Hi guys! It was super hard to get out of bed this morning because... well Mondays (amirite?!), but, the week must go on. Sleep has always eluded me. I used to be able to go to bed at whatever time I wanted and still have the ability to wake up early and function (somewhat) normally throughout the day. Then, as I got older, I found that getting a consistent 7-8 hours of sleep was really hard for me, and honestly continues to be to this day.
I wake up at the same time every morning regardless of how many hours of sleep I get during the night, which can leave me with that annoying dry eyes feeling and everything basically sucks. When I don’t sleep well, it really effects me negatively. I am sluggish with no energy, I am really irritable and I definitely notice the effects on my skin (dull complexion, breakouts, redness, the works).
Something that has helped me deal with these issues for the past few years has been taking a melatonin supplement at bedtime. I find that it helps my brain mellow out a little bit and helps me control my thoughts, long enough for me to drift off to sleep. A friend of mine recently sent me an article that talked about the benefits melatonin itself has on the skin as well. I had to investigate further!
So what is melatonin? Melatonin is a hormone that's naturally produced by your body to regulate your circadian rhythm (a.k.a. your sleep-wake cycle). Many people take melatonin supplements as a natural (and non-addictive) alternative to sleeping pills. I usually will take 2 3mg pills about an hour before bed and let them work their magic. However, as we get older, our levels of the melatonin hormone decrease while our circadian rhythm becomes less regular.
But how else can Melatonin help us with our skin? Are my years of taking the supplement upping my skincare game? Well not exactly. Melatonin is now being touted as helping with anti aging. It is is able to suppress UV induced damage to skin cells and works as an antioxidant, protecting cellular DNA from those damaging free radicals. I have mentioned multiple times how sun damage is the main cause of signs of aging (wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots) so this might be something to consider incorporating into your skincare routine.
Taking a supplement however won’t give you these results, because your body is digesting the pill, making it difficult for the melatonin pill to resurface on your skin. But applying it topically (like in a cream or serum) will be more effective. Melatonin can then reinforce the skin’s capacity for repair, renewal and revitalization during the night.
One thing to consider when using melatonin is that it activates our skin’s melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment. So using it on your skin might cause your skin to darken or lessen the effects of any brightening products you are using. So if you're looking to even out your skin tone, treat age spots, or already suffer from hyper pigmentation, you might want to steer clear of using melatonin on your skin.
Sweet Dreamzzzzzzz!
Xoxo
Nel
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