Your kids aren't solely to blame for making you look tired. Each day, exposure to sunlight, wind, and general pollution can take their toll on your skin. At night, on the other hand, "outside stressors are not interfering, and levels of restorative growth hormones are at their highest," says Amy Wechsler, a dermatologist and psychiatrist in New York City. In other words, your skin—much like the rest of you—needs a good night's sleep.
And with so many treatments designed to work best from dusk to dawn, you can easily speed up nature's reparation process. "I like my patients to use a topical retinol at night, when skin is most receptive," Wechsler says. "It helps repair damage that has occurred not just during the day, but over time."
The vitamin A derivative has been tested for efficacy, and "study after study shows that it works," adds Ellen Marmur, M.D., chief of dermatologic and cosmetic surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. By regulating skin growth, retinols can increase collagen production, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and, as a bonus, clear up acne. Another reason to use them at night: They increase skin's sensitivity to sunlight and are themselves unstable when exposed to light. Then there's the sticky factor. Few of us enjoy feeling greased up during the day, so slathering these rich creams and oils onto stubbornly dry areas—hands, elbows, feet, even hair—really has to be an after-dark activity (sorry, Hubby!).
Most important, though, you should still try to get as much rest as you can. "You can't put on these treatments and sleep five hours and think they're going to work as well as if you slept seven or eight," says Wechsler. It's called beauty sleep for a reason. So what are you still doing up?
ACNE
Clinique Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer
Blemish zappers can dry out sensitive skin, but this delicate benzoyl-peroxide treatment won't.
$16, Clinique.
ALL-OVER REMEDY
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly
We're hard-pressed to find a body part it can't cure. From eyelids to elbows to feet, it's a multitasking, moisturizing hero.
$2, Planet RX.
FACE
Replenix Retinol Plus Smoothing Serum 5x
Loaded with green tea and caffeine, this is Amy Wechsler's favorite wrinkle-fighting retinol.
$68, Skincare RX.
LIPS
Dr. Dan's CortiBalm
Instead of just coating them, this colorless balm helps heal severely chapped lips with 1 percent hydrocortisone.
$4, Amazon.
HAIR
Kiehl's Superbly Restorative Dry Oil
Rub drops of this argan-nut oil from roots to ends, wrap your head in a towel, and wake up to healthier strands.
$175, Kiehls.
EYELASHES
Peter Thomas Roth Lashes to Die For
Made with grapes plucked from the vineyards of South Africa, these magic potions are pumped full of powerful antioxidants to combat aging, stress, and pollutants. Dab on skin and around the eye area to stimulate collagen synthesis and smooth lines.
$125, Peter Thomas Roth.
BODY
Bliss FatGirlSlim
Red-algae extract increases circulation and reduces the appearance of cellulite; lavender eases you into slumber.
$38, Bliss World.
HANDS & FEET
Cutemol Emollient Skin Cream
Wechsler uses this "most awesome" cream at night for incredibly soft and young-looking hands and feet by breakfast.
$10, Skinstore.
