Quick Tips/Tricks #3: Nighttime Moisturizing! (4 Easy Tips!)

Sleep.  Who needs it, right?  I know I could get so much more out of my 24 hour day if it wasn't for that stupid necessity.  But.. since we're forced to give up hours of our time to devote to sleep, we might as well make the most of it and take advantage of it.

Even though we're not awake and active during those 6-8 hours (or whatever amount of sleep you get), we can still take steps to improve our health and beauty.  Below are a few of the things I -- and you can -- do during shut-eye:

1.  Hair

Infuse your hair with healthy oils!  I love taking my 100% pure argan oil and massaging it into the ends of my hair for an overnight treatment.  Because my hair can look a mess at night, I go crazy and basically soak it into my hair ('til it looks almost damp).  After your hair is saturated, twist it up into a ballerina bun and secure it with a scrunchie (I think a hair elastic is a little too harsh for this).

BUT be sure you use an old pillow case during nights you do an oil treatment, or else you may ruin your pillow and/or actual pillow case!  If you don't have any spares, a great alternative is to wrap your pillow with the pillowcase in an old t-shirt you aren't planning on wearing.  This soaks up any oil that comes off your hair and protects the pillow underneath.

2.  Lips

I do this virtually every night during the winter, because my lips get so dry and chapped.  All you do is slather on a ton of moisturizing lip balm right before bed.   That's it!  Because you have 6-8 hours of virtually uninterrupted inactivity, it's the perfect time to soak some moisture into your lips.  A thick layer of balm will keep your lips coated throughout the night, and will act as a barrier between your chapped skin and drying saliva in case you tend to lick or bite your lips in your sleep.

3.  Feet

Ugh.  I literally shudder when I think of how dry feet can get in the winter.  Hours of walking in socks and boots can really do a number on your feet.  To help combat the cracking and peeling and callousing, all you need to do is cover your feet in lotion and put a pair of socks on, then catch some zzz's as normal.  Keeping your feet moisturized for so many hours will help soften any dry skin, and make it super easy to exfoliate the next day in the shower.  Keep up the smooth skin by lotioning-and-socking every (or every other) night!  I've been loving Philosophy Beauty Fresh Cream lotion lately -- it smells like fresh whipped cream and I'm obsessed.

4.  Face

If keeping your lips moisturized is so easy, moisturizing your face is just as simple.  Even though I have super oily skin (especially in my T-zone), my cheeks still get flaky and parched when the air is cold and dry.  To combat this, leave a skin serum on any dry skin overnight and let the vitamins and moisture soak in during the night.  I really love the Vitamin E line at The Body Shop, and the Moisture Serum is no exception.  After you wash your face before bed, swipe on any sort of face cream or serum, massage it in, and go to sleep!  In the morning, follow your same routine, and notice how much smoother your face will feel.

Using these quick tips and tricks will leave you moisturized and help make sleep feel much less.. boring and wasteful :P

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