Face masks are a beloved skincare product, but the newest iteration takes an overnight approach to skincare. Overnight face masks, or sleeping masks, are high-powered formulations designed to rejuvenate, repair, and boost skin health and appearance during sleep.
“If you hate waking up to skin that feels parched, uncomfortable or dry, a good overnight mask might be the product you’re looking for. It can form a seal on top of your lighter products like serums and essences, allowing the below layers to penetrate better while reduces trans-epidermal water loss. It could contain brighteners like Vitamin C, exfoliators, and moisturizers like fatty acids and ceramides,” explains Avanti Dalal in Vogue.
For consumers looking to supercharge their skincare routine, an overnight face mask is a high-powered solution to improving skin health, appearance, and targeting a wide variety of concerns and claims.
The power of sleep
Sleeping masks are formulated to deliver large quantities of active ingredients, hydrators, and moisturizers overnight when the skin is in recovery mode.
“While we’re sleeping skin switches into ‘recovery mode,’ a time of intense repair and regeneration. The regeneration process can be up to three times faster than during the day. This phase is the prelude to sleep when skin is most able to absorb topical treatments and DNA repair is boosted,” Kendra Flockhart, an education executive at Darphin, told Brydie.
Additionally, overnight masks are especially effective because during the night the skin is more permeable. This allows sleeping masks to deeply penetrate the skin and fully absorb.
Multipurpose powerhouses
Sleeping masks have witnessed a surge in popularity as of late, thanks to a modern consumer demand for more multipurpose, workhorse skincare products.
Today, lots of consumers are overwhelmed, stressed out, and ready to simplify their lives. For many, this has meant taking a step back from maximalist, multi-step skincare routines. This new approach to skincare is skinimalism, or the focus on a more simple skincare routine.
Sleeping masks target a variety of claims
“According to Pinterest’s Pinterest Predicts 2021 report, skinimalism is “the end of the caked-on makeup look.” In addition to embracing “slow” beauty and “letting your natural skincare texture shine through,” the social media platform says this new routine emphasizes simplicity. In other words, a skinimalist routine consists of just the essential products,” explains Erin Lukas in InStyle.
For many consumers, a multipurpose sleeping mask that can brighten, refresh, and rejuvenate the skin overnight is the perfect skinimalist, workhorse product to incorporate into a pared down routine.
More personalized masking
Another big driver behind the sleeping mask trend? The huge variety of innovative formats that allow consumers to choose a sleeping mask based on a particular skincare claim.
“While overnight masks have typically been used as a way to give your skin an extra boost of moisture, now there are overnight masks for every skin concern imaginable,” says Tatjana Freund in Marie Claire.
Now, in addition to the traditional hydrating overnight masks, there are also sleeping masks that work to:
- minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- reduce irritation
- tame hyperpigmentation
- tackle dark spots
- firm up puffy skin
- pollution repair
“The prelude to sleep when skin is most able to absorb topical treatments and DNA repair is boosted. The process can be up to three times faster than during the day.”
Kendra Flockhart, Brydie
Sleeping beauty
Trending overnight face masks are poised to become a perennial favorite. Whether consumers want to deeply moisturize their face overnight or target a variety of other skincare concerns, an overnight sleeping mask can help power up beauty sleep.
