Wake up to the Truth: Sleep Deprivation is a Nightmare for Your Skin

You might not realize that lack of sleep is wreaking havoc on your skin, causing dark circles, premature aging, acne, and inflammation.  All of this is leading to stress, compounding your skin issues.  I'm breaking down how lack of sleep impacts your skin and health below.

Dark Circles

The skin under the eyes is thin, and when you don't get enough sleep, your blood vessels dilate, causing those purplish circles to appear under your eyes. 

To reduce under-eye dark circles and fine lines, our MicroNeedling Tool paired with our Firming Eye Complex, stimulates collagen production to thicken the epidermis and conceal the appearance of the blood.  An Ice Roller is also a fantastic way to instantly will de-puff and hydrate your under eyes.

Premature Aging

Sleep is essential to ward off aging. While we sleep, the skin produces new collagen to help repair injuries and damage.   If you are regularly sleep-deprived, your skin will gradually develop more wrinkles and signs of aging than if you’d been consistently well-rested.  Getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night should be non-negotiable, it is for me!  If you have trouble getting to sleep, try any of these:

1. Going to bed 10 minutes earlier each night until you get 7-8 hours of sleep.
2. Melatonin or another herbal remedy can help make you drowsy
3. Listen to the ocean or nature sounds, there are a bunch of apps you can download to find the perfect background sound to relax you to blissful sleep
4. Make sure your room is dark and quiet

Skincare tip:  Treating your skin at home with Microneedling and Retinol will help stimulate collagen to smooth fine lines, lift dark spots, and prevent signs of aging.

Acne & Eczema

When you're sleep-deprived, your body becomes a breeding ground for stress hormones like cortisol, causing early signs of aging, acne, and inflammation.

Cortisol also increases inflammation and makes it harder for your body to battle acne-causing bacteria. This increase in inflammation can cause red, painful acne lesions and exacerbate underlying inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis and rosacea.

Using an at-home face peel with salicylic acid 3-5 times a week, like our TCA Multi-Acid Face Peel, will gently exfoliate the skin, kill acne-causing bacteria, dislodge pores, and calm inflammation  

Dry and Dehydrated

When you don't get enough sleep, your body doesn't have enough time to produce and regulate moisture. And when you're dry and dehydrated, your skin suffers, causing acne, irritation, fine lines, and dryness. 

Dehydrated skin is lacking water, while dry skin is lacking oil.

Your skin needs both!  Drinking ample water helps to alleviate dehydrated skin, while topical ingredients like hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil, help to moisturize the skin from within and protect and seal it from water loss.  

One thing I also love to do when my skin feels dry is to use a steamer while cleansing; it not only helps to remove all the dirt and debris, but it also provides relaxation to help me sleep and adds moisture to my skin. 

Stress

Stress is a part of life, but it doesn't have to control your skin's fate or your health. Find healthy ways to manage your stress, whether through exercise, meditation, walking, playing with your fur baby, or whatever relaxes you most. 

I've found the less stress I'm under, the less my skin is itching and inflamed from my eczema.  I try not to take life too seriously, have fun, and get a good night's sleep to keep my inflammation under control.

Cheers to healthy, clear, and hydrated skin!

Kerry