#DamnGood Special! Your Ultimate Beauty Sleep Guide 😴With Guest Editor Siff Haider

Summary

Breaking Beauty Podcast: #DamnGood Special! Your Ultimate Beauty Sleep Guide 😴

Hosts: Jill Dunn & Carlene Higgins
Guest: Sifat “Sif” Haider (Co-Founder, Array)
Date: January 21, 2026

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Overview

The first #DamnGood episode of 2026 dives deep into the holy grail of wellness and beauty: sleep. Jill, Carlene, and special guest Sif Haider (supplement entrepreneur, host of Dream Bigger) share candid, practical, and cheekily luxurious routines for achieving quality rest. Discussions range from sleep environment optimization (temp, textiles, tech), to supplement choices, to “how to look expensive at bedtime”—all with a beauty editor’s rigor and Sif’s founder perspective.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pajamas & The Sleepwear “Engineering Problem”

• Pajama Choices:
  • Carlene: Favors The Great’s drop crotch pajamas for their seam-free comfort.
  • Jill: Loves Eberjey, drawn to classic softness.
  • Sif: Resigned to Skims women’s boxer shorts + tank top (“so comfy…no waistband that digs in”).

    “Exclusively I wear Skims now because I tried one of their shorts and I just like fell in love.” – Sif [09:18]

• Nightgowns: Universally panned as unworkable—always bunch up, never stay put.

  “A massive engineering problem when it comes to pajamas.” – Carlene [09:09]

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2. Setting the Perfect Sleep Environment

The Great Temperature Debate

• Sif: 17.5°C (63.5°F) – “as cold as I can possibly make it” [09:59]
• Carlene: 20–21°C (68–69°F)
• Jill: “I’m 72 (°F), everyone.” [10:48]
• Sleeping Partners: Sif’s husband radiates heat and loves to cuddle:

  "He insists upon, like, holding me tightly." – Sif [11:07]

• Pro Tip: Lowering the room temp can make a dramatic difference for poor sleepers.
• Mattresses & Bedding:
  • Sif: Sleeps on a memory foam mattress (Hush) + cooling sheets.
  • Carlene: Anti-foam, prefers spring mattresses for breathability.
  • Sif recommends Hush cooling sheets; uses linen covers for looks, cooling sheets for comfort.
• Hotel Woes: Sif laments most don’t let you set AC cold enough.

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3. Bedtime Routines: “Get Unready” With Us

Sif’s Routine

• Key to sleep: Consistent wind-down routine—“the same way kids have a routine.”

  • No baths, but non-negotiable reading (fiction only) to disconnect from daily life:

    “Fiction just immediately puts me to sleep. I’m so much more restful.” – Sif [17:02]

  • Notable Pick: Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas [19:14]

• Skincare:

  • Double-cleansing (oil-based cleanser: Mara) + gentle cleanser (K-beauty, Beauty of Joseon), often while using a red light therapy mask.
  • Loves Dr. Diamond for most skincare, Dr. Dennis Gross peel pads (acids), Medik8 retinol, Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme Night Cream.

  “I can’t use anything else [but Mara Oil Cleanser]. It is incredible. It gets every speck of makeup off and it doesn’t hurt your eyes.” – Sif [21:27]

  • Pro Tip: New “shave dispensing” cleansing balm packaging from Good Light and Dr. Shah’s Remedy—twist and product dispenses in a hygienic, measured way.

• Moisturizer: Estee Lauder "Revitalizing Supreme Plus" [22:36]

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4. Jill & Carlene’s Sleep Essentials

• Jill:
  • Uses bedside Canopy humidifier for wintertime (less evaporation of nighttime skincare) [25:41]
  • Viral “Sleep Crown” pillow: Weighted blanket for the face (looks like a giant, plush eye mask), muffles light and sound, induces “cocooned” feeling. [32:11]

    "It feels like a jellycat...you get literally the coziest sleep ever." – Jill [33:27]

  • Loves silk eye masks, is trialing Lemmy Sleep Gummies (melatonin + magnesium).
• Carlene:
  • CPAP machine user (for sleep apnea), frankly shares the beauty-unfriendly reality:

    "CPAP machines need a glow up...need an engineer...make it chic." – Carlene [37:35]

    • Struggles with facial lines from mask, seeks audience solutions.
  • Hormonal/HRT sleep support: Lexapro (escitalopram), progesterone:

    “As soon as I started taking my Lexapro...my sleep became better...if you’re in your perimenopause phase, [HRT] might get it sorted.” [41:54]

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5. Supplements: Magnesium, Melatonin & Beyond

• Sif’s Stack:
  • 3 Array magnesium capsules (blend of threonate, citrate, bisglycinate – “bioavailable…helps you relax, sleep deeply”)
  • 2 Array sleep capsules (melatonin-free, uses botanicals for sleep maintenance)

    “Research has shown that having melatonin regularly can cause dependency…it is, after all, a hormone.” – Sif [28:00]

  • Philosophy: Most people are magnesium deficient; always supplement unless it’s already dosed-in.
• Jill:
  • Finds magnesium + melatonin gummies (any brand) noticeably help her relax before bed [26:49-27:07]

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6. Tech & Tracking: Oura Ring

• Sif: Big fan, wears gold Oura ring for consistent sleep/fertility/HRV tracking.

  “I refuse to compromise on my overall look for anything. I love the Oura ring…people are like, ‘Where did you get that?’ I’m like, that’s the Oura ring.” – Sif [45:23]

  • Tracks deep, REM, light sleep, HRV, activity, period; used it during launch of Array Sleep to confirm efficacy.
  • Strong advice: Use data for actionable change, not anxiety. [47:17]
• Apple Watch: Sif says too clunky for sleep, whereas Oura Ring is seamless.

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7. “How to Look Expensive” at Bedtime

• Sif’s Tips:
  • Shower before bed with luxurious body care:
    • OSEA body wash and body oil
    • Hanni in-shower moisturizer (“skin soaks it up”)
  • Fluffy hotel-style robe (favorites: Parachute, Four Seasons-branded) with personal monogram [49:12]
• Carlene’s “Bath Girl” Addition:
  • Sangre de Fruta (Canadian luxe botanical bath salts & apothecary lines)
  • Signature amphora glass vessel for bath salts, “the black is actually blue in the light, with a gold dangle” [51:17]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pajamas:
  • “My husband hates them, but they’re the most comfortable pajamas you will ever wear.” – Carlene [08:10]
• On Sleep Temperature:
  • “If it goes up to 19 [Celsius], I like, can’t sleep.” – Sif [10:06]
  • “I’m 72, everyone...I love it.” – Jill [10:48]
• On Bedtime Fiction:
  • “It simply cannot be, like, current time Los Angeles woman going through divorce.” – Sif [19:47]
• On CPAP Machines and Sleep Tech:
  • “You typically will see a man with their ridiculous-looking CPAP briefcase going into business class. You never see that with a woman. We don’t talk about it.” – Carlene [37:35]
• On “How to Look Expensive” at Bed:
  • “Just a fluffy white robe before you’re going to bed…very hotel vibes.” – Sif [49:59]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:32 – Show intro & purpose
• 02:25 – Why sleep is the perfect beauty + wellness crossover
• 07:06 – The Pajama Debate: brands, fabrics, “engineering problem”
• 09:42 – The Great Temperature Debate & bedding choices
• 16:56 – Sleep routines: wind-down, reading fiction, tripling cleansing, skincare
• 21:19 – Sif’s holy grail cleansers & balms (plus packaging innovations)
• 25:41 – Jill’s winter sleep essentials (Canopy humidifier), viral Sleep Crown
• 27:07 – Supplements: magnesium, gummies, and the science on melatonin
• 33:00-36:30 – “Sleep Crown” & sleep masks for sensory deprivation
• 37:12 – Carlene’s CPAP experience, HRT/meds for sleep
• 42:48 – Sif on MB1 45+, their perimenopause-specific supplement line with Pamela Anderson
• 45:01 – Oura Ring: design, tracking, and how Sif monitors her sleep
• 48:56 – Sif’s “How to Look Expensive” bedtime hacks
• 50:25 – Bath girlies: luxury bath salts & vessels
• 52:07 – Outro & mention of the Dream Bigger pod swap

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Overall Tone & Vibe

• Warm, witty, supportive—unfiltered but never cynical.
• Expertise meets “real beauty sleep secrets,” blending found-object luxury (cold sheets, weighted face pillows) with tested science and occasional frankness on hormonal, tech, and supplement interventions.
• Dynamic rhythm—switching between personal confessions, recommendations, and irreverent banter (“engineering problem of pajamas,” “granniest conversation to have,” “hotel robe with my initials”).

