Do you remember when going to bed was just that? Remove makeup, brush teeth, pull on pyjamas, lights out. Somewhere along the way, bedtime became a checklist of serums, actives and techniques to master before we’re even allowed to step foot in the bedroom. I’ve never been especially loyal to the 10-step routine, and lately I’ve all but broken up with it. Except, that is, for one category I’m evangelical about: overnight masks. Not because I want to rise with TikTok’s glass skin or show the world my ‘morning shed’, but simply to wake up not resembling something vaguely human.
Overnight masks are skincare at its most pragmatic. You apply, you sleep, and while you do absolutely nothing, they get on with hydration, barrier support and repair—everything my 47-year-old face is quietly begging for. Think of them as night creams with more ambition. Minimal effort, impressive results—and, frankly, the only thing I like to go to bed with these days.
