For a skin care nut like me, the thought of going to bed with makeup on makes me want to grab the nearest GlamGlow mask and scrub for hours. So even though the sleep-in-your-makeup trend is gaining traction -- probably thanks to countless #wokeuplikethis selfies -- I'm skeptical.

But it's not just Instagram stars and romantic comedy leading ladies who hit the pillow wearing a full face of makeup. Take celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury. No one -- not even her husband -- has seen her sans makeup. She even washes her face at night before strategically reapplying her makeup. (She says this proudly with a twinkle in her eye, but I have a feeling she's not entirely kidding.)

Fortunately, if this sounds like you -- or it's something you could get into -- there's a new breed of makeup made just for sleeping. All of these products have skin care benefits, and many of them boost your skin's natural overnight repair work. Even I was tempted to try them. After all, you never know when someone might be lurking with a phone, ready to post your sleeping face on social media.

Photo credit: michelleduxuan.com

There's a Dr. Jart BB cream for just about everything, so I wasn't too surprised when I heard about the Dr. Jart BB Night Beauty Balm, $38. Unlike regular BB creams, this one is a gel moisturizer with tiny pigment beads suspended in the formula. It only comes in one shade, and when you massage the product into your skin the beads melt to create a hint of color that works for most skin tones. It contains anti-wrinkle peptides and brightening botanicals, but it's SPF-free so it's fine to wear while you sleep. If you're looking for a bit of coverage overnight -- whether for your partner, your dog or yourself -- this is a great option.

background image

Mineral makeup is notoriously good for your skin -- even if you accidentally forget to take it off at night. But BareMinerals took things one step further when they developed BareMinerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment, $60. It's a powder formula that's similar to their powder foundation, but it also contains an antioxidant blend developed to unclog pores by speeding up cell turnover. In a clinical study, it made pores appear 32 percent smaller in eight weeks. If you can't imagine letting anyone see your nose without your favorite pore-minimizing primer, start using this at night -- soon enough you won't even need it.

I've definitely gone to bed with white spots of acne medication all over my face at one time or another, but that doesn't mean I felt pretty doing it. And I can't even imagine how I'd feel if my acne were severe -- except that I'd want a product like Glytone Flesh Tinted Acne Lotion, $24. It has sulfur and resorcinol to fight breakouts, and it has just enough tint to hide them while it works. Plus, the color comes from iron oxide, which was recently shown to help with pigmentation. If only it had been around when I was in high school …

While I'm fortunate not to suffer from major acne, I still get the occasional breakout. And when I do have a zit, my husband loves nothing more than to tease me about it. Instead of giving him the satisfaction, I'll dab on an acne treatment concealer -- even before bed.

Clinique Acne Solutions Clearing Concealer, $17.50, has salicylic acid, a nice creamy consistency and a green tint to counteract redness. For more concentrated coverage, try Murad Acne Treatment Concealer, $24, which has a drier texture and vitamins A, C and E in addition to salicylic acid. If you want to control your acne-treatment-to-concealer ratio, opt for Jane Iredale Zap and Hide Blemish Concealer, $26, which has a tea tree oil-based balm on one end and concealer on the other.