I used to think sleeping in my makeup every now and then was no big deal. And believe me…I get it. After a long day, sometimes it can be very appealing to just slip into your pajamas, turn the sleep timer on your TV, and call it a day without washing your face. In college I was especially guilty of this.
If you’ve read my story, however, you’re aware of my past skin issues. Wearing any kind of cosmetics throughout the day, letting dirt and oil accumulate, and then sleeping with all of that on your face is NOT a good idea!
As I’ve gotten older, properly cleaning and prepping my skin twice a day has become a MAJOR priority for me. Not a day goes by that I DON’T follow my skin routine. Here’s why:
- Skipping your skincare can cause dead skin cells to build up in the hair follicles and cause dullness blackheads.
- Sleeping in your eyeshadow can clog the little oil glands and hair follicles on your eyelids. This can cause infection like styes.
- An oily T-zone can be like food for the bacteria that’s left on foundation. Not cleansing can increase the possibility of bacterial overgrowth and infection overnight.
- Leaving on that lipstick can cause clogged pores around the borders of your lips, which could also turn into teeny blackheads.
- Wearing mascara and/or eyeliner overnight cause some of the product to fall on your pillow and end up in your eye, causing irritation. Also, your mascara can flake off roughly, pulling off some of your eyelashes with it.
- Heavy metals like cadmium, mercury, and lead are found in some cosmetics and could end up being absorbed by the skin, into your blood, where they can accumulate in the body and have toxic effects on certain organs.
Recently a Daily Mail reporter conducted a 30-day experiment during which she stopped washing her face for that time period. Want to know what happened? By day 30, her skin became horribly dry and sensitive. Her eyelashes started falling out in clumps and she developed “eyelash dandruff.” Ew. She said her pores grew by 5 percent and her wrinkles on the sides of her face got worse.
We cannot underestimate the importance of a daily face cleansing regimen.
If you’re curious to know my personal favorite skincare solution that has helped me and thousands of other people get clear, smooth skin, click here to learn more.
I agree – sleeping in makeup is no good! I always always wash my face before bed. Even if I accidentally doze off before doing so, I’ll still wake up only to wash my face.
I break out a lot because I have oily skin so I got in the habit of at least using facial wipes to get all the makeup off fast. That way if I’m tired it at least helps some if I don’t feel like washing my face at night.
Thank you for this reminder! I am not always the best at taking off my makeup, but I will definitely be more mindful of it now!
I feel gross when I sleep in my makeup. No matter what in have going on I always wash my face when I brush my teeth every night.
This is so true! My mom’s drilled it into my head since I started wearing makeup!
Good reminder for me. I’m so lazy when it comes to this …
I could get away with a lot of not so great habits when I was in my early 20s, and not taking my makeup off was one of them. Now, my evening skincare routine is just part of getting ready for bed. I can’t even relax enough to go to sleep if I know I haven’t taken my makeup off.
I can’t even believe need a reminder about this. But I am guilty. Sometimes I DO go to bed without taking it off! Thanks for the refresher.
Couldn’t agree more. No matter how tired I am, I ALWAYS make sure to remove my make-up. I hate the way I feel in the morning if I don’t.
I am so guilty of this on a regular basis. I’m a little grossed out now. I think I need to go wash my face. 🙁