Sleeping Beauty: Why you should put on overnight masks before bed

Once upon a time in a place called Manila, a dry-skinned girl discovered a moisturizer that worked miracles as she slept. She woke up the next morning to the most amazing siopao-bouncy skin, and thus began her obsession with sleeping masks. Many years later, the girl’s love for sleeping masks continued to grow, and she continued to try other products in search of The Holy Grail Sleeping Mask of her dreams...

So, I am the girl whose life and skin were changed by using sleeping masks! But what are they exactly? Are they just a fancier term for moisturizers? Well, perhaps you could think of them as moisturizers on steroids. Sleeping packs are said to top moisturizers when it comes to active ingredient content like hyaluronic acid and plant extracts. Consistency is another distinct feature of the sleeping mask, since the formulas are usually the gel or gel-cream types rather than the traditional rich, greasy moisturizer. This overnight treatment is designed to pack a punch, even with its deceptively light feel on the skin.

While so many different sleeping packs are available in the market, there are common ingredients that you’re likely to find across most formulations. As a humectant, glycerin is a regular component of both skin and bath products, so it’s no surprise that it shows up in a lot of sleeping masks. Next up is butylene glycol, another humectant that can improve the texture of skincare products. You also have sodium hyaluronate, the salt form of hyaluronic acid, as another humectant, while silicones like dimethicone and cyclopentasiloxane are emollients that help build the skin’s barrier.

Whether you follow a multi-step skincare regimen or just a basic one, it may be confusing to figure out where to add an overnight mask in. The general rule is that it acts as the last skincare step before you get some shuteye. After cleansing, you can put on toner/essence, serum, and emulsion. Then you can actually switch out your moisturizer for a sleeping mask instead! Most masks recommend up to twice a week usage to give skin a quenching treat without diminishing its efficacy. 

Sleeping masks are easy to incorporate into your routine, whatever the budget. For those who want a tote-ready drugstore option, the Mediheal N.M.F Midnight Moisturizing Capping Pack is a compact 15ml for P149 at Watsons. The Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask is also a portable 15ml for P500 at Clinique counters. 

Willing to splurge a little bit? The COSRX Ultimate Honey Overnight Mask is popular in the AB community and comes in a 60ml tube for P810 from The Skincare Curator. The OG formula that I fell in love with is the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask, which contains 70ml and is priced at P1,550. 

For those with sensitive skin, Laneige just recently released the Cica Sleeping Mask, 70ml for P1,670 from Althea Korea. Origins Drink Up Intensive recently got a formula and packaging makeover so you get 75ml of product for just P1,450 in Origins counters.

Are you a fan of sleeping masks, or would you rather stick with your current moisturizer/night cream? What skincare product do you rely on for overnight miracles?

Sources: Paula’s Choice, Daily Vanity, Style Caster, Lab Muffin,