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For Listeners Wanting the #DamnGood Sleep Edit:

Full product list and promo codes on breakingbeautypodcast.com.

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Catch the trio next on the Dream Bigger podcast for beauty industry deep dives and 2026 trend forecasting!

Transcript

[Carlene Higgins]

The following podcast is a Dear Media production. Welcome to Breaking Beauty, the podcast all about the breakthrough people, products and moments in beauty. We're your hosts, Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins. Welcome back to Breaking Beauty, everyone. The podcast all about the breakthrough people, products and moments in beauty, hosted by myself, Carlene Higgins, and my dear pal, Jill Dunn.

[Jill Dunn]

Hey, Carlene. And if you're a regular listener, you know that we are here each and every Wednesday with incredible guests like Lisa Eldridge, Haley Bieber, Tracy Ellis Ross. The hits keep on coming, but our most popular episodes are the shows where we review the hashtag damn good products that we have tested, analyzed, put into industry context and basically what's made the grade with us as two long time beauty editors who have seen it all and swatched it all since our magazine days.

[Carlene Higgins]

That's right. And today's show is our first damn goods episode of the year with a very special guest and longtime friend of the pod, Sifat Hider.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes. And she goes by Sif. That's how most people know her. She's a fellow Canadian and a fellow Dear Media podcaster. She interviewed us, Carlene, for her show Dream Bigger Way back.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, the early days. And ever since then, Sif, along with her husband Nish, have been on a very impressive entrepreneurship journey with their brand Array, the powerhouse supplement brand that's pretty much at the top of Mount Everest right now. They're really killing it.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. I always joke with my friends that Array is the supplement brand for hot girls with tummy troubles because it's aspirational, even though it is supplements. And it's kind of exploded onto the scene with the bloat product. And so many of my friends were talking about this even before I really had tried the product. So I think that just goes to show how incredibly successful this brand has been in. In such a short amount of time. And she has joined the ranks of elite Dior spas. They carry Array. Pamela Anderson fronted the brand last year for their MB1 launch, which was all about targeting perimenopause. And like I mentioned, people are just. They're into the Array vibe.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, absolutely. So all of that brings us to today's topic, and that's something that every founder and every human needs, which is sleep. This is really going to be about where beauty and wellness truly merge.

[Jill Dunn]

It's officially hibernation season and we're doing a full roundup of our favorite products for getting your best beauty rest ever in 2026. We're going to be talking about things like magnesium versus melatonin we're pondering the engineering problem of nightgowns or pajamas in general. And stay tuned a little later for the great temperature debate. And Carlene, you and I, we can't even share a room if we wanted to because we have very different preferences on that front.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, exactly. Lots to say about that. And my sleep has had a complete turnaround in the past two years. So I like, it's done a 180. I used to have a lot of troubled sleep. Now I will go maybe twice a year. I'll have sleepless nights. That's saying a lot. Like, I sleep well. So I really want to share my personal, like, beauty sleep secrets. I'm going to be talking about my experience with CPAP machines. You know, CPAP for women. We use them too. It's all the rage these days.

[Jill Dunn]

It is.

[Carlene Higgins]

Also, I'll be talking about the impact of HRT antidepressants. I'm coming clean about absolutely everything.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. And I'm here just the guinea pig that I always am. Every single damn good episode. So, like, I'm talking about the silk eye mask, the one that I love. I'm also talking about this totally viral weighted blanket for your face. You heard me right. It's for your face. And just different sleep hygiene habits that I feel like really make a difference.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

And of course Sif is going to talk to us about how to feel expensive for bedtime. That's one of the things she's become known for on her Instagram and tick tock. Like what's the hotel robe that she's always wearing? The luxury body oil. And importantly, what's on her bedside table? Like, what are the exact fiction books that Seth is reading to disassociate from her founder brain?

[Jill Dunn]

And every single thing that we mentioned in this episode will be linked on our website, which is breakingbeautypodcast.com and a friendly reminder, we post our full length episodes over on YouTube and I think people especially like watching these types of episodes. Carlene, where we have the products in front of us. We're talking about them so you can see what we're talking about. So please subscribe to our YouTube and this is a true pod swap. So catch your humble host us over on the Dream Bigger podcast. This very week we sit down with CF on her show and we're talking about emerging trends for 2026, celeb brand predictions, what we wanted to leave in 2025 and much more.

[Carlene Higgins]

Now sit back and enjoy our damn good beauty sleep edit with Sif. Hider.

[Jill Dunn]

Foreign.

[Carlene Higgins]

Hi, you guys, I'm Mackenzie Foltz. I'm a private investigator of 20 years. I'm Hannah Anderson.

[Sifat Hider]

I'm a writer, comedian, and armchair sleuth who is not a PI But I do know my way around Instagram. I can find anybody close enough.

[Carlene Higgins]

Together we host the Dating Detectives, a true crime podcast about the scammers, con artists, and heartbreakers hiding behind your favorite dating app. Every week, we investigate real cases that are sent in by our listeners. And these are stories of matches that seemed perfect until, well, they weren't.

[Sifat Hider]

We've had fake real estate moguls. We've had onlyfans Pimps, an Elvis impersonator who was not just stealing hearts on stage. We've had churchgoing husbands who seem so pious, so wonderful, except for the fact.

[Jill Dunn]

That they're secretly running Ponzi schemes.

[Sifat Hider]

We dig through it all, the lies. We follow the money, and we expose the truth.

[Carlene Higgins]

And the truths are usually crazier than fiction. If you've ever texted good morning to someone who vanished by lunch, for instance.

[Sifat Hider]

You'Re gonna fit right in. It's true crime. It's heartbreak. It's a public service announcement for anyone.

[Jill Dunn]

With a hinge profile.

[Carlene Higgins]

So before you swipe right tonight, make.

[Sifat Hider]

Sure you've got your detectives on speed dial.

[Carlene Higgins]

The Dating Detectives. New episodes every Monday, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jill Dunn]

Welcome back to Breaking Beauty Podcast, everyone. We're doing a whole roundup today of our hashtag damn good favorite products that help us sleep better. Get our beauty sleep. So these are, like, personal things we're all loving or rely on, right. To get our sleep habits down.

[Carlene Higgins]

Pattern. This is really where I feel that beauty and wellness come together.

[Jill Dunn]

Totally.

[Sifat Hider]

Oh, yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

In beauty sleep. La la land.

[Sifat Hider]

A thousand percent.

[Carlene Higgins]

That's why we're collabing today, everyone.

