Makeup And Sleep: A Recipe For Disaster

Sleeping with makeup on is a big no-no. It's not great for your skin and can lead to premature ageing, acne flare-ups, dehydration, and irritation. Makeup can clog your pores, leading to acne and inflamed skin. It can also cause eye irritation and infections, and even increase the risk of eye infection. The delicate skin around the eye is especially vulnerable to irritation and allergic reactions. Makeup also prevents your skin from breathing and healing, causing your skin to create more free radicals and clog your pores. Free radicals destroy collagen and cause wrinkles, clogged pores, acne flares, and blackheads.

Clogged pores and breakouts

Leaving makeup on overnight can wreak havoc on your skin, and one of the most common issues is clogged pores and breakouts. Here's why you should always remove your makeup before bed to avoid these problems:

Oil and Bacteria Trapped in Pores

As you sleep, your skin regenerates, and oil flows to the surface. If you have makeup residue on your skin, it can trap this oil, leading to clogged pores. Foundation, thick oil-based primers, and eye makeup are particularly problematic and can result in blackheads and acne breakouts.

Mixture of Makeup and Environmental Pollutants

Throughout the day, your makeup mixes with pollutants in the environment, creating a harmful cocktail on your skin. This combination breaks down your skin and attracts acne-causing bacteria, leading to further clogged pores and breakouts.

Interference with Skin Renewal

Your skin has an essential nightly renewal process, where new skin cells push to the surface, and old cells are shed. Makeup, especially foundation, can trap these dead skin cells, leaving you with a dull complexion and clogged pores. This interference with the natural shedding process can also result in a dry, coarse complexion.

Increased Risk of Infection

If you have active pimples or acne, leaving makeup on overnight can increase the risk of infection. Makeup, especially eye makeup, can irritate sensitive skin and eyes, leading to potential infections. Eye infections, such as styes, can occur when makeup clogs the tiny hair follicles and oil glands on your eyelids.

To avoid clogged pores and breakouts, it is crucial to establish a consistent evening skincare routine. Remove your makeup before bed, cleanse your skin, and apply moisturiser to allow your skin to breathe and renew itself overnight.

Premature ageing

Leaving makeup on overnight can cause your skin to age prematurely. During the night, your skin works hard to repair and regenerate. Makeup prevents this natural process from occurring, resulting in a breakdown of the skin's protective barrier. This leaves your skin vulnerable to oxidative stress, which causes the skin barrier to break down further. The result is a dull, aged complexion with fine lines and wrinkles.

Collagen Depletion

Collagen is essential for maintaining the skin's elasticity and youthfulness. However, the skin's natural collagen production is hindered when you sleep with makeup on. This interruption prevents healthy collagen production and stops light from reflecting off your skin properly, giving your skin an aged appearance.

Enlarged Pores

The layer of foundation left on the skin overnight holds dirt and oil close to the skin, causing pores to become clogged. Enlarged pores can become stretched over time, and as collagen decreases with age, the pores can appear larger and more noticeable.

Free Radical Damage

Your skin does not react well to free radicals, which are present in the air around us. Makeup traps these free radicals next to your skin, causing inflammation and irritation. Over time, this leads to premature ageing, and can even result in age spots.

Wrinkles and Blotches

Failing to remove your makeup before bed keeps your skin from breathing and prevents the natural shedding of old, dead skin cells. This can cause uneven, dry skin with blotches. Dry skin on your face creates wrinkles that can make your skin appear older.

Eye infections

Leaving eye makeup on overnight can lead to a number of eye issues, including infections. Mascara and eyeliner can clog the tiny hair follicles and oil glands on your eyelids, potentially causing styes or other uncomfortable conditions.

Concretions

Leaving mascara on when you sleep is an open invitation to bacteria. This can cause concretions, or solid masses, to form underneath the eyelids. These masses can erode the cornea, cause eye pain and irritation, and, if left untreated, may lead to blindness.

Clogged Pores and Styes

Leaving mascara and eyeliner on overnight can lead to clogged eyelid pores and a nasty stye. Rubbing your eyes on your pillowcase while you sleep can get makeup in your eye, causing inflammation or an infection.

Weakened Eyelashes

Over time, leftover mascara can weaken your eyelashes, making them brittle and prone to breakage.

Contact Lenses

Sleeping in eye makeup creates inflammation which can irritate contact lenses, causing your eyes to become red and uncomfortable.

Toxic Makeup

Most eye makeup brands contain formaldehyde, heavy metals, phthalates, and other toxins. Sleeping with these toxins is risky. You may be exposing your body to endocrine disruptors and neurotoxins.

Demodex Mites

Over time, demodex mites will take over your eyelash follicles and cause your lashes to fall out prematurely.

Chapped lips

There are several factors that can cause chapped lips, including:

• Cold, dry weather
• Sun exposure
• Frequent lip licking
• Dehydration
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Lip products containing wax, octinoxate, oxybenzone, salicylic acid, fragrances, and flavouring

So, what can you do to prevent and treat chapped lips? Here are some tips:

• Use a non-irritating lip balm with sun protection (SPF 15 or higher) throughout the day and before bed. Look for ingredients like titanium oxide or zinc oxide, and avoid those that contain fragrances and flavouring.
• If your lips are very dry and cracked, try a thick ointment, such as white petroleum jelly, to seal in moisture.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Avoid licking, biting, or picking at your lips. Instead, apply a non-irritating lip balm when you feel the urge to lick your lips.
• Use a humidifier at home, especially in your bedroom, to add moisture to the air.
• Avoid holding metal objects, such as paper clips or jewellery, with your lips.

With these tips, you should be able to prevent and treat chapped lips effectively. However, if your chapped lips don't improve with self-care or are severe, consider making an appointment with a dermatologist, as it could be a sign of an underlying condition, such as cheilitis or malnutrition.

Irritated skin

Leaving makeup on overnight can cause skin irritation and inflammation, leading to a dull, dry, and coarse complexion. This happens because makeup traps dirt, oil, and dead skin cells against your skin, disrupting the skin's natural renewal process.

The delicate skin around the eyes is especially vulnerable to irritation. Eye makeup, such as mascara and eyeliner, can clog the tiny hair follicles and oil glands on your eyelids, resulting in infections and styes. It can also cause eyelashes to become brittle and prone to breakage.

Makeup can also enlarge pores, leading to breakouts and blackheads. The layer of foundation holds dirt and oil close to the skin, clogging pores with dirt and oil, which can stretch and enlarge pores over time.

Lipstick that isn't removed before bed can cause dry, chapped lips. The skin on the lips needs to breathe and renew itself through the removal of old skin cells. The chemicals and waxes in lipstick can smear onto the skin around the mouth, clogging pores and leading to blackheads, breakouts, and even infections and cysts.

To prevent skin irritation, it is important to remove makeup before sleeping and to establish a good skincare routine. This includes cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturising the skin to promote healthy skin cell renewal and protect the skin's natural barrier.

Frequently asked questions