Here's everything you need to know about overnight masking

Beauty sleep never felt this good!

Aug 17, 2024 | by Bani Sachar

If you’re looking for that well-rested glow, then sleeping masks might just be your new best friend. Your skin can lose a lot of water while you sleep. Moreover, if you sleep in an air-conditioned room, that can only make matters worse. Overnight masking is a great way to load your skin with moisture. These water-based masks are light on the skin and often come with active ingredients for added benefits. Once a K-beauty staple, brands like CosRX, Laniege, Clinique, and Kiehl’s have now made them widely available, offering plenty of options.

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Overnight masks effectively address issues like dehydration, dullness, fine lines, and even uneven texture with their one-step approach as opposed to complicated, multi-step routines. “Sleeping masks are akin to the night moisturiser but with concentrated actives in a lighter formulation that can be left overnight on the skin. When you use the appropriate overnight mask for your skin type and concern, they do work”, says Dr Madhuri Agarwal, founder of Yavana Aesthetics Clinic. “The overnight mask is left on the skin for 6-8 hours. This gives adequate time for the active ingredients to be absorbed in the skin while the skin repair cycle is functional”, she adds.

While overnight masks offer many benefits, they are best suited for dry and mature skin due to their heavy hydrating abilities. Those with oily and combination skin might want to look out for gel formulations to avoid clogged pores. “Sleep masks can penetrate the skin up to a point and deliver hydration, rejuvenation, and repair to some extent. But concerns like active acne, resistant deep dark spots, and pigmentation cannot be treated by a mask”, says Dr Agarwal.

These masks may contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, exfoliating acids, and even antioxidants like vitamin C, which brighten and hydrate your skin while you sleep, leaving you with supple skin in the morning. The ideal bedtime masking routine includes cleansing your face, following up with a toner if you like, and then applying the face mask, avoiding the eye area, and finish with your eye cream. And the best part about incorporating a sleeping mask into your regime? You can literally wake up to glowing skin!

Below are some of our favourite picks!

Laneige Bouncy & Firm Sleeping Mask, ₹2,210