[Sifat Hider]

No, I love it. And sleep is one of my favorite topics because this narrative of sleep when you're dead, like, if you don't sleep, you will be. You know, I love. I love the topic of sleep. I think it's so important. You're completely right, Carly. And it's. You know, this is where beauty and wellness merge. And so I'm very excited.

[Carlene Higgins]

We only wish that we were all wearing pajamas.

[Jill Dunn]

That's what I said earlier. I'm like, how did we neglect not getting a sponsor for this episode? Pajama sp and Branch should be draping these lovely couches.

[Sifat Hider]

No, it's true.

[Jill Dunn]

Media.

[Carlene Higgins]

My favorite pajamas are the great, though. So the great come at me.

[Jill Dunn]

I like the E Ones I love.

[Carlene Higgins]

The drop crotch ones that my husband hates them, but they're the most comfortable pajamas you will ever wear.

[Jill Dunn]

Do you have a favorite pair of pajamas?

[Sifat Hider]

O, yes, my skims. I sleep in like the women's boxer shorts with a tank top and it's so comfy.

[Carlene Higgins]

See, I was eyeballing those because if I'm not mistaken, they also don't have a seam in the middle.

[Sifat Hider]

Right, yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

See, that's why I love the great, the drop crotch ones because there's no middle seam where when you're moving around it's gonna like bother you.

[Sifat Hider]

Also, my other thing, my big pet peeve is you know when you sleep with long PJ pants and then they, they like come up while you're sleeping. Oh my God, I hate it so much. It just, it's so uncomfortable when it bunches up. So I'm like, let me in as a little clothing as possible when I'm sleeping and let it be like skin, like on my skin so it's not like bunching up and riding up.

[Carlene Higgins]

Well, this is why night dresses have never made any sense. Can anyone wear a night dress to bed and have it stay put?

[Jill Dunn]

No, of course not.

[Sifat Hider]

I don't, I just don't understand it. It's ridiculous.

[Carlene Higgins]

A massive engineering problem when it comes to pajamas.

[Sifat Hider]

I agree.

[Carlene Higgins]

But I do, I have been thinking about the skims boxers with no seam. And I am going to try those.

[Sifat Hider]

They're really, really good. I mean, I, I, I think, yeah, exclusively. I wear skims now because I tried one of their shorts and I, I just like fell in love. And also I don't like when there's a waistband that digs in.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes.

[Sifat Hider]

So this is actually perfect. I don't know how this has turned into an ad for somehow use code BEAUTY20.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay, well, there's our pajama round.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. I have a very important question. I think this is a hot topic. What's the temperature in the room to get your ideal beauty sleep?

[Sifat Hider]

Okay. It is as cold as I can possibly make it.

[Jill Dunn]

Really?

[Sifat Hider]

So in Celsius, because I'm Canadian, so our American friends can do the transition.

[Jill Dunn]

Add 30.

[Sifat Hider]

Okay. So it's 17.5 degrees Celsius.

[Carlene Higgins]

Wow, that's colder than me. And I'm perimenopausal.

[Sifat Hider]

I guys, I love the cold. And if it goes up to 19, I, I like, can't sleep.

[Carlene Higgins]

I love that we're talking about this because I am so temperature sensitive when it comes to sleep. And this is one of the main reasons that Jill and I refuse to share a room when we trav. Because she doesn't. She's not all about this.

[Jill Dunn]

By the way, Calif, that is 65 Fahrenheit degrees.

[Carlene Higgins]

There we go. Yes. Wow. So I like it to be, like, 20 or 21 degrees, which is 60. Like, 68, 69 in the room. And I find if it starts to go above that, I can't sleep.

[Sifat Hider]

No, above 21 is like. I. I think I would roast.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, I know. I know. It's so true.

[Jill Dunn]

I'm 72, everyone.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay. What?

[Jill Dunn]

Too much, girl? Yeah. No, I love it.

[Sifat Hider]

Oh, my God.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

Well, you know what? I think to each their own as well, because as long as you're comfortable, it is very personal. And I also don't think that you can be freezing cold while sleeping, because then I've also had that, and I'm just, like, uncomfortable.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, no, you got to. You got to blank it up.

[Sifat Hider]

Also, I have to say, like, I sleep in the same bed as my husband. This man is radiating heat, and he insists upon, like, holding me tightly.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

So I'm like.

[Sifat Hider]

If I were sleeping on my own.

[Jill Dunn]

Like, we work together all day. Yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

He's like. He, like, he loves cuddling. And so if I sleep on my own, though, I think it would probably be closer to 19 Celsius.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay, okay.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Very important.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah. Important distinctions.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes.

[Carlene Higgins]

All I'm saying is that if you're one of those people out there listening and you are sleepless and you're wondering why and you haven't tried the temperature thing, just try it. I try it because it can make a massive difference.

[Jill Dunn]

Try lowering.

[Carlene Higgins]

You mean lowering? Yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

You know, you guys, I was just in Vegas for work, and, I mean, I'm just going to put aside the fact that the casinos themselves are designed to keep you awake, but the room was just not cold enough, unfortunately. Even though, like, we stay at the Wind, and I love the Wynn, but that's the one thing where most hotels. I just don't think that they make their rooms as cold as I personally like it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Interesting.

[Sifat Hider]

So I think they. We brought it down to, like, 65 degrees, which is.

[Jill Dunn]

Whoa.

[Sifat Hider]

No, not 65. Sorry, sorry. 60. 67 or 68, which is too hot for me still.

[Carlene Higgins]

Wow.

[Sifat Hider]

So I was boiling. So I feel like there needs to be an invention, like a portable situation for people who want colder rooms while they're traveling.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, yeah. Well, that's that. About that. But the other thing is the mattress. King size mattress.

[Sifat Hider]

Absolutely.

[Carlene Higgins]

If you're sleeping with a Partner, I could never go back to queen.

[Sifat Hider]

No, No. I feel like I'm in a college dorm if I'm in a queen sized bed. Like, absolutely not. I can't do it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Now I have another question for you on this topic. And then we're going to get into, we're going to get into our products and little dude, our WhatsApp. Do you use a mattress with a box spring and springs or a foam mattress?

[Sifat Hider]

I actually don't remember the one that I use, like the type of mattress that I use, but it's from Hush and it's. It's great.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay.

[Sifat Hider]

But I don't remember the exact mattress.

[Carlene Higgins]

That I use because the reason that I asked, I am an anti foamite.

[Sifat Hider]

I think it is box, but I.

[Carlene Higgins]

Could be wrong because the foam is hot. I find foam. So I went back when we bought our bed. I was like, I had to search high and low to find a box spring that exists in the universe.

[Sifat Hider]

Especially now. I don't know what I'm using, but it's so.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's like breathable. And you get between the springs, it's breathable.

[Jill Dunn]

I'm team foam.

[Sifat Hider]

Okay. I don't know what I am, but I will say I, I agree. I do think whatever mattress I'm using isn't super cold. So we want to get the eight sleep.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

Because that is supposed to be like elite. But we do use cooling sheets.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Sifat Hider]

Which is fine. But I think.

[Carlene Higgins]

Do they work?

[Sifat Hider]

They are much better than anything else for sure. So I use linen covers just because I like the look. But the sheet itself, like the base sheet that we sleep on is the cooling one. And it does make a difference between when, when I use the linen one. We like, literally can't sleep. It's so hot.

[Carlene Higgins]

Really? Okay, what is, what's the brand? Hush. Yeah, the cooling. The cooling sheets. Is it bamboo or.

[Sifat Hider]

I don't know what it is, but it like keeps you cooler. I really like it though.

