sleep and your skin
Posted on 30/06/2020
It doesn’t take long for sleep deprivation to affect the way you look. Within just 24hrs, a bad night’s sleep can make its mark on your appearance.
We know from scientific research - and our work with expert dermatologists and sleep specialists - that there is a strong, calculable link between disturbed sleep and intrinsic skin ageing.
For good sleepers, skin systems can operate correctly and efficiently. For poor sleepers, factors such as diminished skin barrier function, poor stem cell activity and an increase in trans-epidermal water loss collectively contribute towards a drained complexion, as well as premature signs of ageing such as fine lines and loss of skin elasticity. Studies show that sleep deprivation affects features relating to the mouth and skin texture and not simply the area around the eyes*.
Sleep and skin health are controlled by the skin’s circadian rhythms or body clock. At night anti-inflammatory, and anti-stress hormones are secreted (regulated by the 24hr body clock), switching on the skin’s repair, renewal and detoxification processes. If sleep is disturbed, this process is affected. Here’s a snapshot of how:
dehydrated skin
Seen within 24hrs of sleep deprivation, one of the greatest factors contributing towards the skin ageing in the sleep deprived people is that poor sleepers experience significantly higher levels of Trans-Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL).
visible lines and wrinkles
Sleep deprivation can also cause fine lines and wrinkles to become more visible. Skin moisturisation at night is therefore integral to keeping skin plump and youthful-looking.
skin redness and sensitivity
The natural balance of water evaporation through the dermal layers can become unbalanced by a breakdown in the skin’s barrier function because of sleep deprivation and can kick-start a number of unwanted skin conditions such as morning redness and sensitivity.
dark circles
Dark circles are often the most prominently reported signs of disrupted sleep. While the prominence of this characteristic can, to a certain extent, be hereditary, the increase in build-up of toxins due to poor-quality sleep (causing the breakdown of natural systems that aid detoxification and renewal) intensifies the problem.