Ugh, the only thing worse than not sleeping is not sleeping and then having to go to work. Not an easy task, you’ll know if you read my previous post about recurring insomnia. At a previous job, a coworker used to joke that I slept in a coffin because I was (am) an unhealthy shade of pale and looked so shadowy every day due to sleep deprivation. I’d like to thank predominantly Norwegian roots and Neutrogena spf 70 for the paleness. But I hope that goon needs dentures at a young age.
Anyways, here are some “beauty” or health recommendations I’ve developed since then that have moderately improved my vampiric appearance after a night of no Zz’s.
- Hydration
If you do nothing else, drink water. Drink a lot of it throughout the day, and drink it with some lemon, electrolytes are even better if you’ve Gatorade lying around. Dehydration can contribute to insomnia, so we need to prevent that. Drinking water can also improve the appearance and texture of skin. It may be self explanatory, but you should also avoid high sodium intake to minimize already puffy skin.
- Reduce puffiness
Since puffy skin (mainly bags under eyes, but also the rest of the face) seems to haunt me every time I don’t sleep, I rinse my face with cold water for a few minutes. Alternatively, run an ice cube all over your face.
If needed, put some cold metal spoons under the eyes (stick spoons in the fridge for 20 min). There are also some nifty facial rollers and other face-massaging tools out there that I don’t have but would probably help for the same issue.
- Soothe sensitive skin
Lack of sleep also causes me to have particularly sensitive skin, so it is important to avoid irritating and causing splotchiness. Use a gentle facial cleanser – I use Cetaphil facial cleanser for sensitive skin, with warm (not hot) water. Warm water helps to open pores for moisturizing in the next step.
I’ve been dealing with sensitive skin for several years now, as I used to have horrible acne that I “cured” by taking Accutane. This drug changed my skin from oily to extremely dry (it’s slowly becoming combination oily/dry), but as a result have had very sensitive skin especially during the winter. The dermatologist I was seeing recommended Cetaphil, Cerave, and Neutrogena to select facial cleansers and moisturizers for avoiding irritation. For a while out of desperation I was putting a thick layer of Aquaphor lotion on my face everyday, needless to say I don’t recommend doing that.
- Moisturize
Not sleeping ages you, that’s no secret. So the best we can do is moisturize the heck out of our skin to keep the fine lines away. This includes face and under-eyes. It’s best to stick with dermatologist recommended, non-comedogenic products to soothe sensitive skin. I use Cerave moisturizer and RoC retinol eye cream, but there are many options and some eye creams don’t work well under makeup so that’s worth testing out beforehand.
- Eye care
I always struggle with very red and sensitive eyes in the morning, whether from not sleeping or from taking edibles to help me sleep. So either way, I’ve tested a few different eye drops and have found that for me, Clear Eyes works the best. It’s also hard to beat the price if you’re going through a lot of it regularly.
Depending on the severity, I use either maximum redness drops, or redness drops followed by blue (cooling) drops. If you’ve never used them before, they sting for a minute then they feel delightful. Always use these prior to applying any eye makeup, because the chances of the drops running down your face is high (100-105 %).
- Makeup
For me, the most important step in applying makeup is the undereye concealer. For lighter skin tones, try a salmon color to counteract the purple under-eye hues. After much trial and error, I’ve found that Maybelline FitMe concealer is the easiest to use, but skin type and complexion are very subjective so there may be better drugstore options out there for you. I usually use about three coats, letting it dry slightly between applications. I always set the concealer with a powder to prevent smudging, but I have noticed this draws some attention to fine lines around the eyes so it’s up to you whether that seems like a necessary step.
Beyond concealer, I typically limit the amount of time I’m touching near the eyes to prevent irritation – usually some brown eyeliner pencil (Rimmel has some very creamy shades that go on easily without much pressure) and mascara if my eyes can handle it on any given day.
Complexion can appear kind of dull or even grayish from frequent insomnia, so if you like, adding a touch of color to the rest of your face in the form of blush or bronzer might make you look more alive. If alive is what you’re going for.
I am by no means a gifted makeup artist, but we do what we have to do, and I’ve perfected this routine over the past few years of working in a professional environment on poor sleep. Let me know if there are any sensitive skin/makeup products you recommend!
Thanks for reading,
Victoria