Let the overnight mask do all the work as you wake up refreshed with glowy and bouncy skin
In the same way that a good night’s rest can make the difference between feeling under the weather and feeling your best, it can also make the difference between exhausted skin and a brighter, clearer complexion in the morning.
When you sleep, your skin repairs itself – just like the rest of your body. And the best way to give your face an assist is to use proactive, potent overnight products that encourage the natural process.
That’s where overnight masks come in. These products are generally highly concentrated nourishing creams that counteract signs of photoageing – sagging, dullness, dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles and the like.
There’s a bit of gray area with the nomenclature, but these masks also moonlight as overnight moisturizers. Leave-on or overnight masks are sometimes a little goopier than a traditional overnight moisturizer. As in, you might feel a bit of film on the face, or even feel a slight transfer to your pillowcase. Some overnight masks absorb into the skin as easily as night creams, which makes them easier to use every evening. Others are advertised to be deployed as needed, when your skin is in particular need of brightness and hydration.
Because of this grey area, we’re including a blend of products – some designed as night creams, some as overnight masks – each of which can be used nightly or whenever you feel that your face is in need of a boost. One thing that is black and white is that your skin benefits big time when you incorporate one (or more) of them into your regimen.
Aesop Sublime Replenishing Night Masque
If your skin is tired and/or dry – from long flights, overly air-conditioned offices, or just genetics, then Aesop’s night mask is like an IV drip that quickly restores smoothness, moisture, and brightness. (For these, it’s packed with niacinamide, squalane, and Vitamin C, respectively.) Use it for emergencies, or nightly if you sleep in frigid conditions. Read our full review here.
Omorovicza Midnight Radiance Mask
We love Omorovicza’s overnight recovery serum, and the brand’s overnight mask is equally incredible. Cycle it in to your rotation two to three times a week to enjoy its pore-clearing, skin-smoothing superpowers (thanks to salicylic acid). It balances sebum production with copper gluconate, disappears dark spots gradually thanks to sand lily extract and it keeps skin firm and bright with Omorovicza’s proprietary Healing Concentrate.
Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask
Skin-soothing tiger grass headlines Dr.Jart+’s proprietary, probiotic sleep mask, which combines dozens of plant-derived extracts. This lightweight gel works on all skin types, but is particularly useful for frequent shavers, winter-strained skin or sensitive types. If you regularly incorporate skin peels or exfoliants into your nighttime regimen, this mask is a surefire way to wake up with restored balance.
Perricone MD Multi-Action Overnight Intensive Firming Mask
Verso Night Cream With Retinol
Retinol is one of the best things for overnight skin repair—especially when used regularly and in perpetuity. It’s a Vitamin A derivative that actually reverses signs of aging, clears up acne, and shrinks the appearance of pores. Verso’s night cream uses a gentle dose (since prescription-based retinols can be intense, at least at first). Wear it consistently and within a few months it’ll help boost your skin’s collagen production, and you’ll notice differences in overall clarity and youthfulness.
Clark’s Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask
This multitasking mask marries soothing ingredients like jasmine and comfrey root with antioxidant-rich green tea and skin-plumping algae and Vitamin E. It’s one very big, polyamorous marriage of potent, age-reversing ingredients in a fairly unassuming package. You’ll wake with skin feeling hydrated, taut and alert.
Elemis Ultra-Smart Pro-Collagen Night Genius
This night cream is so luxe that it deserves dual distinction as a recovery mask. Like all of Elemis’s assortment, it harnesses algae extract to hydrate and plump the skin, and it includes a dose of high-powered hyaluronic acid. It’s a lightweight formula that seeps into the skin and gives you noticeable buoyancy and brightness in the morning.
Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask
You can also use a dedicated eye mask, just as you might use a dedicated eye cream (since this area is thinner and more fragile than the rest of your face). Laneige’s mask targets puffiness, dark circles, fine lines and sagging—all the things that happen faster and more furiously around the eyes. A few drops, applied nightly, deploy brightening Vitamin C and firmness-friendly antioxidants to the area.
This story was first published on Robb Report US
