rounder for combating dullness, pigmentation, getting rid of dead skin cells, and brightening your skin. The Glycolic Acid in it will exfoliate and help you reduce the appearance of zits, blackheads, and whiteheads. All of this while you sleep. Dreamy, right?

Pigmentation? There’s a sleeping mask for it. Skinpot.Co Hexa-Repair Sleeping Mask is loaded with Copper Peptide, Niacinamide, and Vitamin C to brighten your skin and reduce pigmentation.

Who should use a sleeping mask and how often?

Sleeping masks can be used by any skin type including sensitive ones. However, if it contains a high concentration of an active ingredient then it is better to consult a dermatologist before dipping your fingers in that tub or patch test before use! Sleeping masks can be used every night in a week before your big event or they can be used only on nights when you believe your skin needs extra care.

How to use a sleeping mask?

Ideally, they should be used at night 30 minutes before sleeping. You can apply all your skincare products and use the sleeping mask as the last step to seal in all your skincare. But make sure that the products you’re using before the sleeping mask, do not have silicone in them. Silicone is known to create a moisture barrier to lock in hydration. This will not allow your sleeping mask to absorb into your skin.

What are some ways you could prevent your nighttime skincare products from being absorbed by your pillowcase?

Well, the obvious suggestion is to sleep on your back while your skin takes in the goodness of all the ingredients that you have applied. The other suggestion is to apply your skincare well before you’re off to bed. An hour is a good bet. If you sleep on your side then make sure that your pillowcase is silk so that it won’t create friction between your skin and the pillowcase. This way, your product may be absorbed a bit by your pillow but there will be fewer chances of inviting a bacterial infection party on your skin.

Summary

Sleeping masks are an absolute delight to rescue your skin overnight. They are designed to penetrate deep within the layers of your skin and plump up your skin. They are known to strengthen your skin barrier and seal in moisture. We’d say that they’re worth marrying since there are sleeping masks that can specifically address your concern while you catch on to your beauty sleep.

-Divya Salvi