Upper Village Spa

10 Tips for Less Stress, Sounder Sleep and Better Skin
by Skincare-news.com team
Chances are that at this time of year, your to-do lists (and shopping lists!) are growing longer. Will you ever get it all done? Spending time completing these tasks (or even just thinking about them) can carve out a major chunk of your shut-eye schedule. No wonder “65 percent of Americans are losing sleep due to stress,” reports the Better Sleep Council. Fortunately, some simple tweaks can reduce your stress, pamper your skin and help you sleep. Here are 10 helpful hints.

Soak away stress.
Are your muscles sore after a long workout or a stressful day at the office? Many people opt for a relaxing bath to physically and psychologically promote relaxation at the end of a long day. A bath feels good and tells your body to start getting ready for sleep mode.
Relieve tension with Molton Brown Unwind Atoll Crystal Bath Soak to ease tired muscles, flush out toxins and make your skin look and feel better.
Enjoy Pevonia Nymphea Bath Salts with Essential Oils "Anti-Stress," which contains lavender and tangerine essential oils for a fragrant, relaxing soak.
Sip a cup of Thalgo Serenity Infusion Tea as you soak in the tub. Savor the orange flavor, which boosts relaxation and encourages restful sleep. In addition, this tea may be beneficial for the nervous and digestive systems.
Infuse your room with sleep-promoting scents.
Aromatherapy and scent may be the ticket to that ever-elusive dreamland. Specifically, Brandon Peters, M.D., writes on About that lavender, sandalwood and jasmine essential oils are known for their restful properties. Keep in mind, though, that sense of smell is subjective, so pick a scent that you personally find pleasing, relaxing and calming.
Open a box of Molton Brown Sleep Cedrus Room Aroma Rocks, which contains rocks slathered in sweet-smelling sap and essential oils to produce relaxation.
Spritz L'Occitane Lavender Harvest Organic Sweet Dreams Mist anywhere you want — your sheets, pillowcase or bedroom. The organic mist is free of harsh chemicals and promotes a restful, peaceful environment.
Massage from head to toe.
Maybe your feet are hurting after standing in the checkout line. Perhaps your shoulders are feeling the strain from the extra weightlifting reps you did at the gym. Or you could have a stress headache from that report that needed to be done ASAP. Stress and pain can make sleep more difficult. However, massage can be beneficial because it “helps to reduce stress, improve circulation, release tension, lower heart rate and blood pressure and possibly even strengthen the immune system. These relaxing effects may therefore make massage a helpful aid in restoring restful sleep,” writes Virgil D. Wooten, M.D., on HowStuffWorks.
Apply Molton Brown Sleep Cedrus Temple Soother along your forehead, temples and pulse points using your middle fingers. Gently massage the hydrating balm in, and inhale the orange and lavender scents.
Relieve headaches, mental stress and tension by massaging in Kerstin Florian Aromatherapy Calm Mind, featuring lavender and peppermint.
Apply Thalgo Aromaceane Relax, with lavender and magnolia, to the tired parts of the body. Also, this product contains fucus concentrate to defend skin from harmful, damaging free radicals. It’s perfect for foot massages or for the bath.
Rub on Ole Henriksen Muscle Comfort Lotion. The cooling lavender, geranium and peppermint oil formula relaxes tired, aching muscles, and minimizes fluid build-up. Plus, it hydrates skin.
Take your vitamins.
Certain ingredients — like GABA and melatonin — found in oral vitamins and dietary supplements are thought to have a muscle-relaxing effect and may improve sleep quality. In turn, better sleep can lead to greater skin repair capabilities, a better-looking complexion with fewer wrinkles and dark circles and less overall dullness.
Murad Sleep Reform Supplements contain vitamins A, B, C, fish oil, GABA, glucosamine, melatonin, zinc and natural extracts. Taken before bedtime, two tablets can help you fall asleep and boost your body’s renewal processes. However, check with your doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements.
Exercise to stave off stress.
