Beauty Knowhow: These beat counting sheep
Meet the bedtime saviours that never let me down. Beauty sleep guaranteed
When it comes to recommended doses of my sleep-aiding beauty favourites, I’m not always a stickler for following the rules.
The suggested dose of one to two tablespoons of Ila Bath Salts For Inner Peace (£49, ila-spa.com), for instance, is regularly exceeded at bath time if I’m in need of some extra relaxation aid. Though the name on the bottle says nothing about ‘sleep’ I’ve found these to be a bedtime saviour and regularly help me to drift off and achieve the sleep of the innocents. They boast Himalayan salt crystals with sandalwood (good for calming the mind) and jasmine (both relaxing and uplifting) and, while a luxury option, in my experience more reliable than counting sheep.
A new favourite, which I’ve written about before, is Tropic So Sleepy Luxury Bath Foam (£18, tropicskincare.com). If you like your bath with plenty of bubbles this really delivers and the aroma of lavender, camomile and frankincense works like knockout drops on me.
Also deeply relaxing are Westlab Sleep Epsom Salts (£6.99, lookfantastic.com). The magnesium is great for easing muscles and unwinding, which is all helped along by extracts of lavender, jasmine and valerian. I often mix some of these salts with the Tropic foam for added sleepy emphasis.
If you only have a shower then Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil (£49, aromatherapyassociates.com) is a classic for a reason. I always travel (when it’s allowed) with a small bottle of this as it seriously aids any journey to the land of nod with its mix of vetiver (great for quietening thoughts), sandalwood and wild camomile (to relax and ease muscle tension).
For a non-bathroom-related sleep enhancer, a favourite is Votary Pillow Spray (£35, spacenk.com), with its notes of lavender and camomile. I tend to use it as part of a good bedtime ritual when I’ve also really taken care to switch off before turning in, but inhaling this on my pillow is always deeply comforting and relaxing.
I often don a silk eye mask at night, too. It isn’t just to block out the light – I find it really helps on the wrinkle front, particularly the lines between my brows, which always look a bit less pronounced the next morning when a mask has come between them and the pillow. I’m a long-term fan of Slip’s offerings but recently discovered Sleeper (the brand makes great silk pyjamas, too) which is more padded and I find it stays in place (around £44, the-sleeper.com). But I recommend both.