Your guide to waking up a tired face after a sleepless night

From following a skincare routine to fixing your diet, a vibrant, fresh-faced glow coming right up

With newer variants of different viruses and multiple health concerns emerging from the woodwork every other day—what exactly is monkeypox, even?—it comes as no surprise that sleepless nights have become a recurring feature for many of us. Research has confirmed a spike in clinically significant insomnia during the pandemic, followed by its faithful companions of anxiety and acute stress. All of this can translate into a dull, tired visage for Zoom meetings in the hours of the AM, which is why we asked experts to devise a plan of action for these moments of skincare SOS.

Combatting tired skin from within

“Stress is a natural response in the current times, including physical as well as emotional and psychological duress,” says Dr Madhuri Agarwal, noted dermatologist and founder of Yavana Aesthetic Clinic. If you are looking to tackle tired skin, she believes it is essential to address the root cause of physical stress as it can translate into poor eating habits, lack of exercise and disturbed sleep patterns. She adds, “Neglecting healthy habits forms a feedback loop and adds to the stress, so it’s essential to consciously stick to a balanced lifestyle and work on managing stress efficiently for healthy, brighter skin.”

For starters, you’ll want to devise a simple, structured skincare routine to settle your pH levels and boost skin health over time. “Face wash and sunscreens are a must-have for any skincare routine to banish impurities and shield the skin from sun damage. Adding a barrier-repair cream containing lipids, ceramides and glycolipids will help equip your skin with all that it needs to heal itself,” advises the Mumbai-based dermatologist.

Next, it helps to turn your attention to what’s on your plate, believes Dr Siddhant Bhargava, co-founder of Food Darzee, a platform that delivers customised meals. “Dehydration, free-radical damage and reduced sebum production are the main culprits for a dull and tired complexion. Not having a nutritional diet causes the sebaceous glands to reduce sebum production and discharge onto the surface of the skin, making it look dull,” explains the fitness and nutritional scientist. You’ll also want to turn your attention to foods that lead to exhaustion, and processed foods are predictably topping the list with their ability to trigger inflammation through free- radical damage. Consider external factors such as air pollution, smoking and alcohol, and you might find that your face has taken on a sallow, dull appearance that can’t be reversed even with a good night’s sleep.

“For combatting fatigue, eat coloured fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and foods packed with antioxidants and carbohydrates. As a rule of thumb, it helps to eat healthy and avoid processed foods, sugar and fruit juices. Consume simple, whole food that you can chew well, while ensuring that you maintain a sufficient balance of protein, carbs, good fats, fibre, water and antioxidants in the body,” he advises.

Cheating your way to a fresh-faced glow

While taking care of your skin on the inside can help boost its long-term appearance, there is no denying those mornings when you need some help with a quick wake-up call for your face. For help with the latter, we turned to popular bridal make-up artist, Shradha Luthra. But before you pick up the palette, she believes that a tired visage can use a little nudge from skincare. “A lot of people skip exfoliation but it can be a game-changer. Ensure that you invest some time in exfoliating your skin once or twice a week to help get rid of the dead skin and pave the way for youthful, plumper skin,” she advises.

If you’ve woken up in the morning to see a tired, fatigued face staring back at you from the mirror, Luthra has a few aces up her sleeve as well. “Before you start with the make-up, try rubbing ice on your face or dipping your face in a bowl of ice cubes to jolt your blood circulation and create a fresh-faced glow,” she shares. Next, you’ll want to pay closer attention to your formula choices for camouflaging a sleepless night. “Using a yellow-toned foundation and concealer, as opposed to pink, will disguise the dull undertones of tired skin. Likewise, cream-based formulas can help create a more natural flush as compared to cakey powders,” she recommends. The cincher, in her rulebook, lies in the blush. “A cream blush with pink hues can be that one product that really brightens up the face. Placement is key, so dust some over the cheekbones and along the nose for a rosy flush,” she concludes.

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