Set It and Forget It: These Overnight Beauty Remedies Work While You Sleep
Wake up looking youthful and refreshed.
When you’ve had a long winter day, the last thing you want to do before bed is a lengthy beauty routine. The dream is to jump beneath your warmest blanket, slap on your sleep mask, and pass out. But what if you could employ some easy beauty remedies that actually work while you sleep — with no effort from you required? Good news: These time-saving overnight tricks can boost the beauty benefits that you get from time spent in bed — whether you’re in Dreamland or lying awake staring at your phone (don’t worry, we all do it). With the help of these DIY treatments, you’ll look and feel youthful, refreshed, and radiant come morning.
Volumize lashes with this trick.
As we age, our lashes begin to thin out. But that doesn’t mean you have to shell out for eyelash extensions or glue on fake ones. The latest easy hack trending on social media apps like TikTok and Instagram? Giving yourself a volumizing “lash lift” using a sleeping eye mask. How it works: The gentle pressure from the mask keeps lashes in a curled, upright position so they look long and lush when you arise.
TRY IT! After getting in bed, slip on a sleeping eye mask while your eyes are still open, then once it’s on and positioned into place, close your eyes. Remove the mask in the morning.
Smooth wrinkles with a satin pillowcase.
One reason wrinkles can look more prominent after snoozing: Skin harshly rubs up against a cotton pillowcase, emphasizing lines. The fix: Switch to a satin pillowcase. The silky fabric won’t cause any friction against skin — plus, it doesn’t absorb anti-aging skincare, so you wake up with a smooth and youthful complexion.
ONE TO TRY: Kitsch Satin Pillowcase (Buy from MyKitsch.com, $19)
Heal cracked heels with an aloe and coconut oil ‘salve.’
Dry soles are a common problem for aging women, as our feet have less cushioning as a result of natural fat loss. When the fat pads on the bottom of feet diminish, it puts more stress on the skin — so it’s more likely to dry out and crack. Luckily aloe’s vitamin E mends cracks, while coconut oil’s lauric acid hydrates parched skin. Slipping on a pair of fuzzy socks after rubbing your feet in both will allow the healing ingredients to deeply penetrate skin, boosting benefits as you sleep.
TRY IT! Mix 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and ½ tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Apply all over heels and slip on socks; remove and rub in any residue in the morning.
Firm crepey skin with a jojoba oil ‘wrap.’
Collagen levels decrease with age, causing skin to lose volume and firmness and resulting in thinness or wrinkles. But unique compounds in jojoba oil can increase skin-firming collagen and elastin production, and may help to “iron out” creased or “crepey” chest skin.
TRY IT! Rub 4 drops of jojoba oil on the chest, place a warm cloth on top for 5 minutes (the heat opens pores so skin can better absorb the oil); let residue absorb into skin.
Reverse thinning hair with a castor oil mask.
Sick of waking up with your hair looking scraggly and thin? Castor oil may increase circulation to the scalp to deliver growth-encouraging nutrients to hair follicles. Plus, its linoleic acid has benefits in helping to maintain healthy scalp conditions. (Note: The evidence for castor oil’s effectiveness for hair growth is only anecdotal, not scientifically proven — though some people have definitely claimed it works for them).
TRY IT! Apply 1 tablespoon of castor oil to the scalp and hair, then cover with a shower cap; rinse in the a.m.
Bonus tip: Spritz roots with dry shampoo before bed — it absorbs oil as you sleep so hair looks clean and thick in the morning.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