[Jill Dunn]

Just googling here on the side. Hush is a memory foam match.

[Sifat Hider]

Memory foam.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

All right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Well, maybe that's why you've got to have your temperature down to 64.

[Sifat Hider]

Honestly.

[Carlene Higgins]

Maybe. Maybe. Because trust me, it. You could be right.

[Sifat Hider]

You. I mean, what you're saying is, I get it. I love the feel of the mattress.

[Carlene Higgins]

Sleep better at hotels.

[Sifat Hider]

No.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay.

[Sifat Hider]

I love, I love our bed. I think it's so perfect.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay. Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Medicaid is one of our show partners this week. So many skin care lovers love Medicaid, myself included. In fact. Sif in today's episode is talking about how she loves the Medicaid crystal retinol. That's one that I have sworn by as well. I also really love their advanced night ceramide product. It's just really great for softening lines and it feels amazing at night when you want that extra moisture as well. And Medicaid is a clinically proven British skincare brand known for age defying results. Every product is dermatologist recommended and they have a new kid on the block in 2026. Enter Medicaid's new niacinamide peptides serum. It's powered by 10% niacinamide and this multi active formula is clinically proven to deliver visibly clearer smoother skin with PO reduction in seven days. And that was proven via an independent clinical study over four weeks on 30 participants. This is the type of product that I love to use around my chin area when I'm trying to clear up any scarring or any post inflammatory hyperpigmentation that I've had from a breakout or something. I really notice that it's making a difference on making those inflammatory marks less visible. And you can put it on in the morning and the evening and it's got that 10 niacinamide which we know is really good to reduce congestion. It also has a peptide so that's going to promote a more uniform and luminous looking skin surface. Think glass skin. So visit Medicaid U.S. that's M E D I K and the number 8 U.S. to discover more. Use code breaking20 to save 20 off your order. Once again, visit Medicaid U.S. and use code breaking20 to save 20 off YOUR order. We'll link to this offer in our show notes and on our website. Now back to the show. All right, so we're going to talk about some sleep essentials like unwinding, getting ready for bed.

[Carlene Higgins]

We can start there.

[Jill Dunn]

Let's hear it. Do you take a bath every night? Do you have a bedtime routine?

[Sifat Hider]

Yes.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay, tell me.

[Sifat Hider]

And I'm a big proponent for this because I just, I, I simply cannot go from speaking about work into deep restful slumber. I mean that just doesn't work or even just doing whatever you're doing in your life. I think you need a routine the same way kids have a routine. That's why you have that. You know, I don't know why. We lost it somewhere along the way. So I have a bedtime routine and it essentially I don't take baths. I, I just don't think I have the patience for it. But my non negotiable is reading. So that's kind of. I feel like that's my disassociation from the day and it has to be fiction. I read non fiction during the day, but in the evening it has to be fiction. And it, I'm telling you guys, it just immediately puts me to sleep. I'm so much more restful and to the point where there are times where for example, if we're traveling, I sometimes leave my Kindle at home and I notice my quality of sleep is just not as good. So I need to read before going to bed. That's how I unwind.

[Carlene Higgins]

I agree. I haven't read a book in 10 years because I will fall asleep.

[Sifat Hider]

7 Habits of Highly Successful.

[Carlene Higgins]

7 Years.

[Jill Dunn]

I think you make a good, good point though about reading fiction. It takes you away, it takes you to a different place. I love that.

[Sifat Hider]

The thing is with non fiction I feel like my brain is going because I'm always. It's a lot like even I love biographies as an example. But even that I feel is too linked to real life. And my brain works in a way where I'm like whatever. I'm reading about something that has happened. I'm like, how do I apply it to the business? How do I apply to my life? And so non fiction of any kind just doesn't work. And I remember at one point I was reading non fiction before bad. This was years and years ago because I would. I was one of those people where I felt kind of like guilty and.

[Carlene Higgins]

Frivolous for reading fiction even though use of my time.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah. But you know, as I started to get older I was like, let me just try this. Because I grew up reading a lot of fiction too and I'm. I read a lot of books and as soon as I switched back to fiction I was like, this is the biggest absolute game changer. And I am a huge proponent for fiction books as well.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, I love the Kindle too. It's so portable. It's so good.

[Carlene Higgins]

So what's the most recent read that you'd recommend to someone like me who needs fiction in my life?

[Sifat Hider]

So I actually just started reading the Crescent, the Crescent City series at Sarah J. Maas. It's actually really good.

[Jill Dunn]

I don't know it.

[Sifat Hider]

So it's fantasy fiction. So I am of the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter world. Like that is the kind of fiction I like. Again, it's. I find that when we talk about disassociation, if it's set in like Los Angeles California.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

She's an entrepreneur with a podcast. Yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

It doesn't, doesn't work the same way or it needs to be set in like a historical time.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes.

[Sifat Hider]

That genre I also really like. But it, it simply cannot be like current time. Los Angeles woman going through divorce.

[Jill Dunn]

I'm like, yeah, this is not.

[Sifat Hider]

I can't unwind.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, exactly. Okay, so you're not having a bath, but you're reading. What about your beauty routine? Like taking the day off? Like, like getting in that mindset for bed.

[Sifat Hider]

Okay. So I can walk you through my routine.

[Jill Dunn]

I want to hear it. Okay.

[Sifat Hider]

So the first thing I do, obviously go into the bathroom, take all my makeup off. I'm like trouble cleansing when I have makeup on. You guys. I don't know about you guys, but I just, I need everything off.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

I usually do red light face mask before bed as well. So I do that while reading. So I'll do all my skincare, put on my red light face mask and then just read.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. One skincare are you liking? Okay.

[Sifat Hider]

So right now I am sickeningly obsessed with the Dr. Diamond medicine.

[Jill Dunn]

So good. The products are so.

[Sifat Hider]

It is insane. Like, it is. I mean, I use. They don't obviously have a retinol or acid. So for that I am currently for acids using the Dr. Dennis Gross peel pads. I feel like it's. It's just, it's classic. It's amazing. It works. I'm not gonna switch. And then for retinol, the brand will come to me. I bought it a couple of months ago and I really like it. So that's my retinol.

[Carlene Higgins]

So I'm gonna give you a new retinol when we talk about it now.

[Sifat Hider]

I'm excited on your show. So those are my actives and then Dr. Diamond for everything else, I'm obsessed with this line.

[Carlene Higgins]

I was gonna say you. You talked about triple cleansing. So do you use like an oil based bomb?

[Sifat Hider]

The Mara one, a customer of that brand, I think for like three years now.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

I can't use anything else. It is incredible. It gets every speck of makeup off and it doesn't hurt your eyes. I have like, I feel like, you know when you're using a balm and you rub the eyes and then it's.

[Jill Dunn]

Like you, you're blind.

[Sifat Hider]

You're blind. Yeah, they're red. You're tearing up. It's like a whole thing. Her one is very gentle. So none of that. And it like really does take every single thing off. And then for. I do the oil Cleanser. And then I just do a regular cleanser afterwards. I'm using right now this K Beauty 1. Beauty of Jojo. Yeah, I really like that. And then outside of the Dr. Diamond line, I also really like. For a moisturizer, I've been using the Estee Lauder. Oh, my gosh, I'm forgetting Advanced Night Repair. No, no, not that one. For the moisturizer. I do love that serum, though. I think it's extremely hydrating. But it. They have it. It comes in, like, a dark blue jar with a gold. Maybe it is ANR with, like, a gold lid.

[Carlene Higgins]

No, ANR is always brown.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

So that.

[Sifat Hider]

I don't know what the. But it's like a natural.

