Hello and welcome to another Mailbag Friday! My name is Dr. Ryan Shelton and I’m so excited for this week's questions because they’re great ones! If this is your first mailbag - you’re in for a treat! Every Friday I answer questions from customers who need advice, and hopefully, you can find something in here that levels up your skincare routine or helps you get the look you want! Our first question of the day comes from Rebecca in Salt Lake City, UT.
Q: Hi Dr. Ryan. My New Year’s Resolution is to make my bedtime routine better for my sleep and also my skin. Do you have any tips for me?
A: Hi Rebecca! I just love this question because having a good bedtime routine is so underrated! I have spent a few years perfecting my own bedtime routine, so I have some great tips that have helped me so much over the years.
First, let’s talk about what to do in the hour before bedtime…
If you read my blogs frequently, you’ve probably seen an article or two that suggests applying your skincare routine 30 minutes to an hour before you go to sleep.
This is a good rule of thumb to follow because your skin needs time to soak up all the precious ingredients before you lay your head on your pillow.
If you apply your products too close to bedtime, all those ingredients will just rub off onto your pillow, meaning your skin won’t get to take advantage of all those valuable nutrients!
This is especially true if you’re using a sleeping mask like my Peptide PM Shield.
This product is chock-full of incredibly nourishing and hydrating ingredients that harness your body’s natural repair cycle (which happens while you sleep) and help to transform your complexion overnight.
Having all those ingredients end up on your pillow and not in your skin would be such a waste!
Another skincare-related tip is to brush your teeth before you do your skincare.
Toothpaste has some ingredients that are not meant to stay on the skin long-term, so by brushing before you do your skincare, you’re helping to make sure your skin stays clean and fresh.
Make sure you use a gentle but effective cleanser like my Lavender Oil Cleanser to get rid of all the remnants of toothpaste that could be lingering around your mouth area.
Another thing you should do an hour before bed is stop using any devices. That means your phone, your TV, or anything else with a screen.
This will help you get to sleep much more easily and avoid too much blue light, which can cause dark spots and patches over time.
My last tip is to sleep with an eye mask. This will help block out any light that may prevent your body from going into full rest mode and help you get a deeper and more restful sleep.
I hope these tips help you get better rest, Rebecca! They certainly helped me so I don’t doubt they will do the same for you!
My next question comes from Kira in Albuquerque, NM.
Q: Hi Dr. Ryan! I always wake up with deep wrinkles that weren’t there when I went to bed, especially between my brows. What can I use to help this?
A: Hi Kira! This is such a common problem for people who are looking to shave a few years off their look, so you’re not alone. Luckily, I have a few tips that can help you wake up to a more rejuvenated and youthful complexion…
One reason you may be waking up with more wrinkles is that your skin is not getting enough moisture overnight.
A great way to help infuse your skin with more moisture is by making use of products that are specifically meant for overnight use.
An example is an overnight mask like my Peptide PM Shield.
Overnight masks make use of rich, hydrating ingredients to help prevent moisture loss in your skin. By doing this, they allow your skin to kick the repair and rejuvenation process into overdrive while you sleep.
As you can probably imagine, this leaves you with plumper, more radiant skin, and a well-moisturized complexion that doesn’t give away all your wrinkles!
My next tip is less about what products you use, and more about when you use them.
Now, let’s say you’re using an overnight mask or even a really hydrating moisturizer, but you’re applying it too close to bedtime.
This would mean you’re jumping into bed and laying your head on your pillow before your skincare has a chance to absorb into your skin.
Of course, you’d rather have those nutrients absorbed into your skin than rub off on your pillowcase!
To avoid this situation, make sure you’re applying your skincare at least 30 minutes to an hour or so before you actually get into bed.
Finally, you could also try changing the way you sleep.
What do I mean by this?
Well, when you sleep on your side, like most people do, your skin becomes smooshed and stretched, making it easier for fine lines and wrinkles to appear.
But, by trying to sleep on your back, you can help prevent some of the wrinkles and fine lines from having a chance to form.
This might mean investing in a special type of pillow to make you more comfortable at night.
I hope these tips help you wake up to fewer wrinkles and more radiance, Kira. Good luck!
