Wondering how to look less tired? You’re not alone! According to a survey for the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), we’re a nation of under-sleepers, with the average person in the UK missing around an hour of sleep every night; that’s the equivalent of losing a whole night’s sleep per week.
Whether you’re skipping shut-eye thanks to late night box-set binges, social media scrolling or crack of dawn commutes, your skin is the first place to show signs of fatigue.
If your complexion is suffering from a lack of beauty sleep, we’ve put together some top tips to help your eyes to look less tired and maintain dewy skin (even when you’re exhausted).
1. Make-up for tired skin
There are some days when no amount of sleep can make those dark circles disappear and research by Mintel found that as many as 41% of women say the reason they wear make-up is to look less tired.
Green People’s resident make-up artist, Amy Saunders, has given her expert make-up tips to combat sleepy skin:
“Sheer foundations or tinted moisturisers are ideal for making your skin look awake and vibrant.
They give a dewy coverage that reflects light and mimics the look of naturally glowing, well-rested skin.
Heavy coverage foundations and matte powders may hide dark circles and even out skin tone, but they can cause skin to look dull and accentuate tiredness.”
Try Green People’s certified organic Tinted DD Moisturisers from the Age Defy+ range, which combine light reflecting mineral pigments with a base of hydrating and brightening skin care ingredients.
2. Fake it ‘til you make it
Maybe it’s our brains tricking us into believing we’ve had a relaxing beach holiday, but having a tan immediately perks up your complexion and makes you look less tired.
If you aren’t lucky enough to have a sunny getaway planned in the diary, get the next best thing and top up your tan from a tube.
Kate Moss swears by using fake tan, “[It] gives you a healthier glow; you just look healthier in general. You can get away with a late night with a tan – it covers up a multitude of sins.”
Follow the supermodel’s lead and for the most natural looking faux glow, try our certified organic Liquid Gold Tanning Drops.
These unscented self tanning drops allows you to customise your colour to achieve your desired tan intensity, without streaks.
Age Defy+ Liquid Gold Tanning Drops 30ml
Glow from head to toe with our scent-free certified organic tanning drops
€41,95
3. Facial massage for tired skin
A regular five-minute facial massage will help to increase blood flow, maintain muscle tone and skin elasticity, draw out toxins and drain excess fluid, leaving your skin looking brighter, bouncier and more awake.
You don’t have to book yourself in for expensive spa treatments to see the benefits of facial massage, use these simple techniques and enjoy an at-home pamper session.
Apply a small amount of facial oil or cleansing balm to freshly cleansed skin, avoid using too much product because as skin care guru and expert facialist, Caroline Hirons says, you want “grip, not slip” when it comes to facial massage.
- Start by using your knuckles to make firm, circular motions on the plumpest part of your cheeks.
- Then, using the pads of fingers one, two and three on each hand, make slow sweeping motions upwards and outwards along the brow bones, finishing at the temples.
- Next, repeat this movement underneath the eyes, applying firm pressure all the way along the cheekbones from your nose to your temples.
- As a final step, grip the tip of your chin using your thumbs and fingers one and two on each hand, then slowly drag your fingers outwards towards your ears along the jaw bone.
- Perform each step for at least 30 seconds and repeat as often as you like.
4. It’s all in the eyes
If your eyes look tired, unfortunately so will the rest of your face.
Small changes in your sleep pattern disproportionately affect the skin around your eyes, as it is much thinner and blood vessels lie closer to the surface.
Bags, dark circles and dry skin are all tell-tale signs of a late night, so an eye cream or serum could help make your eyes look less tired.
Green People’s Firming Eye Serum contains Chicory, which has a powerful firming action on the skin and helps to reduce puffiness, leaving eyes looking refreshed.
You can apply this cooling treatment under or over make-up, so pop a tube on your desk or in your bag for top-ups throughout the day.
Firming Eye Serum 10ml
Tone, firm and hydrate with our naturally firming eye serum
€21,95
5. Buff away tiredness
When your skin is looking tired, it starts to lose its healthy glow. One way to combat this is to get rid of excess dead cells that cause the skin to look dull.
Regular exfoliation will help to increase skin cell turnover and give your skin a brighter, more even tone.
It is important to avoid scrubs that contain microbeads, as these tiny plastic particles get rinsed down the drain and are damaging to marine eco-systems.
Green People’s organic scrubs contain skin-brightening plant actives and a combination of natural exfoliants.
Ingredients such as Pineapple, Bamboo extract and Bentonite Clay work in synergy to buff away dullness and leave your skin looking fresher, healthier and smoother.
Age Defy+ Soft Buff Skin Exfoliator 30ml
Reveal velvet-soft skin with a natural skin buff with 2-way exfoliation
€30,95
Do you have any tried and tested tips for waking up tired skin? Chat to us on social @GreenPeopleUK
