While You Were Sleeping

In this dog-eat-dog world, you snooze, you lose. But when it comes to health, you snooze, you look great.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, based in the United States, sleep is vital to our health and well-being. There is a reason sleeping comes before beauty in “Sleeping Beauty.” Go a day or two without sleep, and not only will you feel tired, you will look tired. Your body repairs itself in those precious hours of somnolence.
When it comes to the skin of your face, at night oxygen consumption increases, water loss increases and metabolic activity increases. According to some skin care professionals, these are signs that your skin is mending itself and preparing for the next day. So-called advanced night creams take advantage of the nighttime hours to boost the repair process.
Some people may contest the use of specialized night creams, but independent research supports the claims. All you have to do is apply and sleep. Sweet dreams!

Clinique tunes into the rhythm of the night with Repairwear. The products in the line, a serum, a cream and a lotion, not only moisturize the skin, but also aid in rebuilding. The serum, with an intense concentration of collagen complex, preps the skin for the lotion. Cost of each is 98,000 won ($83).

Estee Lauder’s Resilience Lift OverNight has a calming, de-stressing scent to help you fall asleep. This face cream aims to boost natural collagen production and drench the skin with moisture. You wake up with firm, moist and supple skin tone. The formula also includes a sugar-derived hydroxy complex that sloughs off dead cells, renewing the skin. Sweet Dreams. Cost is 98,000 won.

Fresh’s Creme Ancienne draws inspiration from a formula created by Greek physician Claudius Galenus in the 2nd century. The cream follows Galenus’ formula of rosewater, beeswax and borax with an updated twist ― the inclusion of sodium borate, meadowfoam seed oil, osmantus flower extract and chamomile floral wax. In order to stay true to the cream’s handcrafted legacy, Creme Ancienne is made in a monastery in the island of Tautra in Norway. Only 3,500 jars will be offered worldwide this year, making this cream a decadent find. Cost is 420,000 won.
Sleep like a baby with Lancome’s Absolute Night Recovery Treatment. Created for mature skin, this cream works to recover, reconstruct and re-uniform the skin. The ingredients help stimulate the cells that produce collagen and elastin, improve cell renewal and lift away excessive dead cells. The idea is that when you wake up, not only is your skin plump, your complexion is even. Cost is 240,000 won.

Decleor, a salon-formulated aromatherapy line imported from France, is a sheer wonder for tired and weakened skin, thanks to its natural oil and balm. The basic for every type of skin is Aromessence Essential Balm. The balm’s key ingredients are oils of basil, camomile and neroli, hazelnut and avocado plant. A small amount of balm can be applied overnight or used as a multi-functional remedy for minor skin problems. Price varies.

Yves Saint Laurent harnesses the power of rosa centifolia extract, bigardia extract and almond proteins for a good night’s rest. All three are central to Nuit Intense, the night cream version of Grand Jour. Nuit Intense floods the skin with nutrients to help it replenish. Almond extracts provide a calming scent and line the skin with a soft, ultramoisturizing film. Cost is 86,000 won.

For extremely tired or dry skin, Kiehl's offers Anti Oxidant Skin Preserver. This brown balm, fortified with extremely enriching panthenol and vitamins A, C and E, is specially recommended for overnight application for a prolonged period to maximize the balm’s accumulative benefit. The effect is almost immediate as the skin appears supple, smooth and healthy. Cost is 98,000 won.

Unwind at night with Biotherm’s Age Fitness Nuit. The formula combines two ingredients, both from the olive tree, to promote skin regeneration at night. Properties of the olive leaf concentrate include stimulation of collagen, protection from cutaneous damages and improvement of skin’s elasticity. Cost is 75,000 won.

Say good-night and goodbye to dry skin with Shu Uemura’s B-G Gel Cream. The gel base translates to quick absorption. The formula makes use of b-glucan, derived from bread yeast, to strengthen the skin’s inner layers, and sphingoglipolipids to reinforce the skin barrier effect. Cost is 80,000 won.

by Joe Yong-hee