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Your Skin Longevity Care Routine Will Mean Nothing Without This

Hannah Frye
Author:
January 31, 2024
Hannah Frye
Assistant Beauty & Health Editor
By Hannah Frye
Assistant Beauty & Health Editor
Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.
Someone getting ready for bed
Image by miniseries / istock
January 31, 2024

Too often we view skin care as a category consistent with one thing: products. Whether it's rich creams or powerful retinol serums, the "anti-aging" bucket is chock-full of irresistible items promising youthful-looking skin by morning. The truth is, one of the most crucial aging factors is completely free, but unfortunately, we often cast it aside.

Sleep is the healthy aging "item" you've been overlooking. Allow me to explain.

Why sleep is essential for healthy skin aging

While you sleep, your skin kicks into repair mode, thanks to a little hormone called melatonin (often referred to as the "sleepy-time" hormone). 

"Melatonin is critically important for your skin and plays a significant role in skin repair from environmental exposure, UV light, stressors, pollution, and so on," says board-certified dermatologist Keira Barr, M.D., on an episode of Clean Beauty School. "If you're not resting, you're not generating that melatonin, and your skin isn't repairing itself." 

Also during shut-eye, your skin experiences a surge in HGH, also known as human growth hormone. The release of HGH helps rebuild body tissues1 and spurs increased cell production to invigorate and rejuvenate the dermis. When you lose sleep, your skin misses out on this important process, which is why your complexion might appear sallow and dull after a night of poor rest.

Not to mention, losing sleep increases cortisol (the infamous stress hormone), which can break down collagen over time—research has demonstrated a link between shut-eye and collagen production2, which is why many experts consider sleep a vital part of any "anti-aging" skin routine. 

Editor's note:

Honestly, we don't love using the term "anti-aging" here at mindbodygreen. Aging is a privilege—if you aren't aging, you aren't living! We only use it here because products that target common concerns for mature skin (dark spots, fine lines, sagging, etc.) often get compiled into one "anti-aging" category. We use it here so that you'll recognize which products we're talking about, but we by no means view any skin routine as "anti" aging.

3 quick tips for better sleep

The remedy? Add sleep to your healthy aging product lineup. It's much easier said than done, but here are three tips to help you out:

The takeaway

Sleep is one oft-overlooked yet critical step in any "anti-aging" skin care routine. During rest, your body produces melatonin, which contributes to skin repair. The release of HGH helps reinvigorate the mid-layer of your skin as well. Too many nights of subpar sleep can also contribute to cortisol spikes, which break down collagen. The bottom line: Make sleep a priority, just as you do your topical routine. For some light bedtime reading, find more on the connection between shut-eye and skin aging here.

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