BedTime Beauty Routine

Are you doing everything you should before you sleep each night? Taking the time to run through this list before you hit the hay will keep you looking your best in the morning.

Written by Elizabeth Jacobs, Green Health Research Contributor

1.) Brush & Floss Teeth

It is incredibly important to brush and floss your teeth before bed every night. Recent studies have shown that the bacteria that grow on and between our teeth can make its way into our blood stream and lead to heart attacks.

This best way to prevent this is through routine flossing and brushing to remove excess bacteria from your mouth. An electronic toothbrush can be helpful here because the pulses it emits helps to break up plaque and bacteria and can clean teeth better than a manual brush.

2.) Wash Your Face

Always wash your face after you brush your teeth. The fluoride from toothpaste can irritate skin and cause blemishes, and washing your face after you brush helps to remove any residual traces of fluoride left around your mouth. If you often breakout around your mouth consider switching to a fluoride-free toothpaste.

Wash your face with an appropriate cleanser for your skin type. In general gel cleansers are better for oily skin while creamy cleansers are better for dry skin. Gel cleansers are generally more drying than creamy cleansers, which is why they’re better for different types of skin.

Wash your face with warm rather than hot water because hot water can strip your skin of its natural healthy oils. Massage your cleanser in a circular motion over your skin to help to open pores and stimulate circulation. Pat your skin dry with a towel rather than rubbing because this is gentler on your skin.

3.) Exfoliate 1-2 Times a Week

Once or twice a week you should use a gentle exfoliator to clean deep down in your pores. Exfoliators help remove excess oil and dead skin cells which can clog pores and lead to acne, and also promotes skin cell turnover to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Look for exfoliators which contain sugar and oatmeal instead of rough textured particles or harsh chemicals. Both sugar and oatmeal are naturally great at moisturizing and removing dead skin, and sugar is a natural antimicrobial, meaning it helps kill bacteria like acne.

Other ingredients to look for in exfoliators are papaya, pineapple, and pumpkin. These all contain fruit acids which are gentle on the skin but are also incredibly effective at promoting healthy cell turnover.

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