Start with your skin. Treatment products generally work best between the hours of 10:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M., when ingredients are better able to penetrate the skin. "When at rest, skin is warmer and loses less water, allowing products to penetrate better," says Katie Rodan, MD, a professor of dermatology at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California.
You and your skin probably share a common problem: You're both too crazed during the day to treat yourselves! During waking hours, skin is busy fending off UV rays and safeguarding itself from damage. Which is why, when formulating daily moisturizers, New Jerseyâbased cosmetic chemist Ni'Kita Wilson tends to pack them with sunscreen and protective antioxidants. "With night creams," she says, "I add reparative ingredients, like poreâclearing benzoyl peroxide or retinol, which can sometimes be too irritating for daytime use." Hair can also benefit from some lateânight TLC. "The longer you leave a deep conditioner or mask on your hair, the better," says Wilson. But because hairâunlike skin cellsâis dead, no product can really totally transform it. Many do smooth and soften it overnightâgiving you the hair of your dreams come morning.
Our top timeâsaving tips so you'll be on schedule in style:
TIP 1: Skip salty snacks to avoid waking up with puffy eyes.
TIP 2: A thick cream and even thicker socks will help soften your feet while you sleep.
TIP 3: Keep makeupâremoving cleansing cloths by the bed for nights when you're too lazy to wash.
TIP 4: Loosely braid clean, damp hair before turning in to save styling time in the A.M.
