Ask an expert: how can I repair my skin after a late night?

But you don’t need to call in sick or go off-camera on Zoom if you’ve woken up looking less than your best. To the rescue: dermatologist Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme, who explains the foolproof skin tricks that will undo (or at least disguise) a big night out.

“Increased fine lines, under eye circles, a depleted skin barrier, poor elasticity… there are lots of changes that happen when we miss out on sleep,” says Dr Ejikeme. “Depending on how many late nights you’ve had back-to-back, new breakouts and pimples can pop up too, as the stress of being sleep-deprived can trigger extra oil production and inflammation.”¹

Other impacts of missing out on those all-important Zs include changes to your skin tone, with skin taking on a dull, greyish colour that no amount of emergency bronzer can fix.

“When you’re low on sleep, there’s less blood circulation to the skin and it tends to rob you of that natural, healthy glow,” says Dr Ejikeme.

So, beauty sleep? It’s actually a thing...

Even though it technically feels like you’re drinking lots of liquids, drinking multiple glasses of beer or wine can have a diuretic effect,² which causes you to need the toilet more. “When the body's parched from alcohol-related dehydration, it tends to pull moisture from the skin, causing it to become dry and flaky,” she says.

“If you wake up feeling rough, the most important thing to do is to rehydrate,” stresses Dr Ejikeme. “The recommended water intake over the course of a day is 1.5 litres for a woman or 2 litres for a man, but you may want to slightly overshoot this by a glass or two to replenish what’s lost.”

“Adding electrolytes (essential minerals, like sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium) to your water via powders or tablets that dissolve in drinks can improve the amount of water your body is able to retain,” says Dr Ejikeme. “I’d avoid the popular TikTok trend of making your own homemade electrolyte drinks with sea salt, citrus and coconut water though,” she warns, “because it’s difficult to measure the exact amounts you need. Getting the balance wrong can be extremely harmful to health.”

“The right skincare can help to pull moisture into the skin after a late night,” Dr Ejikeme explains. “After washing your face, use a humectant product containing glycerine or hyaluronic acid – this can attract moisture from both the environment and the deeper layers of the skin to the epidermis (outer layer).”

“Nights out can expose us to free radical damage from things like pollution, cigarette smoke, wind exposure and alcohol,” Dr Ejikeme adds. “Left unchecked, free radicals (unstable atoms in your body) can contribute to skin issues like fine lines, dark spots and dullness. Antioxidants are your go-to for supporting this, which you can find in products that contain vitamin C and coenzyme Q10.”

“After applying a humectant, follow it up with an emollient-rich moisturiser that can lock in that all-important hydration,” advises Dr Ejikeme. “Look for soothing ingredients like squalane, ceramides and panthenol that can help to protect the skin’s delicate barrier and seal in the good stuff.”

“We typically lose about 1% of collagen each year from our mid-to-late twenties. In men, this loss happens at a consistent rate, whereas collagen levels remain relatively stable in women until they hit menopause, after which the degradation accelerates.”

“While it’s limited, emerging research has linked ingesting marine collagen with a reduction in transepidermal water loss, meaning less moisture escapes from the skin, leading to a more hydrated and moisturised appearance,” Dr Ejikeme states.

In order to try and avoid these seasonal skin lows, Dr Ejikeme’s biggest tip is to maintain consistency with your skincare. “You want to improve the baseline of your skin so that when your sleep takes a knock, you’ve got a bit of a buffer.”

This includes having a failsafe cleansing and moisturising routine, as well as applying a daily full-spectrum SPF to protect your skin from the sun, which will naturally reduce your baseline dryness, fine lines and pigmentation.

With a bit of time and patience, glowing skin can be a year-round thing, and not just a fleeting summer fling. Repeat after us: consistency is everything.