Ever considered using certain products before bed so they work more efficiently? No, me neither, until I heard that you should apply dry shampoo before going to bed to wake up with grease-free locks come the morning. It makes sense!
But there are more products that work in a similar way, getting to work as you sleep so their job is done on rising, working even better than you had hoped and saving time in the morning. Genius!
Dry Shampoo
As I mentioned above, a few months ago I discovered the hack of using dry shampoo before going to sleep instead of using it in the morning. Instead of applying it and brushing through your hair you want to apply and then leave it, maybe give it a quick rub into the roots but that's all. The idea here is while you sleep the dry shampoo will soak up all excess oils from both the roots and scalp, meaning come the morning your hair will feel and look much fresher than giving it a quick spray! I really do love this over-night technique a lot.
RECOMMENDED DRY SHAMPOO: Batiste Dry Shampoo, Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo Powder, COLAB Dry Shampoo
Anti-Perspirant
If your deodorant simply isn't cutting it for you then you may want to try applying it before bed. This may seem like it won't work but in fact it will make you sweat less the next day - I guarantee it! The reason why applying antiperspirant before bed, creams and roll-ons work so well is because at night your sweat glands don't produce as much sweat allowing the product you have applied to soak into your armpit area and block the sweat glands meaning sweating just won't be an issue for the next 24 hours! I also like this method for feeling like I'm not actually wearing any deodorant during the day as the product is totally soaked in while still doing its job. It also means white deodorant marks on clothing are a thing of the past!
RECOMMENDED ANTIPERSPIRANT: Dove Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant Cream (on offer), Sure Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant Crean Stick (on offer), Santex Derma Sensitive Deodorant
Chemical Exfoliant
If you clicked on this post then it's likely you imagined I would be talking skincare because after all we already apply skincare products before bed. But some products really do work much better when used at night opposed to in the morning. One product this is true for is chemical exfoliants, the main reason is while they do make your skin more sun sensitive (so you will need to be using a daily SPF on your face) it's best they are applied at night and not directly under makeup in the morning and then exposed to direct sunlight.
Another reason is you want to maximise the time glycolic and lactic acids amongst other exfoliating acids sit on bare skin and don't get rubbed or sweated off. On waking, you will want to cleanse the skin with a light non-foaming cleanser or simply splash the skin with water if you don't feel it needs anything else. And then you should notice how much softer and soother your entire face is! You can also take these mild exfoliating acids down onto the neck and chest or even over the back of the hands before bed - just remember protecting the skin with SPF is a must when using AHA based products.
RECOMMENDED LIQUID EXFOLIANT: Pixi Glow Tonic, The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10%, Alpha-H Liquid Gold, The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
Spot Treatment
Another skin care product ideal for applying just before bed is spot treatment. The reasons for this are pretty obvious - it gets to work overnight, no risk of you touching the area and there's the option to apply more on waking if the blemish requires it.
The best practice here is to apply spot treatment as soon as you notice a blemish coming straight after cleansing your skin in the evening, giving the targeted treatment the most amount of time to work. However, while you are awake keep yourself from touching the spot is a must!
RECOMMENDED SPOT TREATMENT: Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment, Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