[Carlene Higgins]

Maybe some kind of.

[Jill Dunn]

Oh, revitalizing the line.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah, I like it a lot.

[Jill Dunn]

So that's.

[Sifat Hider]

That's the moisturizer I've been using and everything else it's called.

[Jill Dunn]

Is it the Revitalizing Supreme Plus Moisturizer Night Power Bounce Cream?

[Sifat Hider]

I'm pretty sure. Vitamin E. Yeah, that's. That's the one.

[Carlene Higgins]

Go.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah, I've been using that Vitamin E. Classic. Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

I wanted to let you guys know, Jill probably knows this already, but for our listeners who use a cleansing balm at night, there's a new packaging innovation that's come out. And you can get it from the brand Good Light, which I love and I see it.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, it's a K Beauty brand. Good Light.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, it's called the Good Light Strawberry Moon Grinding Cleansing Balm. It's in a tub, but you know how usually you have to stick your hand in it and it's not hygienic and you get too much and all of that. So there's this packaging innovation where you just twist it and it comes out shaved, kind of like a shade.

[Sifat Hider]

Wait, I'm. Why has no one else done that? That's. Yeah, because that's the issue I have with these bombs. And, like, it's the open.

[Carlene Higgins]

And then you tend to overuse it, I think, because it also feels like you're playing with slime.

[Sifat Hider]

And you know what else it is? If you. Heaven forbid, you need to go in for a second layer and then your fingers have some makeup. It's like a whole thing.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's a whole thing. So I think this is so smart. This is called the Strawberry Moon Grinding cleansing balm. It's $29 in the U.S. it has strawberry moringa seed oil, blueberry. I just love this line. Like, I think the textural sensation is so beautiful with it. But I also did notice that Remedy. I don't know if you guys have heard of Remedy skin.

[Jill Dunn]

Isn't that Dr. Shaw's line?

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. Ye tik tok doctor. Dr. Shaw, he came out with the remedy for pre cleansing derm dissolve cleansing balm. And it has the same twist up action. This one is a lipid rich cleansing balm with skin identical ceramides and an advanced triple emulsifier system that dissolves makeup and spf.

[Sifat Hider]

Wow.

[Carlene Higgins]

And it has that same twist. They obviously went to the same trade show.

[Sifat Hider]

Everybody but catching on.

[Carlene Higgins]

Exactly. But this one's only $18 US it's fragrance free as well. So it's going to be a different. It's derm developed, you know, very kind of.

[Sifat Hider]

Speaking of cleansers, do you know which cleanser I think is really fun, but I don't use it every day. It's the Medicube. Is it Medicube? It's the one that comes out almost like it's like pink and you use a tiny little bit and it's, it like looks like mucus when you go like this on your hands. It's one of these K beauty brands. It is so fun. Or is it April Skin? One or the other. Sorry, I'm so bad at. Remember.

[Jill Dunn]

Kind of sounds like a meta cube.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah, it's one. Yeah. But like it's. It's like one of those like innovative, fun to use texture. I. I also think that that is kind of how if someone is getting into skincare like new, having these kind of like fun little ways to use it is such a great way to stick to it.

[Carlene Higgins]

So totally.

[Jill Dunn]

I agree. Play time.

[Carlene Higgins]

What about you, Jill? Are there. We're always trying different products, but are there a few products that are part of your get unready with you routine where you just would never swap them out?

[Jill Dunn]

Well, I think because we are in the winter, certain things are more top of mind for me. So every single night now I do use the bedside humidifier from Canopy. I just love that it's like the smallest tank. It's totally noise free. And you're also at first when you start using it. Have you guys used it? It's like, it's a bit trippy because you're like, what's happening? Because no mist comes out.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

But it actually I find that my skincare, because my condo is so dry in the morning when I have that humidifier on, my skincare is still on my skin in the morning. Okay. Like usually it's gone. It's completely evaporated. So I actually think that that is really worth it in the winter time. And then I did get sucked into wanting to try the Lemmy Sleep Sleep Tight gummies from Courtney.

[Carlene Higgins]

Earmuffs. Ear muffs.

[Jill Dunn]

Sorry, sorry, I haven't tried the array ones yet.

[Carlene Higgins]

Well, they're.

[Sifat Hider]

They will for you. Honestly, I will say, I think if you like a gummy, then absolutely. And like, I think people do have preference for what they like. And so whatever, sleep supplements work for you, so you gotta try it.

[Jill Dunn]

I thought that they were going to be complete BS. And I do have to say, like 30 minutes before bed, popping a couple of these.

[Carlene Higgins]

They.

[Jill Dunn]

It's melatonin and magnesium. They're just like, both known to relax you. I find that. That you're just more relaxed getting into bed. So I think that they are actually worth it. But it could be any magnesium. These are $30.

[Sifat Hider]

We have magnesium.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. Tell me about yours. Yeah, I was gonna say I need to hear about yours.

[Carlene Higgins]

Hear it from you.

[Sifat Hider]

So I'll tell you. My sleep supplements.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes.

[Sifat Hider]

I take three of our magnesium, which is a blend of threonate citrate and bisclycinate. So very bioavailable. Really good for recovery. Really good for essentially, like helping you relax, sleep really deeply. All of the things I love. Our magnesium. It is incredible. And like, I.

[Jill Dunn]

And this is a pill format.

[Sifat Hider]

It's pill format.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Sifat Hider]

I personally prefer capsules. I really do. I don't. I like. I don't take a ton of gummies. I just accept our tone, which I love. But before bed, I feel like I. I'm also someone. Once I'm done eating, it's over. I've brushed my teeth already. Like, I'm not having anything else. So I do capsules. I'm a big capsule girl. So I do three of those and then I do two of our sleep capsules. So R1 is formulated without melatonin.

[Carlene Higgins]

I'm so curious about that.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Sifat Hider]

So we decided to go melatonin free because research has shown, and again, this is no shade to melatonin. I think there's a time and place, but research has shown that having melatonin regularly can cause dependency. It is, after all, a hormone. So we wanted to create something that was melatonin free so that it wouldn't cause any dependency. And I take two every night and it helps me stay asleep throughout the night, which is the most important thing to me.

[Carlene Higgins]

This is your sleep formula.

[Sifat Hider]

That's like the two things that I combine. And this. These are two products that I, like, cannot go anywhere without.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, I was going to, because I. I wasn't sure if it was an either or situation. So that's what I was going to ask you. But you take both the sleep and the magnesium?

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah, I take both.

[Carlene Higgins]

And that. What's the reason for that?

[Sifat Hider]

Well, magnesium is really good for helping you recover as well. So as someone who works out, also, it, like. It has a calming effect. It, like, helps with muscle recovery. And so magnesium is also something that our body uses for so many different functions that. And we are, unfortunately all magnes deficient. And so it's just one of those things that we all should be having. I also used to be someone who would get a lot of cramps on my foot, and so magnesium stops that from happening, essentially. So, yes, I take both. And no matter what sleep supplement you take, you should absolutely be. Unless the sleep supplement comes with, like, the right dosage of magnesium, you should be also adding in magnesium. I think, like, magnesium is just one of those supplements that everyone should be taking. It's just universally good for you.

[Jill Dunn]

Right. Foreign.

