Sleeping In Your Makeup Is Giving You Crow's Feet
So, I get it. You're busy and you have long days. You go from the gym, to work, to the grocery store, to picking up the kids from soccer practice, and then finally home. By the time you get into bed at night, you are just plain exhausted. Maybe, just once in awhile, you crawl into bed without properly removing your makeup. You think "I'm so tired, just once or twice of not taking off my makeup isn't going to matter!" Trust me, I've been there too. But, not removing makeup before bed puts your skin at risk in several important ways! To help keep your skin healthy, beautiful, and happy - learn about the 5 risks you take when you sleep in your makeup.
1. You risk breakouts
This one is kind of a no-brainer. When you hit the pillow with a face full of foundation, powder, blush, mascara, and eyeshadow, you are effectively putting onto your pillow all the dirt and dead skin cells you've accumulated throughout your day. And now you are laying your face in it. All night. You wouldn't think of laying your face onto the bathroom floor (because, ew), but not washing off your makeup at night is in the same league. Dirt, oil, and dead skin cells left over from your day stay on your skin all night leading to clogged pores, inflammation, and breakouts.
2. You risk having more wrinkles
Throughout the day, your skin is constantly exposed to environmental pollutants, dirt, and bacteria - which are no good for keeping your skin youthful and glowing. Makeup traps these little nasties up against your skin, and overnight, they impair your skin's ability to heal itself and produce new skin cells. If your skin cells aren't able to renew, you're looking at more wrinkles in the mirror. Skin cells rely on the renewal process in order to keep the production of collagen and elastin humming along, thereby making your skin look firm and wrinkle-free.
Need proof? In 2013, the Daily Mail conducted an experiment in which one woman stopped washing her face for an entire month and simply reapplied her makeup over her unwashed skin each morning. The results: experts said she literally aged herself by 10 years — all because she skipped cleansing for 30 days.
3. You risk rashes and irritations
Even the most pure and 'natural' of makeup contains irritants like dyes and perfumes. When these irritants are left on the skin for long periods of time, they can exacerbate current irritations and cause new inflammation on the skin. This is especially true if you already have sensitive skin or rosacea, but even those without sensitive skin can be prone to inflammation caused by extended makeup wear.
4. You risk a dull, sallow complexion
If you've ever woken up in the morning, looked in the mirror, and wished your skin looked brighter, your lack of cleansing before you hit the bed could be the problem. That's because you are impairing your skin cell's natural turnover because you aren't cleansing the oil and dead skin cells off the outermost layer of skin. Regular cleansing and exfoliation keep the cell turnover process optimized, allowing healthy new skin cells to generate. As an added bonus, once you start a regular skincare routine, your complextion will be so glowing and amazing you won't need as much makeup in the morning.
5. You risk thin, brittle eyelashes
This was the risk that sent me to the sink to wash my face before bed. I don't wear makeup on my face usually, so I've often been tempted to sleep in just my mascara thinking it won't do any harm. Wrong. Leaving mascara on your eyelashes while you sleep dries out lashes, making them brittle and prone to breakage. Habitually sleeping in mascara risks leaving your lashes dry, thin, and falling out. Not a pretty picture. (PS, if you DO suffer from sparse lashes, check out my post HERE about how to grow your lashes naturally).
So there you have it. I know you have a very big, busy life. But, for the health of your skin, remove your makeup before you go to bed (power tip: change your pillowcase frequently too!). You will be rewarded with glowing, youthful skin for years to come.