5 Easy Ways to Sync Your Winter Beauty & Sleep Routines

So, maybe you’re not ready to admit that summer is over. But when the weather changes, your mind and body need extra TLC. And what better way to treat yourself to some serious self-care than a beauty routine “glow up” that puts sleep front and center. Beauty and sleep are intrinsically linked. (Ever looked at your skin after too many all-nighters?) According to Dr. Ellen Marmur, our relaxed parasympathetic state during sleep allows greater circulation and oxygen flow to the skin. So prioritizing sleep, especially in harsher weather, is key.

Here are four easy things you can do to get your beauty and sleep routines in sync.

1) Create a skin base layer.

It’s probably no surprise that 80% of your skincare rubs off on your pillow. And in dryer months, you need every last drop of that stuff. Start with a serum, then add a moisturizer, then apply nighttime face oil. (Oils can penetrate moisturizers, so you want to put them on last.) We love night oils because, in addition to protecting, they balance your skin’s oil production while you sleep, too. Our favorites include Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Oil and Caudalie Overnight Detox Oil.

2) Keep your nasal passages moist.

When you can’t breathe, you can’t sleep. (And nothing says “beauty” like red, crusty nostrils. Am I right?) Irritating dry air from forced indoor heat can cause dryness, congestion, and inflammation that leads to blocked nasal passages and snoring. Try a saline solution or nasal oil drops, like Banyan Botanicals Nasya Oil, before you go to bed to keep your airways singing.

3) Get the right light for beauty sleep.

When the days are shorter, it’s natural to spend more time indoors. Problem is, it’s probably under icky artificial light that’s emitting Melatonin-suppressing blue wavelengths. Your skin does most of its repair work while you sleep, but if you’re surrounding by light that’s preventing your body from naturally winding down, you’ve got a problem. So swap out your bedroom light bulbs with healthier,  circadian rhythm lighting, like Brilli Wind Down bulbs, designed without stimulating blue light and irritating flicker so you can naturally wind down at the end of the day.

4) Don’t sweat it.

Sweat is a good thing. It removes impurities from your skin and helps to protect against certain types of bacteria. But when left on this skin for prolonged periods of time, it can become problematic by clogging your pores. And, if you sleep 7-8 hours a night sweating, you’re not doing your skin any favors. Turns out, we actually sleep better when we’re cooler. So, resist the urge to pile on five comforters, and lower the thermostat a few degrees.

5) And don’t overdo sleep.

Turns out that spending too much time sleeping can actually cause skin cells to break down too quickly—which can lead to many of the same cosmetic problems as not sleeping enough.