Here’s what happens to your skin when you sleep in makeup

Picture this: you’ve finally made it home from a night out with your friends, and like a siren’s song, your bed summons you. It would be so easy to just kick off your shoes, get under the covers, and pass out for the night in your smokey eye and contouring.

Of course, you’ve heard it before: sleeping in makeup is a bad idea. But would one night really hurt?

In a word, no.

But is it really worth it to wake up to dry, itchy eyes and cakey skin? This is just one issue you’re going to have to deal with when you choose to sleep in your makeup. And when you make a habit of sleeping in your makeup, you’re looking at a plethora of problems long term.

Today, we’re discussing what happens to your skin when you sleep in makeup, and how you can develop a go-to skincare routine.

Acne Flare-Ups
At some point, you may have woken up from a night of sleeping in makeup, only to discover a breakout or two. This is because sleeping in makeup can settle into the pores, leading to clogging and acne.

Dark Circles
If you find yourself waking up with dark circles and puffy eyes, makeup may actually be the underlying cause. Mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow can lead to irritation in the delicate eye area, which naturally leads to inflammation and puffiness.

Dry Skin
When we sleep in makeup often over long periods of time, this can have a negative effect on our skin’s natural shedding process. And when dead skin cells can’t properly slough away, this can lead to a dull, dry complexion.

Premature Aging
When we don’t wash our faces, we run the risk of not only clogged pores, but even premature aging, as well. This is because makeup has a tendency to hold onto the free radicals it’s exposed to throughout the day. And when that makeup isn’t properly removed, your skin is left to fend for itself as those free radicals start to break down collagen, which leads to fine lines and wrinkles over time.

Itching, Irritated Skin
If there was one reason why you should wash your face every night, it would be to reduce the spread of harmful microbes in the skin that occur from sleeping in makeup, which can cause inflammation.

When the skin is inflamed, it often becomes itchy, red, and irritated, which can be extremely irritating for the individual. On top of that, a proper cleansing routine will include a moisturizer, which helps nourish the skin and replenish hydration.

As we can see, there are plenty of reasons to remove your makeup at night. However, we don’t mean swiping a makeup wipe across your face and passing out. We mean adopting a skincare routine–one which consists of, at the very least, a cleanser and moisturizer.

An evening skincare routine is important because it happens during our resting period, which is a critical time for our skin. When we sleep, healing hormones in the body spike, which results in an increased rate of tissue repair. But when we sleep in makeup, this can hinder that regenerative process, which can have serious implications for the way our skin ages.

By gently cleansing the face and applying the proper skincare, you can maximize the benefits of your skin’s nightly repair process, which helps secure a lifetime of beautiful, glowing skin.

It’s no wonder that the face is one of the dirtiest parts of the body, what with all of the pollution it’s exposed to and the number of times we touch it throughout the day. It’s also no wonder that when we don’t wash our faces, the pores are more likely to become clogged, resulting in breakouts.

However, when we say “wash your face,” we don’t mean “rinse your face with a splash of water.” When you cleanse, it’s important to do so in a way that effectively (and gently) removes all dirt, makeup, sunscreen and excess sebum.

This is where we recommend a double cleanse. A double cleanse is a two-step cleansing routine which consists of an oil based cleanser, followed by a water-based cleanser. The idea behind this method is that the oil cleanser draws out oil-based impurities such as makeup and sebum, while the water-based cleanser removes the debris leftover.

For an oil cleanser, we recommend something extra nourishing that will melt makeup away, like our Blood Orange Cleansing Balm. Follow it up with a hydrating, non-stripping water cleanser, like our Rose Water Gel Cleanser.

There is no doubt you’ve seen it at your local drugstore in the beauty aisle–usually a clear, lightweight liquid that’s often formulated with witch hazel, willow bark or rose water.

But what exactly is a toner, and why does it belong in your skincare routine?

Essentially, a toner is a water-based liquid that’s meant to help gradually restore moisture levels in the skin, as well as help maintain pH balance. Even better: because toners are water-based, they’re easy to infuse with a number of different botanical ingredients. For instance, our Restorative Sea Culture Hydrating Toner uses seaweed-derived algin to hydrate, plump, and soften the skin.

While serums are not the highest priority in a skincare routine, they can make a huge difference in your skin.

Serums are a type of highly-concentrated formula, which is meant to deeply penetrate the skin at a rapid rate. Serums are especially useful for targeting specific concerns in the skin, such as acne and signs of aging. Due to their lightweight, viscous texture, face serums quickly absorb into the skin to provide benefits on a cellular level.

Some serums are meant to brighten, like our Brightening Serum, while formulas such as our Watermelon Cucumber Water Locking Serum helps trap in moisture and nourish the skin.

No matter your skin type, a moisturizer is one of those universally helpful products in any evening skincare routine.

As we age, our skin’s natural moisturizing factors begin to go down over time, which can lead to dry, cracked, and crepey skin.

Moisturizers help keep the skin hydrated, which does wonders long-term. The right moisturizer for you will depend on your skin type; if you have dry skin, we recommend a deeply nourishing moisturizer like our Hydra Drench Cream. Meanwhile, those with oilier skin types will benefit more from a lightweight formula, like our Tea Tree Balancing Moisturizer.

While makeup itself won’t directly harm your skin, excess buildup in the pores can lead to not only clogging, but also the collecting of dust, pollution and sweat.

The bottom line: when we take the time to care for our skin in the evening hours–even to simply cleanse and moisturize–we’re saving ourselves from a wealth of problems.