What happens when you sleep without removing your makeup?
Night is the time when your skin regenerates, and leaving makeup on at night disrupts this process. During the day, your skin acts as a protective barrier against sun damage and oxidative stress, while at night it regenerates itself by rebuilding cells and tissues. Leaving makeup on at night prevents your skin from breathing, which clogs your pores and creates more free radicals.
These free radicals cause many damages to your skin, such as inflammation that causes redness and dullness, and they also destroy collagen, causing wrinkles and clogged pores that lead to increased acne and blackheads. Free radicals can be created by many things, such as sunlight, air pollution, and chemicals applied to your skin, which accelerate the aging process.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) said that some chemicals in cosmetics can contribute to the appearance of acne, and recommended not to sleep without removing makeup, and the need to commit to cleaning and washing the face before bed, and stressed the importance of removing makeup properly before bed for people who suffer from skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis to control the appearance of symptoms or their exacerbation, as these skin conditions can be made worse by makeup. When cleaning the face at night from makeup, special care must be taken in the area around the eyes, as leaving eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara all night can cause inflammation of the eyelid skin and irritation that may cause redness and flaking, and the worst expected damage from leaving eye makeup all night is the appearance of an eye stye (a pimple that comes out of the eyelid).
Removing makeup from the skin properly
It is recommended to wash the face and apply moisturizer well to create a suitable environment for skin renewal, while sleeping without removing makeup does the opposite, because night is the time when skin cells are renewed, and when sleeping with makeup, this process is obstructed. Here are some tips for removing makeup properly and maintaining healthy skin:
Use double cleansing
Using a gentle cleanser and wash on the skin is often insufficient, and leaves a thin layer of makeup on the skin, and here you should use double cleansing, by using micellar water or an oil cleanser on the skin (i.e. products that do not contain alcohol) before washing the skin with the cleanser. Micellar water is gentle on sensitive skin because it does not contain alcohol, and it is a water-based product, and contains moisturizers and surfactants, so it helps remove makeup, dirt and excess oils from the skin, and to use it, you can pour micellar water into your hands and then massage it on the face or put it on a cotton pad to gently remove makeup.
Don't use any old makeup remover
Not all makeup removers are the same, but most contain fragrances, surfactants, emulsifiers, and formaldehyde releasers, some of which can be irritating to the skin. To use a safe product, we recommend micellar water or products that are fragrance-free and do not contain these ingredients. Also, avoid using makeup remover wipes, as they often contain preservatives and can be harmful to the skin. What is harmful to the skin is rubbing the skin with wipes, especially in the eye area, as it can cause inflammation and create micro-tears in the skin.
Treat the skin gently
Rubbing the skin in general is forbidden as it can cause skin irritation. After cleansing the skin with the remover, rinse off any remaining remover using a cleanser, then pat your skin with a towel to keep some moisture, and use a suitable moisturizer on the skin, and avoid rubbing the skin dry, as rubbing can remove a lot of moisture from the skin and lead to dryness and irritation.
Don't neglect moisturizing
Moisturizer should be an essential part of your nightly skincare routine, and if you are used to leaving makeup on your skin at night, this may cause dry skin, which makes moisturizing your skin important, as moisturizers contain substances that work to retain water in the skin and thus prevent dryness. To use the moisturizer correctly, you should apply the moisturizer you use after partially drying the skin from water, as applying moisturizer to wet skin locks in moisture, and thus the moisturizer is more effective. As for the type of moisturizer that should be used, you should consult a dermatologist to determine the type suitable for your skin type.
What if you accidentally forget to remove your makeup at night?
Sleeping without removing your makeup accidentally for one night does not require panic, as this will not destroy your skin overnight, unless your skin is very sensitive, but you must act quickly to fix what happened by first washing your hands to avoid the spread of germs and infection, then quickly clean your face, and use your usual skin care products, as this will help avoid the appearance of pimples.
Don't forget to change your pillowcase with a new, clean one, and remember that prevention is better than cure. Removing makeup should be an essential part of your pre-sleep routine, no matter how tired you are or how late you go to bed. You can keep makeup removal wipes as a backup plan.