Sleep 💤 What does lack of sleep actually do to your skin?

We all know that getting a solid 8 hours of sleep every night is the recommendation for adults across the board. For some people getting those important restful hours is easy, and for others it takes a magnitude of meditations, calming teas and hot lavender soaked baths to get there. We all know how it feels to wake up after a sh*t night’s sleep and it isn’t fun, but did you know that your sleep also affects your skin!?

face serum

When we sleep our body goes into ‘fix it’ mode, our body works hard to repair damage and inflammation and the same happens to our skin. With our skin being the largest and often the most neglected organ  (other than maybe our liver- margarita anybody? 😝) in our body, it stands to reason that not getting enough sleep can take a huge toll on our skin.


So what actually happens with lack of sleep and our skin? Simply put, lack of sleep affects our body’s ability to stimulate cell regeneration and repair damage. When we wake up from not enough sleep you can easily see it on our faces with dull skin, swollen eyes, dark circles (I prefer my bags to be designer personally) and increase in appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. And the only wrinkles we like around here are those on a cute AF shar pei.  

face serum

While it is important to get those solid zeds 💤 happening, a commonly accepted fact of life is: it isn’t always possible. Whether you’re up late due to bambinos, late nights schmoozing and boozing, restless legs, or a netflix binge gone wild, there are some tips to help your skin bounce back after a woeful night between the sheets. 


First, no matter how tired, how boozed or lazy you are… DO NOT SKIP YOUR NIGHT TIME ROUTINE. Read that again. Ok, I am sorry for yelling in shouty caps, but if you’re already going to wake up before you should, or go to bed far later than you should, then you need to give your skin the very best chance of looking its best, and that starts with removing the dirt (and sins) from your day. At an absolute bare minimum, pare back your routine to at least cleanse and moisturise, however I am sure you can manage to pop your favourite serums in there too cause let’s be honest, it doesn’t take much extra time (you’re already up late anyway!). 

face serum

Second, DRINK 👏 YOUR 👏 WATER 👏! There are endless reasons to keep your hydration levels up that far out weigh the constant need to duck to the loo. Water intake greatly affects our skin's ability to look  hydrated and plump. Drinking water first up in the morning will help hydrate that tired AF skin and give you a good jump start to your morning. To be fair this is the first thing we should be doing every morning.


Third, if you have those dreaded bags happening below the ol’ eye sockets, do yourself a favour and pop two teaspoons in the freezer for a few minutes (if you are wanting that day spa experience, feel free to use cucumbers here too). Pressing lightly with the cold teaspoons or cucumbers to the bags for a few minutes will reduce the puffiness and swelling. PRO TIP: Use the back of the spoon to apply your eye serum (Retrograde will greatly help you here) for a cool and nourishing start to your day. 

face serum

 

Lastly, use Hyaluronic Acid serum. Hyaluronic Acid attracts up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Simply put, Hyaluronic Acid serum will hydrate and plump that pretty but tired little face of yours to mimic a restful 8 hours sleep in no time. Remember, hydration is a huge factor in the health and appearance of good skin. So alongside that water sipping, make sure you’re applying the best possible serum to attract additional hydration. The ticket here is hydrating from the inside AND the outside. Our Retrograde facial serum features a light and non-greasy texture jam packed with Hyaluronic Acid to help fight tired dull skin. 


Now, moisturise your skin and drink some water you beautiful and capable, but dehydrated bitch. And rest up, you need it!


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