When you think of good skin care, what springs mind? Daily cleansing and moisturising? A good diet? Regular exercise? Did you know that one of the best beauty treatments we can give ourselves is free….a good night’s sleep!
Going to sleep earlier can help the body repair the daily damage caused to the skin by stress, ultraviolet rays and other detrimental exposures to dust and pollution. Sleep is when the body produces more proteins, which are the cell’s building blocks. Enhanced protein production ensures proper rejuvenation and revamping of the tissues and cells, which in turn provides vital regeneration and repair to the skin.
The modern multi-tasking woman tends to burn the candle at both ends and in the middle in the never ending quest to achieve more. But this can be rewarded with dark under-eye circles, puffy bloodshot eyes, crows feet and sallow skin. So before you splurge on the latest skin repair and anti-aging products, you may want to try getting a bit more sleep first!
This also explains the origins of the term ‘beauty sleep’. The ill-effects of inadequate sleep show up almost immediately in our looks. Models, actors and those whose face is their fortune unanimously agree on the absolute necessity of a good night’s sleep.
Extensive research over many years has shown even a couple of days of inadequate sleep are enough to decrease concentration, reduce mental and physical alertness and cause irritability. In addition to this, studies connect sleep with gaining weight; sleep less and the release of important appetite-regulating hormones can get disrupted, which may cause weight gain.
From now on, make getting a good night’s sleep an integral part of your beauty regime. This may sound like a tall order, but the long term holistic benefits will see your efforts well rewarded.