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How To Use an Overnight Face Mask For Younger Looking Skin

We all know how hard it can be to stick to a good overnight skin care routine. After a long and tiring day, who wants to spend time getting ready for bed, rather than simply getting in bed? However, the consequences of skipping our nightly skin care ritual can be dire. We’ve heard the experts, and we’ve seen the morning results firsthand: dry, irritated skin, congested pores, maybe even a new blemish or two. Knowing what lies at stake can make the decision for rest over routine much less relaxing. 

So if we know what’s best for us - and regularly muster the energy to complete our nightly skin care routine - why not boost our results and get the most out of our beauty sleep? * Cue overnight face mask.*

woman in overnight face mask in bed looking at phone

“You can never mask enough,” Eminence Organics International Trainer Katie Rattray tells Canadian Living magazine. We all have skin conditions and concerns that we want to address, from dehydration to pigmentation to large pores. While foundational products like cleansers and moisturizers may contain additional ingredients to help treat these issues, their primary purpose is to, well, cleanse and moisturize. However, the sole purpose of a face mask is to powerfully target specific conditions, making masking one of the most effective skin care treatments. Plus, Katie points out that “sleep masks take no longer to apply than night cream,” so it’s smart to make the swap and wake up to a flawless face.

4 Benefits Of An Overnight Face Mask

If a mask can be effective in 10-15 minutes, what wonders could it work if left on all night long? If we’re lucky enough to get the recommended amount of sleep, an overnight face mask gets approximately seven hours to weave its magic. With hours to work, actives have a greater window of time to treat and beautify the skin. 

According to mind-body expert Dr. Claudia Aguirre, “trans-epidermal water loss (think: dehydration) peaks at night". She advises: “It’s best to layer on an extra level of protection to keep your skin from drying out while you sleep, especially in low humidity climates and during the fall/winter.” Sleeping in an overnight face mask not only locks in moisture but also active ingredients. A mask effectively seals in the key ingredients from products applied prior to the mask, as well as from the mask itself.   

The physical barrier created by a face mask works both ways: Not only is it keeping the good stuff in, but it's also keeping the bad stuff out. A night time mask protects the skin from dust, dirt and other toxins all night long, and then easily rinses off the next morning. 

While moisture loss accelerates at night, so does cell renewal — a process that is crucial for helping slow down the visible signs of aging skin. “At night, the skin goes into repair mode, growing new skin cells and deleting damaged ones,” says Dr. Aguirre. A night time face mask optimizes this regeneration and exposes new skin cells to nourishing, hydrating ingredients that encourage the natural renewal process — talk about starting life out on the right foot!

How To Night Mask infographic

Try This Step-By-Step Face Mask Routine

If you’re ready to experience an overnight mask, our Product Support Team Lead, Alicia Hawthorne, suggests replacing your regular night cream with a night mask one to two times per week. Starting 15-30 minutes before bedtime, follow this step-by-step routine: 

1. Cleanse, tone and apply an essence. Feel free to use a serum as well. 

2. Apply a thin layer of your night mask — don’t forget your neck and décolletage!

3. Use a towel to protect your pillow if desired.

4. Snooze!

5. Wake up, rinse and finish with your favorite serum and SPF day cream.

Cream-based masks tend to better absorb into the skin 

While a night time face mask is just as easy to apply as a night cream, it should feel just as good as one too. Gone are the days — or rather, nights — of hardened peel-off face masks. Today, the best night masks are creamy and hydrating, allowing your skin to drink them up. “Cream-based masks tend to better absorb into the skin,” says Alicia, “where nutrients and other potent antioxidant-rich ingredients can penetrate deeper, for better results.” 

One important thing to keep in mind is that even if a product isn’t specifically called a “night mask,” it can still be used as an overnight treatment. Below are a few of the best Eminence Organics night masks. Feel free to layer or mix them into a night mask cocktail — after all, who doesn’t love a skin care nightcap? 

Eminence Organics Strawberry Rhubarb Masque

For dehydrated skin: 

Strawberry Rhubarb Masque

This mask works hard while you rest as hyaluronic acid deeply hydrates and plumps the look of skin. Antioxidant-rich strawberries hold astringent properties which help remove impurities and shrink the appearance of pores.

For Problem skin: 

Clear Skin Probiotic Masque

This mask contains an abundance of clarifying and calming ingredients, like cooling cucumber, that gently tones and revitalizes your skin while you sleep. Ingredients like tea tree, yogurt and kaolin clay exfoliate and refine your complexion, so you wake up with a clear and radiant appearance. 

For Signs of aging 

Bamboo Age Corrective Masque

As you doze off at night, you can rest assured that this mask will do its job. It features a formulation including our Natural Retinol Alternative, Swiss Green Apple Stem Cells and a BioComplex™ blend of vitamins, the ultimate heroes for fighting visible signs of aging. 

Puffiness

Snow Mushroom & Reishi Masque

When diluted with water, this kaolin clay-based mask will melt into a fast-absorbing cream packed with potent ingredients. Reishi mushroom depuffs the skin, while birch water purifies and hydrates, so you wake up to a toned and tightened complexion.

Curious to know which mask works best for you during your nightly snooze? Chat with a licensed esthetician at an Eminence Organics partner spa to find the best products for your skin type and skin concerns.