Beauty Sleep Is Real: Here’s Why Your Skin Depends on It

 

You’ve heard it a hundred times: “get your beauty sleep.” But it turns out that’s not just something your grandma or mom said to get you to bed earlier. Sleep is literally when your skin gets to repair, renew, and the most rapid cell turn over happens. It’s like a built-in skincare treatment that costs you nothing... unless you skip it!

When you’re not sleeping well, it shows. Your skin will looks dull, dry, puffy, or even irritated. But when you are sleeping well - have you noticed that you wake up to plumper, clearer, smoother skin? The science behind it is actually pretty wild (and incredibly convincing), so let’s break down exactly how sleep affects your skin and how you can support that process with better sleep hygiene and the right PM skincare products.

Your Skin Enters Repair Mode While You Sleep

When you’re asleep, your body goes into repair mode! And your skin is no exception. In fact, research shows that cell regeneration and DNA repair peak at night, especially during deep sleep (REM sleep). This is when the skin actively recovers from daily damage like UV exposure and pollution [1].

• Blood flow to your skin increases while you sleep, which means more oxygen and nutrients for cellular repair [2]

• Damaged DNA from sun or environmental stress gets repaired [1]

• Your skin sheds old cells faster and regenerates new ones overnight [3]

If you’ve ever woken up from a good night’s rest looking (and feeling) refreshed, it probably wasn’t in your head. Your skin actually did the work while you slept!

Sleep Fuels Collagen Production (Which Means Fewer Wrinkles)

Collagen is the protein that keeps your skin firm and smooth. And guess when collagen gets rebuilt? While you sleep! Another reason why enough sleep is crucial for amazing skin. Deep sleep triggers the release of growth hormone, which plays a key role in collagen production [4]. If you’re not sleeping enough, your body doesn’t produce enough of this hormone and less collagen gets made as a result. 

Lack of sleep also raises cortisol (your stress hormone), which can actively break down collagen and lead to more signs of aging over time [5]. Yikes!

Interesting Fact!

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One study showed that women who slept five hours or less had more fine lines, reduced elasticity, and slower skin barrier recovery than those who got quality sleep [6]. So, fewer hours asleep = more visible aging.

Good Sleep = Hydrated Skin and a Stronger Barrier

Poor sleep makes your skin dry.... literally. When you’re sleep-deprived, your skin loses more water overnight and that leads to increased dryness and irritation [7].

On the other hand, a good night’s rest helps your skin hold onto hydration and rebuild its barrier. This outer layer protects you from moisture loss, irritants, and inflammation. Without sleep, it doesn't get the time it needs to recover [7].  *me crawling into bed early tonight*

Skincare Tip!

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If you want to maximize that hydration window, then do this -> Before bed, apply one of our rich, oil-based serums, then a moisturizer, then our balm to lock it all in.Example: Firming Serum, Blue Tansy HA Moisturizer, then the Glow Balm to top it all off. These give your skin the support it needs while it does its natural repair work and help lock in moisture so you wake up so dewy!

Sleep Keeps Inflammation in Check

Sleep is your skin’s anti-inflammatory defense. While you rest, your stress hormones drop and this reduces internal inflammation that contributes to skin flare-ups.

When you don't get enough sleep, cortisol and inflammatory markers stay hightened. You basically don't give your body the chance to come down from daily stresses. This can lead to [8]:

• Increased breakouts and oil production

• More redness or irritation (especially for those with eczema, rosacea, or psoriasis)

• Slower healing from blemishes or skin rashes/wounds

So, getting enough rest helps calm that cycle down so your skin can heal instead of reacting.

Puffy Eyes and Dull Skin? Yeah, It Can Be a Sleep Thing

The “tired” look isn’t just, well, just a look... it’s biological. Studies show that even one night of poor sleep can lead to puffiness, dark circles, paler skin, and more visible fine lines by the very next day [9]. WOW!

Meanwhile, when you get enough sleep:

• Your skin tone looks more even

• Your eyes are less puffy

• Circulation improves so you wake up with a natural glow [2]

 

Interesting Fact!

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Observers in a sleep study rated people with poor sleep as less healthy-looking (& less attractive) than those who were well-rested [10]. So it does seem that others can tell when you’re not getting enough sleep.

 

Your Nighttime Routine = Skincare + Sleep Ritual

We love a solid, natural, and nourishing PM skincare routine as much as the next person, but lasting change won't happen if you're not supporting your bodies deeper needs. In this case, SLEEP. If you want your skin to truly glow, you have to create a sleep rhythm or routine your body can depend on.

 

Here’s how to level up your nighttime skin-sleep combo:

• Set a routine: Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Your skin (and hormones) love predictability. I know, this is a hard one!  

• Wind down with essential oils: We recommend setting the mood with essential oil as well. Lavender, Camomile, Mandarin, Bergamont, Vetiver, Ylang Ylang, and others can help set the tone for your sleep routine. 

• Be consistent with your PM skincare routine: Skin is more permeable at night, meaning your products can absorb deeper and work better. You don't need a ton of products, just a few, high quality, hard working ones. 

• Create a sleep-friendly environment: Keep the room cool, dark, and free from blue light. Swap your pillowcase for silk to reduce overnight friction on your skin. Stay off those screens at least an hour before bed and dim the lights to signal more melatonin production. Make a delicious, honey sweetened herbal sleepy time tea as well.

 

You can drink all the water, eat all the right food, and use all the right products, but if you’re not sleeping, your skin will struggle to thrive. Your best skin is not about one fix all, but its the syngery of your every day routine. Your diet, sleep, emotions, lifestyle, and skincare products all contribute to your overall skin health. 

Remember that sleep is your skin’s most powerful repair window. It’s when your cells reset, your collagen gets rebuilt, your barrier is restored, and your best skin is made possible.

So don’t underestimate a consistent, restful bedtime routine.Feeling rested and wake up to visibly healthier, happier skin!

 

References

$1$ Manzella, K. et al. Circadian Rhythm and the Skin. Front Pharmacol.
$2$ Aswell, S. Beauty Sleep: Is It Real? Healthline.
$3$ Harding, C. Skin Regeneration and Sleep. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol.
$4$ Krant, J. Growth Hormone and Collagen Synthesis During Sleep. Art of Dermatology.
$5$ Zimmet, P. Cortisol, Sleep, and Skin Aging. Dermato-Endocrinology.
$6$ Oyetakin-White, P. et al. Effects of poor sleep quality on skin aging. Clin Exp Dermatol.
$7$ Krant, J. Sleep Deprivation and the Skin Barrier. Art of Dermatology.
$8$ Codex Labs. Sleep and Skin Health. 2023 White Paper.
$9$ Sundelin, T. et al. Lack of sleep affects facial appearance. Sleep.
$10$ Axelsson, J. et al. Beauty sleep: Experimental study on facial appearance. BMJ.