09/08/2024
5 minutes de lecture

The benefits of sleep on the skin

We spend more than a third of our lives sleeping… But far from being wasted time, sleep is a truly restorative moment, especially when it comes to taking care of the skin on your face. Essential for growth, development and the preservation of our cognitive abilities… sleep is also the secret to healthy skin: a real beauty ally. A fairly recent concept, the “exposome” – which studies all the factors to which our body is exposed and which can contribute to stressed and unbalanced skin – also points the finger at lack of sleep. Just like exposure to the sun, air pollution, diet or our psychological state, the quality of our sleep indeed influences the condition of our skin.

What if sleeping well was ultimately the best beauty tip to follow to take care of your face and body?

Our skin lives to the rhythm of day and night

This is called the “chronobiology of the skin.” Like us, our skin cells follow a 24-hour cycle and adapt to the time of day, depending on the light of day and the darkness of night.

Very active during the day, our skin boosts its protective functions to ward off environmental threats while at night, it regenerates. Which does not mean that it rests! Cell renewal, as well as all the metabolic processes that accompany it, are at their maximum level. Blood flow and collagen synthesis increase, and the cell division process is amplified to repair and renew skin cells. It is also during the night that the lipid film – whose “skin barrier” function is essential because it participates in the immune system and the fight against microbials – is reconstituted on the surface of the skin.

To promote all this wonderful activity, respecting the skin's biological rhythm is essential. The expression "having restful sleep" takes on its full meaning when we know the benefits of sleep on the skin.

How does our skin react to lack of sleep?

A night of less than 7 hours of sleep is clearly a stress factor for our skin. The stress hormone, called cortisol and supposed to decrease during the night, remains high in the blood and degrades collagen, the protein responsible for the suppleness and firmness of the skin. Lack of sleep, and especially insomnia, thus generates oxidative stress likely to cause premature skin aging.

Some studies have even shown that when people are deprived of sleep, their skin's ability to repair itself is reduced, for example in people who suffer from sunburn.

Reducing our sleep time also weakens our skin's immune defenses and creates an imbalance in our skin microbiota, this army of microorganisms invisible to the naked eye that are essential for protecting the body and maintaining the balance of the skin. While a good night's rest guarantees a fresh face when we wake up, lack of sleep will quickly mark our features: dark circles, dry skin, bags, red and puffy eyes, fine lines, aging of the skin... so many signs that can tarnish the image we have of ourselves in the morning.

How to prepare our skin for a good night's sleep?

Taking care of our skin before going to sleep is essential to allow it to fully benefit from the benefits of a peaceful night.

1

Take care of daily skin cleansing in the evening: removing makeup residue, UV filters or pollution-related deposits facilitates cell renewal. It is recommended to carry out a double cleanse with gentle, non-detergent products, starting with an initial cleansing treatment such as an oil/balm that removes lipid residue, followed by a second cleanse with a gel, a rinse-off milk or an enzymatic cleansing foam .

2

Deeply cleansed and free of impurities, the skin is more receptive to the application of a serum or moisturizer.

3

Boost the skin with treatments containing suitable anti-aging active ingredients such as serums for wrinkles or serums for skin firmness , to take advantage of the optimal cell renewal that takes place at night.

4

Apply a revitalizing cream or emulsion at night to hydrate the skin on your face, strengthen its barrier function and rebalance the skin microbiota.

5

Relax and release facial muscles with a skin massage!

9 Tips to Apply (Starting Tonight) for Restful Sleep and a Healthier Routine


  • Sleep at least 7 hours per night for an adult between 18 and 60 years old.

  • Adopt regular sleep schedules to synchronize sleep/wake rhythms.

  • Go to bed early!

  • Practice regular physical activity during the day but never in the evening.
  • Avoid caffeine and stimulants after 4 p.m., which increase nighttime awakenings.

  • Eat lightly: too heavy digestion will affect the quality of sleep.

  • Play with light: dim the light in the evening, sleep in the dark to promote the production of melatonin.

  • Disconnect from screens at least 1 hour before bedtime: their blue light mimics “daytime” mode and generates free radicals that attack the skin.

  • Meditate before bed to increase the benefits of sleep on emotional balance!