[Carlene Higgins]

Is brought to you in part by merit. So there are certain makeup lines where I feel like my group of friends are just constantly talking about them over and over. One of them is definitely Merit, and that's because Merit is all about the easiest makeup you can get ready in five minutes, which I really appreciate. Y' all know that I'm lazy slash busy, and I love the fact that Merit Beauty, it gives you this. This elegant polish, but it's completely effortless at the same time. So one of my favorite products, for example, is Merit Signature Lip Liner. It's a sheer lip liner, which I know can sound a bit out of the box, but honestly, it just gives you the softest definition without giving you a squiggly line if your lips aren't perfectly plump and even. And sometimes I'll use it to fill in the whole lip and put in a gloss over top, or I'll just use it around the edges. I know that we've had makeup artists on our show who are huge fans of this product as well, but there's so many more hits from Merit. They're flush balm. It gives you this natural, healthy glow without overdoing it. One was sold every 30 seconds in 2024. That's how good it is. Hotly in demand. Everyone was asking me about it. They have a minimalist. It's called the Minimalist is the product. It's a double duty foundation and concealer in one. So it's just super easy. And everything gives you just like, gorgeous glow. And the best part is Merit's products. They're all vegan, crueltyfree. They're made with nourishing skin care ingredients, and it just helps to make your skin look better even after you take your makeup off. Now, a lot of people are also huge fans of the cult makeup bag that you can use kind of as an evening purse as well. That's been a request from my friends to me. And right now, Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their signature makeup bag with your first order@merit beauty.com for free. That's me. R I T beauty.com to get your free signature makeup bag with your first order, Merit beauty dot com.

[Jill Dunn]

Well, I want to talk about something that's very loi but it's viral, and I've been using it. I think it's great. And it's called the Sleep Crown. Do you guys know about this? And I heard about it first from Elizabeth Cot, who used to have the podcast here at Dear Media.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes. Yes, that was it.

[Jill Dunn]

That's the one. I love following Elizabeth on Instagram because she's so interesting. She's always at the forefront of wellness trends, but she also has a fashion background, so she just has interesting takes. So the Sleep Crown, everybody. It's. I have it here. It's.

[Carlene Higgins]

She's high. She hid it behind her back.

[Jill Dunn]

It's a special pillow. All. They're all handmade in Austin. And it's basically like a weighted blanket for your face.

[Sifat Hider]

Like, you put it like this.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes. Oh. So it comes with extra stuffing if you want to make the weighted part more weighted. But it's still very light if you guys want to feel it.

[Sifat Hider]

Does that make sounds?

[Carlene Higgins]

Is this.

[Jill Dunn]

You take it out of that.

[Sifat Hider]

Okay.

[Jill Dunn]

So it's shaped like this, which is what we gotta describe. It's kind of like oblong, but got.

[Carlene Higgins]

A bit of a dip in the middle. It kind of looks like the shape of a molar, like a tube.

[Jill Dunn]

You know, when you go, you know when you go to a facial and they use those special towels that wrap around, but your nose is always, your nose and your mouth are always out. It's like the inverse of that. So you put this on your head like this on your forehead, and it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Like she's covering her eyes. It's like the world's biggest eye mask is the way she's putting it on.

[Sifat Hider]

I, I, I like this.

[Jill Dunn]

It feels like a jelly cat. Like one of those plushies, these stuffies.

[Carlene Higgins]

I'm giving you More asmr.

[Sifat Hider]

When I was little and I didn't used to have an eye mask.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

Which, by the way, is one of my absolute needs for sleeping. I cannot sleep without one. Like, absolutely out of the question. I used to use this, like, I. I used to just. Pillow. Yeah. So even now, if I'm. God forbid, in a pinch, my husband.

[Carlene Higgins]

Does that every once in a while. I'll lean on it.

[Jill Dunn]

He's snoring. But this is created by a restorative yoga teacher, and it is meant to. It's like a. Yeah, it's a weighted blanket. It's a crown weighted blanket for your head. And a lot of people who suffer from migraines swear by it. So if you go on Reddit, everyone's like, my friend got obsessed with it, and then she bought 14, like, for all of her friends, and now everyone's obsessed with it.

[Carlene Higgins]

So it's a pillow just to break it down. It's a pillow that you sleep with over your face, except there's a little dip such that your nose and your nose and your mouth. Mouth can be left hanging out.

[Jill Dunn]

Right. And it. And it does breathe and it flops to the side as well. So when you are laying down, it covers your ears.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, it covers your ears.

[Jill Dunn]

So it's a weighted blanket for your head. Which sounds crazy. I know.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's one of those world's simplest idea that made this person a bajillion dollars.

[Jill Dunn]

They're all handmade. They. They are not mass produced. I was very skeptical, but I love it. You get literally the coziest sleep ever. And it's much. It's much not. It's much different than an eye mask in the sense that you just feel cocooned a lot more. And it's. It's like a safety net. It's a way to blink it.

[Sifat Hider]

I will honestly try it. I think at this point, my husband will. He's. He's all also, like, he's like, you're. You are just like. You don't like yourself when you sleep. Because I, I like to be like, very put together. But when I'm going to bed, I have my hair.

[Carlene Higgins]

The little, the. The pink. You do the morning shed.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah. Like, who are you? Yeah. And then I have a mask on all of the things.

[Carlene Higgins]

So, yeah, it looks just like a woman sleeping with a pillow on her head. I have to say, I like. I love an eye mask like you. I'm waiting to get the drowsy one. Have you tried that one?

[Sifat Hider]

No. What is that one?

[Carlene Higgins]

That's by the company Drowsy. And this is the one. Apparently all the celebrities use it. You'll see it like on their nightstand. So Sabrina Carpenter recently had one on her nightstand.

[Sifat Hider]

What does it look like and why.

[Carlene Higgins]

Is it so special? It. So it's, it's thicker. It kind of goes like, I'm pointing from like the tip of your nose to the top of your forehead. So it wraps around almost more like the way that ski goggles are compared to sunglasses.

[Sifat Hider]

There's another brand that does this. Yeah, it's called like something in rose. I want to say I have it. It's like a light green version that I have like a really literally wrapped around. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like a ski mask. That's exactly how to explain it.

[Carlene Higgins]

And then it's quite, quite pillowy. And they also have a version where the eyes part is indented. So if you have fake lashes, it's not going to mess with them, which is probably why a lot of celebrities use them. But I think it getting at your point, Jill. It's that same idea of there's a bit of weight to it. So it's like a weighted pillow for your eyes. And I'm with you where I feel like the same with the cool temperature in the room. I'm as, I'm as like diligent about light hygiene.

[Sifat Hider]

Well, it's so important. We're not meant to sleep in bright.

[Carlene Higgins]

Rooms, so this one is meant to be really like the blackout blind of eye masks. So I can't, I can't wait to try it because I love an eye mask. But I firmly believe if there's even like a sliver of light, I can. My middle eye is.

[Jill Dunn]

Dude, you need to try the sleep crown. I know you're a little skeptical. Trust me, this is like next level.

[Carlene Higgins]

I don't know if I can make it work, guys, because what you don't see in front of me here is my CPAP machine. Oh, I'm a victim. I'm a victim of sleep apnea. And so I'm gonna talk about it because even though this is the granniest conversation to have, I. Where I, I use a CPAP machine and I can't be alone.

[Sifat Hider]

No. I'm sure there's so many people who.

[Carlene Higgins]

Do conversation that women don't talk about. Like you typically will see a man and they'll have their ridiculous looking CPAP briefcase going into business class. You never see that with a, A woman. We don't talk about it. But I have a CPAP machine and it is horrible. And I've been saying this for years that CPAP machines need a glow up like again. We need an engineer who's going to come in here and redesign it. It's called the Beauty Sleeper. You can have the idea, make it chic, you know, make it the. Or our place or whatever that brand is of CPAP machines and make it cute because it is terrible. And the other thing that I have not been able to figure out is how to get rid of the lines.

