My Skin Sleeps Better Than I Do Thanks To This Next-Gen Melatonin Face Mask

Recently I’ve been failing at something I’m good at: sleeping.

Dr Google tells me this could be stress, medication, too much caffeine or Major Life Events. All I know is I’m averaging two hours a night and have an achingly dehydrated complexion to show for it. It all feels like a good time for a sleep mask, and Emma Lewisham’s new Supernatural Sleeping Mask ($121) has come to answer my prayers.

I love Emma Lewisham Skincare. The brand is B-Corp certified and has participated in some incredible initiatives like releasing the IP for their refillable packaging to the entire beauty industry. I’ve loved their Supernatural Face Crème Riche ($135) and Skin Reset Serum ($140) for years, so I was very curious about the new mask.

The ingredient that caught my eye was Gardenia Jasminoides, a “melatonin-like” ingredient. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the brain that regulates our sleep cycle, which is why melatonin supplements are used by frequent flyers and restless sleepers to reset circadian rhythms. 

Sadly, topical application with a luxurious cream will not knock you out. Still, according to Emma Lewisham, it can help your skin’s sleep cycle. 

Related: Emma Lewisham Is the World’s First Certified Carbon Positive Beauty Brand and Dr Jane Goodall Approves

“Traditionally, skincare has focused on one-to-two active ingredients, then developers move to ascertain their scientific potency,” Lewisham tells POPSUGAR Australia. Lewisham believes that unexpected ingredient combinations can be found by examining skin physiology first. This is how she arrived at the primary active in the new Emma Lewisham, 72-Hour Hydrating Overnight Mask.

Lewisham refers to the skin’s day and night cycles as “protection mode” and “repair mode.”

“Melatonin has a wider action on the body than just driving sleep — it triggers a cascade of beneficial behaviours in the skin,” she explains. This is why we see “up to a 30-fold increase in cell multiplication” during our sleeping hours.

In saddening news, Lewisham says that “as we age, evening surges of melatonin decrease,” which results in poorer sleep and skin ageing. With causality established, Lewisham set her brand on a mission to find a solution, and fortunately, they did. 

“Recent research on the skin’s microbiome has identified the ability of a microscopic community to convert an extract of the Gardenia Jasminoid, to a molecule that binds melatonin receptors,” says Lewisham.

In the new mask, this active is blended with peptides, Co-Enzyme Q10 and Ribose, boosting fibroblasts and dropping strong hints at sluggish skin cells to get cracking. Then, hydrating ingredients like ceramides, multi-chain hyaluronic acids and saccharide isomerate are tossed in with some very gentle AHAs and BHAs to polish dull complexions.  

Sounds Amazing, How Did It Work For Me?

As mentioned, lack of sleep has left my skin feeling dry, crepey and sore. At night, I apply my usual 11-step routine, lie awake for hours, and, after my designated 2–3 hours, wake up feeling like I went to bed dry-faced. I assume this is because the “regenerating” process — in which my skin is meant to metabolise my serums, mists, lotions and oils — is simply not happening.

A 2020 Korean study found that after only one night of lost sleep, participants’ skin was dehydrated, had marked loss of elasticity, and exaggerated wrinkles. In 2020, a Swedish study reported similar findings, and a marked lack of social appeal in poor sleepers purely based on facial appearance. Disaster! 

The texture of Supernatural Night Creme is a rich, silky butter that glides over the complexion and melts into other skin. My very dry skin and I love it, but on oilier skin types, it could be heavy.

I minimally prepped my skin because I wanted the best chance of seeing what Supernatural did on its own. I popped on Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum ($119), a pre-skincare essence, and spritzed on some Sunday Riley, Pink Drink ($72).

The supernatural sleeping mask has a texture that found me scanning thesaurus to bring you this report. Pink and fluffy, it has a slightly bouncy, elastic texture that I described in my sleep-deprived phone notes as “chubby”.

Supernatural Sleeping Mask feels cushioning and immediately cooling going on, slinking into a very silky sumo suit. The red, itchy, tight feeling I’d been experiencing was immediately alleviated. 

Usually, I would follow with face oil, but I wanted to see how the sleep mask would perform on its own, through a night of staring at the ceiling, counting the hours until I had to get up and go to work. 

Related: After Trying Emma Lewisham’s Skin Reset Serum, I Can Confirm That It Lives Up to the Hype

Although I woke tired-eyed in the morning, my skin felt LUSH. It also felt like it still had skincare on it. One of my quibbles with sleeping masks is they’re generally just rich face creams, but Supernatural Sleep Mask is a genuine mask, which leaves a protective shield on the complexion and stays in place all night. 

At 2pm in the office, my eyes felt very dry (maybe eye drops could be Emma Lewisham Skincare’s next foray), but my complexion was still soft and bouncy. The achingly dry, tight, sleep-deprived skin was blessedly absent. Lewisham recommends using the sleeping mask two-to-three times weekly for best skin maintenance. I’ll be switching it in and out with my Supernatural Night Creme until both tubs are finished, at which point, I can purchase an eco-friendly refill.