Pillow Talk: The Secret to Beauty Sleep

Wash your pillowcase weekly, sleep on satin, snooze face-up—any of these beauty sleep tips sound familiar? We rely on our mega-hydrators and treatments (did you read about our love for overnight face masks?) to keep our face supple and refreshed as we doze, but there's a whole other side to the story of sleep and skin: Heat. Studies have shown that sleep-deprived brains get hotter at night, and that excess heat causes stress—which shows up on your skin. We never thought of high temps as a nocturnal skin-wrecker, so when we discovered a pillow made to keep you and your complexion cool, it was time for a tech test.

We couldn't wait to give the PolarPillow our eight-hour review. Designed out of a year’s worth of research and development, the cooling cushion is made to keep your head and neck at an optimal, comfortable temperature while you sleep—between 72 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. How does it work? Using 12 pounds of a highly endothermic polymer-blend gel. When you sleep, the material in the pillow absorbs the cooler air temperature surrounding your body, while simultaneously pulling the heat out of your skin. “The coolness has a distinct effect—a totally new concept in pillows—it’s helping people get a better night’s sleep, which translates to clearer skin,” says PolarPillow founder Nick Segal.

After feeling fresher and more awake from a full night’s sleep (no tossing, turning, or flipping necessary), we noticed a slight brightening effect in our complexion come dawn, and evidently lighter circles. If the secret to great sleep and skin depends on a cooldown, we’ll add this chilled-out cushion to our evening beauty regimen.

PolarPillow, $99, available at polar-pillow.com.