[Jill Dunn]

Oh no.

[Carlene Higgins]

So wait.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, tell me what it looks like.

[Carlene Higgins]

When you wear a CPAP machine.

[Sifat Hider]

It like covers your.

[Jill Dunn]

It's like a Darth Vader kind of vibe.

[Carlene Higgins]

It is that vibe. So I'm really hot with my drop crotch.

[Jill Dunn]

Well, no wonder you need it to be 65° and it's claustrophobic.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. So I'm going to try and pull up a picture. Although you might have to do it cuz my Internet's not working. It's a machine that goes beside your bed and then there's a tube to it and it attaches. So. So you need it to go under your nose so you can inhale oxygen. You can get oxygen because apnea means that you are holding your breath in your sleep and you're not breathing. So you have apnea if you do that a certain amount of times in an hour. So I went. You have to go to a sleep clinic to be diagnosed for it. They put all kinds of probes on you. It's very scientific. And they measure how many times you wake up within the hour. So when I did that, that I was considered to have like mild to mid apnea.

[Jill Dunn]

Is this, is this what it looks like?

[Carlene Higgins]

That's what it looks like. You can show the camera I'm a victim.

[Sifat Hider]

Someone does need to iterate on that though because like the lines and it's. I'm sure it's like so tight on the face because it needs.

[Carlene Higgins]

You can't have it. If you have it too loose, it will, it won't work. Like you'll basically. It'll make a really loud noise and it won't, it won't do its purpose. Purpose. And if you have it too tight, you have the lines and if you have it fitting just right, you'll still have the lines. This was. Oh no, that's not the picture. This was me last week. I actually got a scab under my nose because I had it on too tight.

[Jill Dunn]

Oh no.

[Carlene Higgins]

So I was walking around with that for several. Yeah, that sucks. So it's like. Yeah. So you wake up and you have lines on either side of your cheek. Cheeks from where. From where it sits, right. This plastic thing. And I have yet to figure out.

[Sifat Hider]

Someone needs to make it out of silicone or something.

[Carlene Higgins]

It is silicone, but it's still like you're lying on your side and it presses into your cheek.

[Sifat Hider]

We're like, I'm just trying to think, like, maybe like a material that's like, okay, more pliable. Yeah, like crown, perhaps. Yeah, like that.

[Carlene Higgins]

Maybe I'll lie with my face down on it. I don't know what the solution is, guys, but for our listeners out there, there's a lot of SDs who listen. There's any solutions for getting rid of these lines or something to put on before I put it on? Like, I'm. I'm all ears.

[Jill Dunn]

You need to learn how to also. Well, if you sleep like a vampire on your back, it would probably help, right?

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, that's true. But I do roll on my side anyway. That's my story. But I think what people really want to know is, am I sleeping better? Right. So I am sleeping better clinically. They make you go back to the clinic and they retest you. So I now know that I am not. Not waking myself up within the normal range of apnea. So I'm clinically getting a better quality sleep now.

[Sifat Hider]

Do you feel more rested?

[Carlene Higgins]

I still will get tired in the middle of the day, like the week before my period, and I need to have a nap. But that. So this is what tells me it's hormonal. But I know clinically I'm getting better quality sleep. The other reason, just real talk, is this is. These are my real beauty secrets, guys. This is my. My progesterone and my escal. Escitalopram. And these are my. Like, as. As soon as I started taking my Lexapro is the brand name, I started sleeping better. And that's a very common thing with women with perimenopause, is that they. Their sleep goes out the window. And you can also start getting more anxiety. So that's why I started going on the Lexapro. And instantaneously, my sleep became better.

[Jill Dunn]

Wow.

[Carlene Higgins]

And that is just a lifesaver right there. But not everybody obviously wants to go that route or needs to go that ro fruit. I did, because I have a history of anxiety and panic attacks. But I can tell you from the progesterone, because now I'm on estrogen and progesterone, that these ones you take the first 12 days of the month. You take two of them and these cause drown drowsiness. It actually says on it take it at bedtime for the first 12 days of the month. And it says may cause drowsiness. This went like, I'm out like a light now when I take these. So. So just a word of advice. If you're thinking of that you need something to help you sleep you and you're in your perimenopause phase, it might get sorted just through hormone therapy. You may not need like an actual drug like Lexapro.

[Jill Dunn]

Maybe you're gonna do MB1 progesterone 45 plus or what's it called?

[Sifat Hider]

MB145 plus. Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Is that helpful? Like what's happening with that? That's the one with Pamela Anderson was the face of that, right?

[Sifat Hider]

It was, yeah. So that is essentially our. So Last year we. MB1, which is our product for metabolism, it helps with blood glucose levels, it helps with energy levels. And so we, we noticed that the 45 and I'm talking perimenopause, menopause, beyond this is market. Yeah. It was extremely underserved in my opinion. And I just felt like I have so many friends who are within that age bracket and they would tell me like nothing really speaks to them. And also when we looked at our customer base, we do have a lot of women who are starting to get into that age category. So we wanted to create MB1 specifically formulated for this age bracket. So it helps with not just the metabolism piece and the energy piece, but it also just helps stabilize your mood levels as well. So there's Ashwagandha in there as well. And so we were really, really proud of that product. Because the thing is, I think women do enter this stage in their lives and they do need that extra support and they just want something to feel, feel in, to help them feel like themselves. You know, I think like that's the, that's the thing that totally the way that things are going now. I don't think women are chasing the feeling of being or being or looking 21 when they're 60. Yeah, it's more so like how can I continue to feel really vibrant and energetic and beautiful at my age? And so I think that was the reason we really wanted to use Pamela as the face of the product. And she tested the product for months before we even signed anything. She's a very high integrity woman and she had been using the brand for years.

[Carlene Higgins]

High integrity woman.

[Sifat Hider]

She really is. You know, and so we, we thought that she really represented this woman who has kind of embraced every season of her life. And she continues to be very energetic, very vibrant. She wants to just continue to show up as the best version of her, of herself. So that was really the idea behind the product. Yeah, we're. We're really proud of it.

[Jill Dunn]

Fit so, so well. Amazing that you got her. Also such a good Canadian story. Exactly. Do you use an aura ring or anything like that?

[Sifat Hider]

She's got it on right now.

[Jill Dunn]

I was trying to PE because, guys, of course, CIF has the most beautiful jewelry on it.

[Carlene Higgins]

So unclockable.

[Jill Dunn]

The thing about the aura ring at the design has gotten a lot better. So do you use the. You use that to track.

[Carlene Higgins]

We have to describe it to people who can't see. So it's just a really thick gold band, kind of rounded on the. Yeah, on the edges. It's lovely.

[Sifat Hider]

So I am someone who just refuses to compromise on my overall look for anything. And so I love the aura ring because it goes well with my jewelry. You know, it just. It looks like people are like, what? Where would you get that? I'm like, that's the aura ring.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

Literally, my tracking device. I love my aura ring. I. I think it is so helpful to help me understand what am I doing that is impacting sleep, as an example. And it. I'm someone who is data driven. I'm also someone who's in this industry, and so I am a guinea pig. So as an example, when before we released the sleep capsules, we had people test how their sleep was with the sleep capsules, and so they used the aura ring for that. I got mine shortly after we released the sleep capsules. And I. I love my aura ring. I've talked about this on my podcast in the past, but I was trying to increase my HRV levels. And so what is that? So it's heart rate variability. It's essentially how your body is able to cope with stress. I have just naturally lower HRV just because I have, like, a. Like a condition, essentially. But there was always room for improvement. And so I started to kind of experiment with different variables to see what was impacting my HRV most. And so if you are someone who's interested in really just optimizing certain things, even your sleep. Right. Like, we all get, like, X amount of sleep, but then are you getting deep sleep, REM sleep? And so understanding, okay, like, what are the variables that are really impacting the kind of sleep that I'm getting? You know what we're talking about? You know, a pre bedtime routine as an example. I notice that when I have. That my quality of sleep is just inherently better. And so I think having an OURA ring, if you are someone who's data driven, mind you, I do think you have to want to do something with the data. Don't just look at it and get panicked.

