(BlackDoctor.org) — You worked too late, you partied too long, and you ate too much of what you know you shouldn’t have.
Did you even remember to wash your face before you collapsed on your bed? And oh yeah! Does all that neglect ever show the next morning! And the morning after that!
No worries – all it takes is a few simple steps (and maybe a little more effort in taking better care of you) to make your skin feel, and look, a whole lot better.
1. Get an Early Start
Make a habit of washing your face a few hours before bed. If you wait until you’re tired, you’re more likely to blow it off — allowing “toxins and dirt to stay on there all night,” says dermatologist Laurie Polis of N.Y.C. Another consequence? You miss the best time to treat your skin. “At night there’s more blood flow to the skin’s surface, and there’s nothing else on your face to interfere with absorption,” Polis says.
2. Sleep on Your Back
Lying on your stomach is bad for “beauty sleep.” The average head weighs 7 to 8 pounds — a lot of pressure to be putting on your face every night. In fact, many dermatologists say they can tell what side of the face people sleep on by the number of wrinkles there.
3. Get a Lift
Sleep with your head elevated on two pillows, or put the headrest area of your bed on 2- to 4-inch pieces of wood. Gravity helps lymph and blood flow so fluid won’t accumulate, Polis says.
4. Save Money, Not Wrinkles
At night you don’t need to worry about eye treatments smearing your makeup, so slather on the richest formula you can. Polis swears by Aquaphor: “It conditions lashes and hydrates the delicate eye skin really well.”
5. Avoid Carb Face
To wake with defined cheekbones, eat a high-protein, low-sugar dinner (try salmon and asparagus, a natural diuretic). Skip the rice, pasta and potatoes. “When our diet’s high in glycemic carbohydrates, our features take on a soft, doughy appearance,” says Connecticut dermatologist Nicholas Perricone.
6. Wrap It Up
To minimize A.M. frizz, as well as hair loss, sleep on a satin pillowcase or put your hair in a silk scarf. “Those fabrics are much softer and less-moisture robbing than cotton,” says Harry Josh, a John Frieda stylist.
7. Turn on the Hair Conditioning
Sleep with a moisturizing treatment in damp hair overnight. Any rich conditioner will do. Rinse in the morning.
By Laney Townsend, BDO Staff Writer
