How to Get Gorgeous as You Sleep

By Sandra Ramani for Completely You –

Getting a good night’s sleep — ideally seven to eight hours — can recharge your battery and help keep stress at bay. But did you know you can also tackle specific beauty issues while enjoying a snooze? We asked some expert doctors, aestheticians and stylists for their tips on how to get gorgeous from top to toe — all from the comfort of your bed.

Eliminate Acne
Don’t let blemishes keep you tossing and turning all night. Instead, try an overnight skin remedy: Mix equal parts antibacterial topical gel and night cream with your fingertips. Apply to troubled areas before bed, and let it kill bacteria overnight while you’re asleep, says Tina Keshishian, celebrity facialist and co-owner of Belle Visage Spa in Los Angeles, whose clients include Kirsten Dunst.

Hydrate Lips
Turn dry or cracked lips soft with a bedtime DIY trick from NYC-based aesthetician Andrea DeSimone. Before tucking in, apply a touch of honey to lips, topped by a bit of olive oil. Gentle enzymes in the honey will help smooth out the texture, while the olive oil will ensure a hydrated kisser.

Soothe Eyes
If you’re carrying a little extra baggage under the eyes, Keshishian recommends mixing 1 inch of hydrocortisone with your regular amount of nighttime eye cream. Then, using your fingertips, apply a thick layer of the mixture around the eyes. Any puffiness will be deflated by the time you wake up.

Banish Breakouts
“The natural oils from our hair, and the oils found in hair products, can contribute to breakouts along the perimeter of the face,” says DeSimone. Prevent the buildup of excess oils by keeping hair off the face. Sleep with hair in a loose ponytail and use a loose headband to keep strands off the forehead. And don’t forget to change pillowcases regularly.

Treat Your Toes
Keep feet happy and hydrated with an application of an ultra-hydrating cream. Wear socks to keep sheets from getting greased up.

Amp up Shine
Add bounce and luster to limp locks with a deep conditioner overnight, suggests stylist Kristina Reynoso of the Warren-Tricomi Madison Avenue Salon. “Hair will be softer, more manageable and shinier, because the conditioner will close up the cuticles.” For maximum benefits, towel-dry hair, apply conditioner from root to tip, and braid before going to sleep. Rinse in the morning.

Butter up Cuticles
Cracked cuticles can be easily assuaged while you snooze. Try this tip from Elizabeth Tanzi, a dermatologist at the Department of Dermatology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions: Soak fingertips in warm water for 10 minutes. Then, using a washcloth, gently push the cuticles back and coat them with a cream that contains shea butter.

Brighten Your Smile
While bacteria are constantly forming in our mouths in both the day and night, normal daytime activities like eating, drinking and talking help keep them from accumulating. Nighttime, though, is another story. Decreased amounts of cleansing salivary flow — and the warm “incubator” created by closed, sleeping mouths — can create the perfect environment for bacterial growth, say the experts at Crest.

To combat bacteria and reduce that mealy morning-mouth feeling, always brush and floss before bedtime, and when possible, rinse with a fluoride-enriched product after brushing. Avoid foods and beverages before bedtime that contain acids, such as fruit, yogurt, salsa, orange juice and sports drinks. Acids in these foods can attack the tooth surface and lead to enamel loss, which, if left untreated, can cause larger issues like cavities.

Sandra Ramani has covered spa, beauty, travel and lifestyle topics for Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Essence and NYMag.com. She is currently a contributing editor for Organic Spa Magazine and SpaWeek.com.