I’ve always been able to sleep just about anywhere, at any time. That is until I became a pandemic insomniac. For the first time in my life, as soon as my head hit the pillow at night, my heart raced, my anxiety skyrocketed, and I began a long, torturous night of tossing and turning. Poor sleep hygiene causes many health issues that we’re aware of by now, but did you know that it can affect your skin?

Sleep is when our skin’s regeneration kicks into overdrive. Our skin temperature rises, our cortisol levels drop, and our body gets to work at healing and to repair our skin. Because of this, our skin is most receptive to active ingredients at night.

It comes as no surprise that my two months of insomnia left my skin looking dehydrated and sallow. I was more prone to breakouts than ever before. Our skin is a mirror of whatever is going on inside our bodies. Something wasn’t right, and I needed to fix it.

Sleep hygiene solutions are practical and often unexciting, but they’re worth it. I took a break from coffee and alcohol, I cut down on my nighttime screen usage, and I created a wind-down routine. Luckily for us, a nighttime skincare routine is more than just great for our skin— it signals to our body that we are getting ready for bed and can make us sleepy.

Our new skincare launch, the innovative German brand BYNACHT, couldn’t have come at a better time. This brand, which translates to “by night,” is serious about beauty sleep. Founder Jessica Hoyer saw the correlation between proper rest and beautiful skin, so she created a skincare line that helps you to prioritize quality sleep with products that capitalize on doing so.

The foundational product in her line is the Sleeping Balm-- an aromatherapy balm that you apply to your pulse points, chest, and the soles of your feet before bed. It smells divine— like luxurious Vick’s Vapo Rub— and it is made entirely of pure essential oils and plant butter. The idea is that the scent of the product makes you sleepy, and it becomes something that you associate with rest. I use the Sleeping Balm every night, and I am so attached to its comforting scent.

Since the skin is more receptive to active ingredients at night, it only makes sense that BYNACHT would make top-tier serums. The only hard part is picking which one you’re going to use because they are all so seriously good.

The Hypercharged Glass Skin Serum is an ultra-hydrating hyaluronic acid serum that uses a blend of 13 plant-based actives ingredients to create plump, smooth skin that looks, that’s right, like glass.

The Reverse Sun Radical Recovery Serum has sun lovers in mind. It uses a blend of healing ingredients and pineapple enzyme to work away at dark spots and fine lines while you sleep.

The Iconic Reborn Radiant Serum is a serious change-maker. It tightens, firms, and plumps the skin with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, gentle retinol esters, and Persian sleeping tree extract (a BYNACHT favourite for its ability to make skin appear rested and youthful). People always comment on my skin after a night of the Iconic Serum.

Post-Laser and Procedure Ultra Repair Serum minimizes downtime after professional treatments like laser, micro-needling, and microdermabrasion. It accelerates healing, soothes irritation and strengthens the moisture barrier, so it’s also perfect for reactive and sensitive skin.
BYNACHT’s Nocturnal Signature Anti-Age cream is the gold standard of luxurious night creams. I mean that literally because it contains real gold flakes. This rich night cream sinks into the skin and leaves a velvety soft finish. One of its star ingredients is astaxanthin, which is the potent antioxidant that gives salmon and flamingos their signature pink colour.

Luminary Genius Eye Cream has this satisfying runny texture that hydrates and plumps the skin without creating those little white bumps (milia) around the eyes.

The Uber Glow Peeling Gel AHA is a 10-minute treatment that uses a blend of four fruit acids to gently slough away dead skin. I use it twice a week after cleansing, and it makes my skin noticeably smoother and brighter. Freshly exfoliated skin also allows for products to penetrate better.

High Moon Firming Neck & Decolleté Gel is amazing. This gel was the last BYNACHT product that I added to my routine, and I don’t know what took me so long. I love that it has a light gel texture because it doesn’t cause breakouts, which can easily happen if you use too rich a product on such a sensitive skin area. Two weeks of consistent use has made my neck look significantly less crepey. I can’t wait to see my progress with it in six months.

Overall, BYNACHT has seriously impressed me. Their carefully formulated products are without any harmful or irritating ingredients, but they also have more conventional textures than other clean beauty products. What I mean is that they aren’t at all oily or greasy feeling. If you have wanted to dip a toe into the world of “clean” beauty, but you don’t like the feeling of wearing oil on your skin, BYNACHT’s weightlessness will be sure to appeal to you.