OVERNIGHT TREATMENTS BEAUTY sleep

Nighttime is the right time for beauty rituals.
By SARAH SABALOS
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- You know the saying, "One must suffer to be beautiful"? There's a loophole! You can suffer while you're unconscious, and you won't care!
That's why they call it "beauty sleep." You can invest seven or eight hours in your face -- and hair and dry elbow skin -- without being an actual narcissist. What else is on your schedule between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., anyway?
Rona Berg -- former beauty editor for The New York Times and an authority on this sort of thing -- said it best: "Nighttime is a great time to give yourself an intensive treatment because you don't have to appear in public and worry so much about the presentation."
Berg's favorite overnight treatment: Slathering a drugstore face mask on her feet and covering her tootsies with socks.
"Wake up in the morning and you'll have baby feet," she said.
More tips
Behold, more head-to-toe midnight tips, as well as products we tried and liked:
ULeave conditioner on your hair overnight. Coconut, olive, sesame, jojoba and almond oils work in lieu of expensive conditioners, though they're less likely to smell good and more likely to stain sheets. Whatever you use, bobby-pin a plastic shower cap on your hair and wrap your head with a thin turban towel. (Not attractive, but necessary.)
Recommendations: Weleda Rosemary Hair Oil, $12 at www.bigelowchemists.com; Fresh's Illipe Butter Conditioner; $24 at www.fresh.com.
UIf your skin looks dull, go all Fu Manchu with a retinol or Vitamin C-rich moisturizer. (These can make your skin sun-sensitive for a few hours, so they're best used at night.)
Recommendations: DHC Skincare's Acerola Gel, $15 at dhc.com. It's made from the "acerola berry." (The gel stings a little so you know it's working).
Most fabulous of all: Philosophy's "Save Me" moisturizer; $60 at www.philosophy.com.
UDry facial skin? Try a night cream, but be careful of anything with too much oil. Recommendations: Olay Total Effects Night Firming cream, $16-$18 at drugstores; DHC Extra Nighttime Moisture, $30; and Clinique Superdefense Triple Action Moisturizer, $39.50. If you're red, flaky, and have a lot of extra cash, try Dr. Brandt's "Laser in a Bottle" line, $85 and up at www.drbrandtskincare.com. Burt's Bees Evening Primrose Overnight Creme, $13, is soothing and smells good.
UKill pimples overnight with any product containing an antibacterial ingredient and zinc. Recommendations: Ole Henriksen Roll-On Blemish Attack, $22 at www.olehenriksen.com. In a pinch, use a dab of toothpaste or any clay mask.
UEye cream becomes necessary for everyone eventually, because that is the wretched hand mortality has dealt us. So lube it up. Recommendations: Juice Beauty Smoothing Eye Concentrate, $29 at www.juicebeauty.com; Prescriptives Intensive Rebuilding Eye Cream, $65 at www.prescriptives.com.
UGot dry body skin? Here's where this whole overnight thing gets really fun: Loofah yourself in the shower or tub with one of those scratchy little pads, then pile on some ridiculously thick body cream. You'll be like a soft rose petal nestled in great-smelling sheets. One warning: Do NOT bump into any walls while you're in this greasy condition. Lotion stains are eternal.
Recommendations: Origins Paradise Found Balinese body cream, $26 at www.origins.com; Nivea Renewal Night Creme For Body, $10 ; any kind of pure shea butter (try to find the real-deal African kind).
UEventually, everyone's elbows and knees start looking like a purse. Make yours a Kate Spade. Recommendations: Again, shea butter. Also, Bath & amp; Body Works Gel-Bow Moisturizing Gel Sleeves (part of the chain's True Blue Spa collection) nourish dry elbow skin with olive and jojoba oils. They can be hard to find, though. Rona Berg suggests cutting off a pair of cheap pantyhose legs and sliding them up your arms for the same effect.
UNot so hard to find: plain cotton gloves and socks. Put on the richest moisturizers you can find. This is a good time to use cuticle cream, too -- or, in a pinch, lip balm. Recommendations: Good old Vaseline, unless you want a special, scented hand or foot cream.
UPlump and moisturize your lips while you sleep. Recommendations: CityLips clear lip plumper, $29 at www.citylips.com; Mark Bee Pouty Voluptuous Lip Plumper, $6 at www.meetmark.com. There are many we haven't tried at www.sephora.com.
UIf you can't spring for custom teeth bleaching trays and don't want to do "30 minutes twice a day" strips, Crest Night Effects ($15) or Colgate Simply White Night ($13) work, too.