The True Effects of Sleeping in your Makeup

Your Face Stays Dirty

The first and most obvious concern any time that you sleep with your makeup on is that you are not cleaning your face. Washing your face day and night is a fairly important part of any skincare regime, but not everyone does it. It is entirely up to you whether or not you go for that second wash, but when you wear makeup it becomes increasingly more important.

When we carry on our day to day routine, it is all too easy to come into contact with all kinds of dirt. It is on the breeze as it brushes against our faces. It is on our fingertips when we touch our skin. It comes from so many different sources that it is honestly a little terrifying. You might think that objectively your face is clean if it doesn’t look dirty, but that isn’t the case. Worse, when you wear makeup, you make it that much easier for various kinds of dirt and grime to stick to your face and cause problems. Primer is great for keeping makeup on, but it can also attract the wrong kind of substances if you aren’t careful. Your face is nice to you. It deserves to be clean.

Your Skin Doesn’t Get Oxygen

This is one factor that very few people come up with when they consider their makeup, but it is very true. When you wear makeup, particularly a full face of makeup, you are actually blocking your face from some much-needed oxygen. Sure, you might not think that your makeup is that thick, but it can be. Your skin needs to breathe for the sake of its health, and a solid layer of makeup can block it from getting properly oxygenated.

Now, you might not think that this is the biggest problem in the world. Obviously you wear makeup, right? You know that your beauty routine hasn’t completely ruined your skin. It must be getting some oxygen, surely. While this is true, it is the longevity that counts. It is one thing for your skin to receive poor oxygen during the day. It is another thing entirely for your skin to receive poor oxygen both morning and night. Allowing your skin to breathe is important for helping you to get that radiant glow. It is necessary to keep it looking great and feeling great.

Your Pores Get Clogged

Clogged pores are no joke. Chances are that if you are reading this, you’re already fairly worried about your pore situation. Leaving your makeup on overnight is a great way to clog your pores and induce breakouts. Again, this is one of those areas where the real distinction is that overnight process. It is bad to clog your pores in general. This is why so many companies aim to make makeup that clogs pores less. Unfortunately, clogging your pores is easy and even more damaging when they are left that way.

When you remove your makeup at night and wash off your face, you are clearing your pores up. This means that you will have less to worry about when it comes to clogging your pores and leaving them clogged. Since you probably don’t want your pores to be actively stretched open and left that way, it is important to clear them out. In fact, if you’re an active makeup user, it is that much more crucial to clean your face and clear out those pores every single night. This is without question the best way to dodge clogged pores and slow how many breakouts you experience.

Your Skin Notably Ages

In the same way that makeup can stop your skin from getting enough oxygen, it can also lock your skin in. All beauty gurus will tell you the importance of exfoliating, and the fact is that sleeping with your makeup on can actually result in the loss of natural exfoliation. It has a tendency to kind of leave things locked in a petrified state. Since your skin isn’t getting the proper exposure to external elements, it can slow the natural exfoliation process.

Exfoliating is one of the most commonly touted ways to keep skin youthful besides moisturizing. When you leave your makeup on overnight, you lock dehydrated and unhealthy skin in place. Worse, you rob yourself of a good opportunity to clean your face and naturally exfoliate it. An evening exfoliation is a great way to allow your skin to be refreshed, and since you won’t be exposing it to too much wind or sun, it is safer in its vulnerable state.

Your Skin Dries Out

A huge issue with sleeping in makeup is the drying effects that it can have on your skin, particularly powdered makeups. Since your skin is blocked off from the air, it generally receives less moisture from your environment. Worse, most makeup products are composed of elements that are naturally drying by themselves. The products that you pair with makeup like primer are also generally fairly drying. This is one of the reasons that it is so important to moisturize before you apply your makeup.

The fact is that moisturizing can help to balance the makeup during the day, but moisturizer doesn’t last forever. Your moisturizer might say that it lasts for twenty-four hours, but chances are it doesn’t really. It might under ideal circumstances sure, but not with daily wear and tear. This is why it is likely useless by the end of the day. Washing off your face and applying a fresh coat is a great way to keep your skin fresh and smooth.

Your Eyes Dry Out

Many people have noticed this, but few have really put it into words. When you fall asleep wearing makeup, particularly eye makeup, you almost always wake up with dry eyes. This is caused by a few different things. First, there is the fact that mascara and other eye makeup can be drying and irritating. Our eyes actually benefit from our eyelids being able to breathe. If you don’t believe me, next time your eyes are dry, put some water on the outside of your eyelid. It immediately moistens the eyes below, which is why having drying powders over your eyelid won’t do you any favors.

In addition to simply bothering your skin, eye makeup also makes it more difficult for you to comfortably close your eyes. Your eyelashes can get quite stiff when you’re wearing mascara. Though this is great for a look, it can be problematic when you want your eyes to fall comfortably closed at night. When your eyelashes are stiff, your eyes can close, but not completely. The end result is a dried out eye that didn’t close properly and was left exposed all night.

Your Eyelashes Become Susceptible To Damage

If there is one simple beauty reason to avoid wearing your makeup overnight, it is eyelash health. As I’ve mentioned, mascara tends to make eyelashes very stiff. This means that when you close them overnight, they are more likely to lock around one another and cause unnecessary pressure. Clean eyelashes will softly wind around each other. Stiff lashes will put pressure on the base of your lashes when they are forced at a certain angle. The end result is lashes that are more likely to come out or break.

In addition to how they fall, allowing the mascara to harden on your eyelashes overnight can cause problems when it comes to cleaning them off. Even with makeup remover, petrified eyelashes are hard to clean. The end result tends to be that your eyelashes will fall out when you clean them. Most of us are fairly protective of our lashes and want them to stay where they are, so avoid this to keep them from coming out prematurely.

Conclusion

There is no law of skin or beauty that states that your skin will absolutely die if you wear makeup overnight. We all do it on occasion. Whether it is falling asleep on the couch after a long day or simply coming in after a few too many cocktails, everyone ends up with a reason to fall asleep with their makeup on. It won’t ruin you for life, don’t worry. Regardless, you should think twice before you let it become a regular occurrence.