The iconic Peter Jones & Partners department store in Sloane Square, London hosted the launch of the Beauty of Sleep collection – a curated edit of Bazaar-approved products designed to elevate your nighttime routine from a selection of trusted brands: Estée Lauder, Clinique, La Mer, Jo Malone London and Aveda.

Proceedings began with an unusual source for beauty insights: Macbeth. When Shakespeare wrote that sleep is a “balm of hurt minds… the chief nourisher in life’s feast”, he hit upon an eternal truth that’s incredibly relevant to modern concerns, noted Jo Malone London fragrance and lifestyle expert Emma South. Sleep is the foundation of wellness, affecting everything from our state of mind to our skin and hair health. It’s when our body’s repair processes are at their peak – the night is a crucial time for collagen production, cell renewal and hormone regulation, meaning a good night’s slumber alone can leave you feeling and looking revitalised.

Quality is everything

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Our sleep needs are the same as the Bard’s were, but it can be more difficult for us to get quality rest thanks to our modern way of living, as sleep psychologist Stephanie Romiszewski explained. Many of us will expose ourselves to too much light in the evening, which can disrupt the natural secretion of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. Conversely, a lack of light in the darker months, as well as a tendency to sleep in later on weekends, can reduce the natural “sleep pressure” that begins building when we rise.

Romiszewski’s best advice? Maintain a consistent wake-up time, limit screen use and dim your lights in the evening, and expose yourself to bright light in the morning, whether through a light box, bright bulb, or natural light when available. “That alone will see an improvement in your sleep, guaranteed, if you do it consistently,” she added.

Build your ritual

Having a nighttime beauty routine brings two-fold benefits, agreed the panel, moderated by John Lewis’ head of beauty, Helen Spencer. Bazaar beauty director Katy Young explained that the night is a great time to let active ingredients target specific skincare concerns, whether antioxidants (to combat signs of ageing), hyaluronic acid (for moisture) or retinol (which can improve skin texture, even skin tone, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles). There’s also a ritualistic aspect to following a consistent regimen, which can help you to unwind.

A good first step is to scent your space. South noted that “in the hours running up to sleep, our sense of smell is heightened”, making calming notes even more potent. A soothing scent, such as the Jo Malone London Lavender & Moonflower Pillow Mist, can create the right atmosphere for relaxation.

Young noted that as her more than decades-long career in beauty has progressed, her routine has become simpler and simpler. “It feels as though the experts are telling us to scale things back,” she said. “A good cleanser is important, because without a good cleanser anything you put on top is null and void.” After cleansing, Young recommends using carefully chosen active ingredients to undo the damage of the day before. With so many to choose from, Young suggests sticking to trusted brands “that are tried and tested, with the clinical research to back it up”, such as Clinique, Estée Lauder and La Mer.

A rich moisturiser is key to lock in these benefits, Young added – many are loaded with active ingredients that renew the skin, removing the need for a separate serum. Among the best are those in Bazaar’s curated edit of nighttime beauty products: Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Overnight Recovery Cream + Mask, Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Night Power Bounce Creme, and La Mer The Rejuvenating Night Cream.

The final step, one which many over look, is hair care. As Ben Stace, education expert at Aveda, noted, “the night time is an opportunity to strengthen and repair the hair, which can become damaged in cold weather, through heat styling, and even from rough towel-drying. A bond builder, such as Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Overnight Serum, will restructure the hair and give it that nice, smooth slip.”

The best nighttime beauty products

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Estée Lauder’s new CollaNight-8 technology, the result of 30 years’ research, can make skin feel replenished* and lines look reduced** in just one sleep. Its melting texture delivers a blend of eight collagen-supporting ingredients – absorbed before your head even touches the pillow.

*Consumer test on 165 women after single product application. **Test on 25 women after a single product application.

Safe for sensitive skin, this cream hydrates while you sleep, helping skin to appear more plump*. Use nightly, and apply as a mask once or twice a week to give skin a boost. Use with the other products in Clinique’s Smart Clinical Repair range for a full anti-ageing routine.

*Consumer test: 94 per cent of 132 women said skin looked smoother after two weeks of product use; 92 per cent said skin looked healthier.

Introducing La Mer’s latest skincare hero, MRA-3. This Marine Retinol Alternative helps to gently renew cells, diminishing the look of lines and wrinkles in the process. Combined with La Mer’s signature Miracle Broth elixir, the resulting night cream promises to leave you with smoother, younger-looking skin*.

*Consumer test: 90 per cent of 163 women said skin felt smoother after four weeks of product use.

Perfect for a relaxing evening ritual, this soft, serene scent, with aromatic English lavender, white musk and night-blooming moonflower, gently lulls you into a state of tranquillity.

This transformative plant-powered serum helps build bonds and can reduce the appearance of split ends by up to 84 per cent overnight*. It’s suitable for all hair types, leaving hair shiny, with no greasy residue. The star ingredient is nangai oil, which penetrates the hair shaft, promoting strength and shine.

*Laboratory test

Shop the full Beauty of Sleep collection at John Lewis.