We all know by now that getting a good night’s sleep is essential to great skin. (Getting a quality night’s sleep with a nightly moisturizer also enables better absorption of the ingredients, according to über-derm Dr. David E. Bank, amongst other experts.) That’s why I was excited to find Molton Brown Relaxing yuan zhi Sleep Mist ($37.00, MoltonBrown.com). A natural product with only soothing lavender, calming bergamot, and relaxing ylang-ylang as the ingredients, when sprayed on a pillow or blankets before rest, the product claims to “promote inner peace and encourage restful, healing sleep.”
Well, I, for one, was skeptical. And with reason: a 1995 study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing found that aromatherapy techniques (including lavender) demonstrated no statistically significant improvement in subjects’ quality or quantity of sleep.  However, I gave the product to my mother 3 weeks ago, as she sometimes has trouble sleeping through the night. And, after using Molton Brown Relaxing yuan zhi Sleep Mist, she makes it through the night without a problem now. She actually reminded me about the product today over our Sunday breakfast, telling me that she “can’t remember when she’s slept so well…” and “just loves it so much.” Apparently, the product’s soothing, relaxing, and calming properties really did the trick for her.
So what’s my opinion of Molton Brown Relaxing yuan zhi Sleep Mist? I say, if you need a little help getting to sleep or staying asleep at night, for $37 (and the bottle lasts about 2-4 months!), it is definitely worth a shot. Despite what studies have concluded for the majority of patients, it definitely worked for my mother on a personal level, and I am personally picking up a bottle for nights before those big exams! Product rating: 9/10. (High concentration of effective ingredients; 3/4. Unique formulation: 3/3. Value for the money: 2/3. Sunscreen: N/A.)