by Megan Vixie
We’re all guilty of it. Though you shouldn’t always skip it, occasionally forgetting to do a quick cleanse isn’t the end of the world, nor is it the end of your chances at having healthy skin. Sometimes the last thing you want to think about after you’ve kicked off your heels, stripped down to the comfy stuff and cuddled up in bed is getting back up and getting all that gunk off your face. On those days, it’s a lot easier to turn the lights off and let your makeup be tomorrow’s problem. Or your pillow’s.
If you’re reading this thinking, YUCK, I could never go to bed without my six-step skincare ritual—you go, girl. For those of you who, like me, sometimes just can’t commit to taking it all off before bed, here’s why you really should.
Mascara Gunk
If you had to choose only one thing to get off your face before sleeping, it should be your eye-makeup. Mascara, if you leave it on all night every night, can do some seriously scary stuff to your eyes. Ever woken up after a long night of tossing and turning and gotten those lovely rings of black smudged all around your eyes? Well, if you wake up like that every morning because you let your bedsheets take your mascara off, you’re chancing more than just pre-mature wrinkles from fiercely rubbing off the racoon eyes in the morning. You could be getting mascara trapped in your eyes throughout the night which can cause all sorts of problems later down the road with your vision, from discomfort and pain to more serious issues.
Plus, who likes waking up to their eyelashes breaking off and falling out?
Clogging Pores
If you don’t know what pores are, they’re the little holes in your skin through which the body releases sebum, a natural oil which moisturizes the skin. Sounds gross, but it’s good stuff for your face. Things like makeup products and dead skin can clog these pores, and when more sebum is produced there’s not a good way for it to get out—it’s like a dam that needs to burst. When we get that build up, we get acne.
So, if you hit the sheets with a full face of makeup your foundation is likely trapping gunk in your pores and creating buildup and new opportunities for breakouts. But if you go to bed with a freshly washed face, your body will shed those pore-clogging dead skin cells while you sleep and replace them with brand new, healthy skin cells. This helps keep your face from looking tired, dull, or acne-ridden.
Amazing, right? But it only works well if you wash your face before hitting the hay.
It Gets You in the Habit of Good Skincare
It is so, so important to pay attention to your skin and to take proper care of it—it’s an organ after all. If you regularly neglect to wash off makeup at night, you’re probably also neglecting some important skincare habits that would keep your skin healthy, glowing, and radiant. Though everyone has unique needs for their skin-type, there is an answer out there for every case. There are so many natural creams, masks, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers that are beneficial for your skin and extremely relaxing to put on, especially before bed. The time you carve out every night to enjoy some nourishing products that feel and smell amazing can be such an important part of decompressing from the day. We all deserve that time to wind down, and no matter how good makeup can make you feel, it should feel even better when you take a minute to pamper yourself and take it off at night.
If you struggle with having problematic skin and find yourself not washing your face at night, or sleeping in your makeup, just take one first step. Wash your face before bed, girl. Your skin will thank you later.