[Jill Dunn]

Panicked.

[Sifat Hider]

For example, when we went to Ibiza in the summer, I was like, I'm just not gonna look.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Sifat Hider]

Because I. I know, I know like things.

[Jill Dunn]

You can't be a slave to it.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah, right. Like I. When we were in Vegas for work again, I know I'm overstimulated. I know that my sleep quality is like a little bit off, but I'm not gonna get obsessed with what's going on because I also. You also know your body, you know, so it's just take it with a grain of salt is what I'm trying to say.

[Carlene Higgins]

Just to be clear, will the aura ring tell you how much does it tell you how much sleep you got or didn't get?

[Sifat Hider]

It tells you the amount of time that slept. It tells you your deep sleep, your REM sleep, your light sleep. It tells you things like your HRV levels, obviously, step count, activity, all of the things it gives you scores for, like how you've essentially recovered sl. Like rested. Like how rested recovered you are. And then sleep obviously can't tell you.

[Carlene Higgins]

How many times you wake up like apnea.

[Sifat Hider]

It can. It does.

[Jill Dunn]

Really, it does.

[Carlene Higgins]

So I never. I didn't have to go sleep at that stupid sleep clinic.

[Jill Dunn]

Well, you had a. You had.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah, they gave you the diagnosis.

[Jill Dunn]

I just have a feeling that if your aura rings said, go buy a CPAP machines, you're like, nah. You had a clinician tell you. Right. And you probably took it a bit more seriously. But it's a tool.

[Sifat Hider]

It is a powerful tool. I also think so you can also track your period on it, which I think is really helpful too, because it's like everything in one spot. So I am a big fan. I used to before this where the Apple watch. I wore that for years.

[Jill Dunn]

It's a sad. Said I'm a slave to this as well.

[Sifat Hider]

But do you sleep with it on? I never do that. So that's the thing. I wanted the sleep stats and so unfortunately, Apple watch did not work because I was not gonna sleep with that clunky thing on.

[Jill Dunn]

I know, I know. It's so true. I'm obsessed with the series you did, and I feel like it made you blow up on Tick tock about the rich girl hacks or what? What was the phrasing exactly?

[Sifat Hider]

How to look expensive.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes. How to look expensive. What's your how to look expensive or how to be expensive of. Or fake it? Going to bed.

[Sifat Hider]

Going to bed. Ooh, let me think about this. Honestly, again, I think it's just. Okay, so here's. Here's a good one.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Sifat Hider]

I like to shower before going to bed, and I just think that it's a really nice way to feel very luxurious. And I think you just again, like, you take a warm shower. I think it just like calms your nervous system.

[Jill Dunn]

Definitely.

[Sifat Hider]

So I. I like to use just really nice product. Product. So I love osea. If people aren't using it, it's amazing. So I use the body. The body wash from oca. I also really like their body oil. Another product that I just recently started to use, which I really, really like is. It's called Hani H A N N I. It's a moisturizer that you use in the shower. I really like it because again, it's in the shower, it smells really nice and then you just put it on and your skin, like soaks it up. So I think that's a really nice way to like, feel expensive. And then just like a fluffy white robe before you're going to bed, I think.

[Carlene Higgins]

But that's very. Hotel vibes.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah. And it's very chic too. So my team, for my birthday gifted me this, like, amazing thick white robe with my initials on it from Parachute. And I'm so obsessed with it, so.

[Jill Dunn]

Really?

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah, it was like the sweetest one.

[Carlene Higgins]

I'll get like the real Four Seasons one, honestly.

[Sifat Hider]

Yeah, that's.

[Jill Dunn]

That's a good one. That's a good one too.

[Carlene Higgins]

Can I tell you the bath girlies how to look exactly?

[Sifat Hider]

Okay.

[Carlene Higgins]

Do you know this brand, Sangra de Fruta?

[Sifat Hider]

No, what is it?

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay, so this, this brand is out of Vancouver and it's like the most beautiful kind of handcrafted.

[Jill Dunn]

Feels like it's from an Italian apothecary.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, it's like a botanical. Locally sourced. No, they have like body washes and hand washes and all of that. And in fact, last time we were here, I think it was, I went to Sunset Tower and they had the hand wash in the bathroom and I was like, like, yes, Canada. Everything is so beautiful. Like, it's in black jars and stuff like that. So this is the botanical bath salts. It's with sea salt from Salt Spring Island.

[Sifat Hider]

Does it have a scent to it?

[Carlene Higgins]

It's neroli noir, which I feel I love.

[Sifat Hider]

Can I smell it?

[Carlene Higgins]

You go for it. I love neroli. But here's the thing. That's the refill. Look at this jar. Okay.

[Sifat Hider]

That's gorgeous.

[Carlene Higgins]

Look at this jar.

[Jill Dunn]

This is smells good.

[Carlene Higgins]

So I'm. I have to tell people in case they can't see it. So this is the Amphora vessel. Okay. It is $72 Canadian. 56 in Canada. So you use that as the refill. Those are the bath salts. That's 78 in Canada and 60 in the U.S. and so bath salts, I feel like, are always that thing that they're just kind of ugly around the bathtub. So they have this beautiful vessel. It's glass.

[Sifat Hider]

It's stunning.

[Carlene Higgins]

You put your bath salts in there, there, and it looks like it's black, but if you actually really look through the light, it's actually blue.

[Sifat Hider]

Oh, wow.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's like a really dark blue and it's got this gold dangle on it. So I'm, like, obsessed with this. Well, so much more to talk about. And the good news is, is that this is a pod swap.

[Sifat Hider]

It is.

[Carlene Higgins]

So Jill and I are going to be on Dream Bigger podcast. Everybody needs to go and listen because we're going to be talking about trends for 2026 in beauty and what to leave behind in 2025. I hope that nobody fell asleep listening.

[Sifat Hider]

To this episode or maybe, you know, if they are listening before going to bed.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, then. Then, yes, hopefully.

[Jill Dunn]

I do listen to a podcast sometimes before going to bed. So I actually take it as a compliment if you nod it off during this. Yes. Thank you so much.

[Carlene Higgins]

So much.

[Sifat Hider]

Thank you guys for having me. This is so fun.

[Carlene Higgins]

Thanks for listening. You can find details on every product mentioned in today's episode, along with our exclusive promo codes on our blog @breaking beauty podcast.com.

[Jill Dunn]

While you're there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Every episode will be delivered directly to your inbox, so you won't miss a single thing.

[Carlene Higgins]

And get social with us. Let us know what you think of the episode. You can follow us on Instagram at Breaking Beauty Podcast.

[Jill Dunn]

And did you know we also have a private Facebook group? Just search Breaking Beauty Podcast chat room.

[Carlene Higgins]

You can. You can even leave us a voicemail at any time with questions or feedback at 1-844-227-0302.

[Jill Dunn]

And don't forget to subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Fix Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts where you can show us some love by writing a review.

[Carlene Higgins]

See you.

[Sifat Hider]

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a.

[Carlene Higgins]

Direct or indirect financial interest in products.

[Sifat Hider]

Or services referred to in this episode.