When we feel overwhelmed or stressed, many of us take a walk or hit the gym. Exercise is a terrific way to help calm and clear your mind, relieving stress. Simply taking a walk for 20 minutes a day “can help keep stress hormones from interfering with your sleep,” reports iVillage. In addition, exercise “can help you fall asleep faster and make your sleep more restful,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Just try to avoid exercising too close to your bedtime, because it can have the opposite effect and actually make it harder to fall asleep. So finish your workout at least several hours before you hit the sack.
Enter the quiet zone.
All the bright lights and noise from our TVs, cell phones, laptops, iPods and other devices have a stimulating effect. That is, they tell our brains and bodies that it’s time to be alert and active, not relaxed and sleeping. So keep these items out of your bedroom. Turn them off and power down for an hour before going to bed. This helps you transition from a wakeful state to a restful one. Then, when you go to bed, make sure your bedroom is truly a restful, quiet zone. Ideally, it should be dark, cool and noise-free.
Pass on the caffeine.
Sodas, coffee, tea and energy drinks are all sources of stimulating caffeine. You probably drink a few of these throughout the day to give you an energy boost. Some people gulp caffeinated drinks attempting to relieve their stress, but “caffeine can actually exacerbate stress levels and significantly affect the amount and quality of sleep you get,” writes Elizabeth Scott, MS, About’s guide to stress management. Unfortunately, even after you finish your drink, that caffeine stays in your body for several hours, and can prevent you from falling asleep. Your best bet? Skip caffeinated beverages starting about four to eight hours before bed.
Sleep on your back.
Love sleeping on your stomach? Unfortunately, this means burying your face in the pillow, which can cause permanent lines over time. But sleeping on your back can help you avoid these telltale signs of aging.
Hydrate hands.
Your hands are one of the first areas to reveal your age. One way to keep hands looking younger and smoother is by slathering on a rich hand cream at night. To boost the benefits, wear gloves to bed to seal in the ultra-moisturizing hand treatment. Choose creams with soothing scents that promote relaxation. This way you’ll not only wake up with better-looking hands but also sleep soundly.
Jurlique Lavender Hand Cream features lavender, calendula and viola to hydrate and smooth the skin.
Avene Cold Cream Hand Cream is an ultra-rich formula that heals and softens dry, rough hands.
The special fabric behind H20 Plus Moisture Therapy Gloves helps skin seal in the heat for superior hydration. Apply any rich cream and then put on these gloves for softer, more supple hands.
Bliss All You Need Glove Set contains the Glamour Gloves, a pair of gloves soaked in grapeseed and ceramide for maximum moisture, and the Glamour Glove Gel, which soothes and hydrates the skin.
Bring out the beauty treatments.
Take advantage of the night-time and your sleep cycle by applying beauty treatments that improve your skin. Before bed, Dr. Peters suggests applying petroleum jelly to your face to seal in moisture, eye cream to pacify puffy eyes (he writes that at night-time, makeup won’t hamper absorption) and nourishing hair masks to condition tresses. Evening is also a great time to apply hydrating masks to your face. Applying these beauty treatments not only enhances your skin but also relaxes it. Once you add these treatments to your routine, your mind and body will automatically know it’s time for rest.
Formulated with three fatty acids, (http://www.skinstore.com/p-9595-klorane-intense-nutrition-repair-mask-with-mango-butter.aspx) Klorane Intense Nutrition Repair Mask with Mango Butter restores dry, damaged strands.
Dr. Brandt Lineless Eye Cream reduces lines and puffiness.
MD Forte Skin Rejuvenation Hydra-Masque exfoliates, refines and hydrates the skin. Leave it on for several minutes or over-night for maximum benefits.
Sothys Hydroptimale THI3 Mask bathes the skin in moisture.
No need to wrestle with stress and difficulty sleeping! Just making a few easy changes to your lifestyle and skin routine can have a major impact on your tension levels, allowing you to sleep easier and look and feel better.