Does the sleepmaxxing beauty trend really work? We put it to the test
While I wake up, jump out of bed and whizz through my morning skincare routine, which often takes a maximum of five minutes; you know, a cleanse, some vitamin C, moisturiser, and SPF — Ashley West wakes up and unravels from the night before. The influencer starts her day by taking off everything that she applied the night before; unfastening a chin strap to reveal a snatched jawline, peeling off a shiny overnight face mask, green under-eye patches, the fake tan lining her lips, all before shaking her glossy, blonde hair out of a heatless curler. It's documented on her TikTok account and the post, which has racked up 591K likes on TikTok, is captioned, “The uglier you go to bed the prettier you wake up.”
TikTokers will know this as one of the hottest trends of the year, 'Sleepmaxxing', whereby users aim to optimise their sleep. Beauty influencers are now dabbling in an updated version, known as “the morning shed”, and some take it even further than West; drifting off the sleep wearing mouth tape, toe separators, silk bonnets on top of their heatless curlers, and plush Korean sleeping masks. Not only do they claim that it makes their mornings more productive, but crucially, for sleepy girls like myself, the process apparently allows them to bag more ZZZ’s as they wake up good to go.
West, 33, saves the more elaborate “sheds” for twice a week. She tells Cosmopolitan UK: “As a mum of two, it’s definitely sped up my mornings. I feel confident in my skin, my hair and feel ready to go!” Tatyana Lafata, 28, is another beauty influencer who has been taking part in the trend, which she says is a real confidence boost: “The prep allows me to cut my getting ready time to just a few minutes. Nothing like having my hair done and skin glowing to really help me feel like I can conquer the day.” Lafata’s approach seems more do-able than other creators’, and consists of blowout rods in the jumbo size, an overnight face mask, and “maybe an eye mask if I’m feeling extra high-maintenance”.
How to do the sleepmaxxing trend
Consider me influenced. As a beauty editor, I am no stranger to elaborate skincare routines — but as someone who slaps the snooze button every morning, this one seemed like it could actually change my mornings, which are by far the worst part of my day.
So, armed with West and Lafata’s tips, I embarked on my first week of sleepmaxxing. Twice a week after completing my nighttime routine — a double cleanse, toner, serum, moisturiser, and face oil — I slapped on an PCA’s Overnight Hyaluronic Mask, 111 SKIN’s Wrinkle Erasing Retinol Patches, and Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask, before sealing it all in with Drowsy’s oversized silk eye mask. Depending on my hair washing plans, I either applied GF Fabulosity’s Hair and Scalp Recovery Elixir as an overnight mask, or a heatless curler, before settling in for some shuteye.
Hyaluronic Acid Overnight Mask
Wrinkle Erasing Retinol Patches
Lip Sleeping Mask
Midnight Blue Silk Sleep Mask
Hair and Scalp Recovery Elixir
Kitsch Satin Heatless Curling Set - Hair Rollers for Heatless Curls | Heatless Hair Curlers & Hot Rollers | Hair Curlers to Sleep in | Heatless Curling Rod Headband | Heatless Curler (Micro Dot)
While waiting for the results, I turned to experts to get the lowdown. “Though there's some truth to the trend, it shouldn’t be taken too literally,” board certified dermatologist and TikTok star Dr Shereene Idriss, tells me. “Take Face Basting, for example — applying a thick layer of zinc oxide-based diaper rash cream to your face overnight can make you look like a magnolia cupcake, but it works wonders for repairing your skin barrier. You may not look glamorous going to sleep, but you'll wake up with the skin of your dreams.” So far so good.
Celebrity dermatologist, Dr Simon Ourian M.D, however, cautions against overusing products. “It can overwhelm the skin, especially if ingredients clash or if the skin’s barrier becomes compromised. Too many layers, as well as occlusive and comedogenic ingredients, can clog pores, lead to irritation, or even cause breakouts. Heavy products may disrupt the skin’s natural moisture balance, leading to dehydration or sensitisation over time.”
And so, Indeed Laboratories’ resident dermatologist, Dr. Nowell Solish, recommends that users avoid active ingredients in excess, and that they alternate the days they are used, as they can irritate and sensitise the skin. Likewise, he notes that physical exfoliants can create micro-tears in the skin, especially at night, when the skin is the most vulnerable.
Sleepmaxxing - the results
After a week, I found I was waking up with visibly plumper, glowy skin. It didn’t take too long to apply at night, and even though it didn’t realistically lead to much extra time in bed, I was happy, especially with the results on my hair. As it turns out, sleeping in a hair mask is much more effective than just slapping it on for five minutes in the shower: after a few applications, my long, dehydrated, wavy hair was noticeably more manageable and easier to style. Heatless curlers, though? For me, a disaster. While the ladies of TikTok can snooze the night away in them, I found them incredibly difficult to sleep with, and inevitably ripped them out after a few minutes. Instead, I went old-school, and started braiding my hair for a more relaxed look.
Consultant trichologist, Eva Proudman, has a few words of advice for prospective Sleepmaxxers, namely that hair masks should only be used once a week. “They offer many different benefits, but using them too often can weigh the hair down and negate the benefits. Always check the instructions for usage. Some products are meant to be taken off after anything from 1 – 20 minutes, and if left on overnight can result in contact dermatitis.” And for those who can drift off in heatless curlers, Proudman gives two thumbs up. They are “a lot less damaging” than heat tools.
Still, after two weeks of this new routine, I found myself becoming cynical. While I was saving a few minutes in the morning, I was actually beginning to spend a considerable amount of time lathering myself in products at night. While this allowed me to get a better sense of how my skin was doing, it also made me feel uncomfortably obsessive over aspects of my face. Do we really need to optimise every part of our day for the sake of beauty? No. And does doing so feed into pervasive beauty ideals centred around perfection? I think so. While these extreme routines can offer a sense of control, it’s worth remembering that no one has to “wake up pretty”; just getting out of bed can be hard enough.
But, it’s not like I’ve taken nothing from the sleepmaxxing / morning shed trends. I’ll certainly be applying face and hair masks overnight now, but probably only once a week or for special occasions. As ever, when it comes to beauty, nothing quite compares to the advice I was given by my mum as a teen: keep it simple, stupid.
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