Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Inspired by Korean sleeping masks, this DIY overnight face mask helps prevent dry skin while you sleep. It forms a protective barrier that locks in moisture all night long, reducing skin water loss and helping you wake up glowing.
When it comes to nighttime skincare, typical face oils and night creams just don’t seem to do it for me. No matter how much I apply, by the time I wake up, they’ve vanished into my bedding. Instead, I tend to wake up with dry skin and moisturized pillows. Not exactly skincare goals.
I have very dry, sensitive skin that doesn’t seem to produce any oil at all, except for on my nose. Naturally, I need a little bit of help retaining moisture at night.
So when the latest nighttime skincare trend started popping up all over the shelves – overnight face masks – I thought it might be time to try something new.
This homemade overnight face mask (also called a sleeping mask) came out of my desire to stop waking up with dehydrated skin. It has a creamy consistency that helps your skin retain moisture while you sleep. For me, this mask actually stays in place throughout the night.
Additionally, this recipe is fragrance-free, with non-irritating ingredients that won’t aggravate sensitive skin. And since it contains no questionable food materials like turmeric, milk, lemon juice, or tomatoes, it won’t stain your bedding. (Yes, these are actual ingredients I’ve seen in some overnight mask recipes!)
Certain foods left on your skin all night can promote bacterial growth, and caustic ingredients like lemon juice can cause chemical burns. For your own safety, please don’t follow an overnight mask recipe that includes lemon juice or tomatoes.
What is an overnight face mask?
While they may be trendy, overnight face masks are by no means a new invention. They’re clearly inspired by the sleeping masks in nighttime Korean skincare routines. Also referred to as sleeping packs or sleeping creams, sleeping masks are not your typical night cream.
Sleeping mask textures range from light and gel-like to thick and occlusive, but their goal is always the same – to lock in hydration and help you wake up with dewy, glowing skin. They also help seal in the rest of your skincare routine so that your products stay on your face, not your pillow.
It’s important to note that overnight face masks are not the same thing as daytime face masks. A typical mask is usually made from things you can’t wear to bed – think yogurt, clay, or coffee. And unlike daytime masks, sleeping packs aren’t washed off.
What’s wrong with store bought sleeping masks?
Unfortunately, store-bought masks are not an option for those, like me, with very sensitive complexions. Most sleeping packs are packed with ingredients that aren’t very kind to reactive skin, like silicones, fragrance, and even synthetic dyes. I don’t know about you, but if I used those ingredients on my face, I’d wake up inflamed, not glowing.
Silicones may help lock in moisture, but they can also lead to irritation and clogged pores in some people. And for many individuals, synthetic fragrances can induce allergic reactions, cause migraines, and even aggravate respiratory issues. Not my idea of a beauty product.
While there are some natural choices on the market, it seems that many brands use sensitizing essential oils or unstable polyunsaturated fats in their products. This naturally-derived sleeping mask looks like one of the best options, but the essential oils used as fragrance may be irritating for some.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble antioxidant found in human skin. It helps scavenge reactive oxygen species and free radicals, both of which contribute to visible skin aging. Vitamin E’s effects are so powerful that it can even help protect skin from the harmful lipid peroxidation caused by UV rays.
In simple terms, this means that vitamin E helps protect our skin from damage. Therefore, we definitely want to have skin that’s replete with vitamin E.
Since vitamin E is delivered to the skin through sebum, those with oily complexions naturally have higher levels of vitamin E. Lucky them. For those (like me) who are severely lacking in sebum, applying topical vitamin E can help raise the skin’s internal levels. So by using vitamin E, your “beauty sleep” really can result in more beauty!
Look for dark-coloured vitamin E oil that contains mixed tocopherols. Preferably, it should also be naturally-derived, as natural forms of vitamin E have been shown to be more effective than their synthetic equivalents. This one would be a good option, but you can also break open a capsule of a high-quality vitamin E supplement.
For more information about the role of vitamin E in skin health, see this article by the Linus Pauling Institute.
DIY Overnight Face Mask for Dry Skin
If you frequently wake up with dry skin, this DIY overnight face mask can help! It forms a protective barrier that locks in hydration throughout the night, reducing water loss and helping you wake up moisturized.
What You'll Need
- 1/2 cup squalane oil
- 3 tbsp white beeswax pellets (cosmetic grade)
- 1/2 tsp vitamin E oil (mixed tocopherols)
- Glass cosmetic jar for storage
Instructions
1. In a double boiler, melt the beeswax on medium heat, stirring frequently to break up any lumps.
2. Once the beeswax is melted, reduce the heat to low and add the squalane oil. Some of the beeswax may re-solidify at this point. Continue stirring to break up any lumps.
3. Once the mixture is completely melted, remove it from heat. Allow it to stand for a few minutes and then add the vitamin E. Stir to combine.
4. Transfer to a cosmetic jar, small mason jar, or other glass container. Leave at room temperature to solidify for 1-2 hours depending on your climate. No need to refrigerate.
How to use this homemade sleeping mask
This mask should be used as the very last step in your nighttime skincare routine, once you’ve applied your serums, toners, and any other products you use before bed. For me, using the mask after a BHA product makes for smooth, dewy skin in the morning. (My favourite is Paula’s Choice BHA, but I also really love the Blackhead Power Liquid from Korean beauty brand COSRX.)
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