Have you ever had one of those really exhausting days? The ones where you collapse on your bed or couch fully clothed, and you can barely find the energy to even kick off your shoes? Those are the nights when I think that any skin regime cannot possibly be worth the effort. Even while I’m lying there after crawling to bed, refusing to move, I know I’m going to regret it. Sometimes I even sit there and fret about it, knowing if I just get up, change and clean up a bit, I can stop worrying and fall asleep. I rarely ever manage to convince myself to move and, without fail, I always regret it the next morning! I suppose I can rest (un)easily knowing that I am not alone in my laziness. Skincare is, unfortunately, one of the easiest things to ignore or pass over when we’re tired or busy.
In the end, though, it only takes a few minutes and it makes a world of difference! As the days get crazier as we head into the holidays and the weather gets less friendly, here are some benefits to actually having a nightly skin care routine that you may not have thought of:
A. Better skin. Okay, you probably did think of this one but it makes such a difference that I had to put it on here! Think about all that your skin goes through on a daily basis: makeup, sun, wind, dust or dirt, smog from the bus that chugged past you on the street, sweat from perspiring or working out and any other number of little horrors! Wiping all of this stuff away before you go to sleep means that your skin can breathe throughout the night and isn’t choked beneath layers of dirt!
B. Quicker and deeper sleep. You may not believe me but establishing a nightly routine of any kind helps signal to your body that you will be going to bed soon. This helps to create a pattern for your body, resulting in better sleep.
C. Cleaner pillows and better health. This one really isn’t as farfetched as it seems! When you wash your face, you not only remove things like makeup and oil that can stain pillowcases, you are also removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. It might sound gross but for those of us with allergies, the less nasty stuff near us when breathing the better! Washing your face before laying down (and tossing your pillow in the laundry every once in awhile) helps to keep those nasties to a minimum!
Convinced?? Good! Now, since anything worth doing is worth doing well, make sure you have a good nightly routine! I know many women and men who skimp on the skincare. Either they ignore it completely (tsk tsk!) or they’ll simply wash with soap and then moisturize. This is overlooking a simple but important part of the cleansing process: toner! Skin toner removes all those last bits of dirt, oil or makeup and helps to re-balance the skin's PH level. It also helps refine the skin by opening up and shrinking the pores, making the moisturizer even more effective. Pangea Organics makes using toner even easier with their light citrus scents. Citrus is a natural grease fighter (try using a lemon wedge to cut through the grease on a dirty dish sometime and you’ll see what I mean!) and the fragrances are light and pleasant.
Not convinced? Pangea's toners have other uses as well. Try toner immediately after waxing or shaving to help tighten pores back up! And remember those light fragrances? Try using it as a body spray! Or spray it on your face throughout the day as a quick freshener to close the pores and eliminate oils. Who knew Pangea's toner was so versatile! Now thru December 15th, Receive a FREE Lip Balm when you purchase a Facial Toner. Simply add them to your basket, enter Promo Code ToneBeforeBed and hit Apply at Check Out. Available online and in the U.S. only at www.pangeaorganics.com.
From now on, I’ll try to convince myself to at least use a toner before I go to sleep, especially given the ways in which it helps moisturizers work. What’s one important part of your nighttime routine that you can’t miss?
Thanks to margolove, cwalker71 and the_prodigal_untitled13 for the great pictures!
Laura
