Makeup is a lifesaver for so many reasons. It makes you look your best, conceals problematic areas while simultaneously giving you the needed confidence boost. A quick touchup is enough to get you feeling like wonder woman! And this explains why walking out without coverage feels so scary; such that a ton of users would rather show up to work late than with a naked face.
Going to bed with makeup on increasingly risks the chances of skin aggravation. And not just mild, self-resolving problems that spontaneously disappear in the next few days, but long term effects that could cost you several trips to the dermatologist. Your skin responds to a healthy regimen and going to bed with makeup is not one of them. Quite the contrary, it overtime damages your glow and skin rejuvenation. To know more about the dangers and how to revert persistent makeup effects read along!
While makeup makes us feel our best selves yet, there are downsides to not taking proper care of our skin. A highly committed beauty sin amongst females this day and age is the failure to take off the day’s makeup. Sounds familiar? I thought so. At one time or the other, we all have fallen victim to this crime and possibly suffered the consequences of overly tense, gooey faces the next morning. Or worse yet, permanently soiled beddings. Arguably, you could blame it on fatigue or one too many drinks but the repercussions take a toll regardless.
Here are some common outcomes that accompany unhealthy glam habits.
1. Increased Risk of Hyperpigmentation and Black Spots
it’s no coincidence you woke up to bizarre blackheads if you went to bed having not cleansed. Your default reaction would probably be to fault the brand for illegitimate products but, allergy reactions are not always justified by harmful ingredients. It could be poor skin maintenance and that, you have no one to blame for.
Whenever your face is covered up in layers of sulfates and compound chemicals for prolonged hours, you might as well brace yourself for a vivid aftermath. These industrial ingredients go ahead to tamper with the skin pigment resulting in blackhead patterns or red bumps. Parts of the face highly prone to this are the cheeks, forehead, and chin. You’re lucky if your skin bounces back naturally but in extreme cases, this could take therapy.
2. Dry, Flaky Skin
Do you ever wonder why your skin is anything but moisturized? Even with a healthy dose of fruits and hydration levels, it still won’t respond? Well, it could be that you are sabotaging the expected outlook through careless mistakes. A one night slip may not make much difference but a repetition of the same could result in a dire outbreak.
Generally, your skin in itself generates the required moisture to keep it looking young and healthy, but this has to be maintained by a solid regimen otherwise dryness will come knocking at your door. Committing to a nightly skin routine is the secret ingredient needed to supplement a glowy, fresh appeal.
3. Puffy, Red Eyes
inflammation is another tragedy that wounds up several women in a vicious cycle of having to cover up with even heavier layers. Those crazy eye bags that you wake up to can be linked to poor hygiene. This is because, skin around the eyes is quite sensitive and thus reacts quickly to triggers. Coupled with the dense amount of makeup that goes into the eyes – eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, you name it – forms a good breeding ground for bacteria and infections when left overnight.
When asleep, product flakes rub onto your pillow and quite easily find access into your eyes. Potentially, it could lead to vision corruption but even without the life-threatening consequences; bloodshot eyes are nothing pretty to show up to work with. Moreover, to suffer the agitation of unquenching rubbing is also far from comforting. Only a few minutes of aftercare are enough to spare you the agony.
4. Fine Lines and Wrinkles
As you know, aging is a natural phenomenon we cannot avoid. It comes with its downsides particularly collagen reduction. In case you didn’t know, collagen and retinol are vital ingredients behind skin elasticity and hold up. Compare your younger photos to today and you likely will spot a huge difference in just how tight your skin was versus the current sagging.
But despite this being an old age trend, overnight makeup can speed up the process. How? A lot of skin repair and cellular regeneration takes place when asleep. Old worn-out cells are replaced with brand new counterparts much vibrant and healthier. Sadly, product build-up is counterproductive to this happening. Overtime, stubborn lines begin to form around the eyes and before you know it, you’re looking much older than you really are.
5. Itchy bumps
During the day, your skin is exposed to harmful environmental stressors that you don’t even know off. Aside from toxic UV light, free radicals transverse the air and bond onto just about anything convenient. Makeup for instance holds onto these unstable atoms which consequently break down vital skin components. Further ahead, they also clog skin pores restricting effective respiration. Acne flare-ups is one manifestation thereof. Breakout can also occur not just on the skin surface but underneath as well.
6. Host of Diseases
How well do you know the products that go onto your face? A shocking statistic reveals that hundreds if not thousands of makeup brands use industrial chemicals harmful to your well-being. Heavy metals like lead and copper feature often in the production process and these have been found to have a close affiliation with cancer. How much more when you sleep in them! Related diseases include fertility complications and blood pressure.
How to Repair Injured Skin
If you are a faithful face washer chances are you have less to worry about. But if not, to rescue any harm that was done overnight, here is what to do.
i. Get a decent cleanse first thing in the morning– before washing the sleep off your face, begin with makeup removal procedures. It is advisable to use generous amounts while massaging your entire face. Be gentle though because at this time your skin is tender and can easily react to minor injuries. Use deep cleansing wipes that permeate the layers of makeup efficiently. And just to be sure, run your face with water and pat dry.
ii. Use a moisturizing mask- it’s not enough to strip off makeup and leave your face plain. Optimum care involves lathering a new coat that will prevent exposure and unnecessary drying. Therefore, follow up with a hydrating mask or cream to replenish lost nutrients. An excellent trick would be to use one taken right out of the fridge. It carries an extra soothing effect that your skin will appreciate.
iii. Take plenty of distilled water– this is the oldest trick in the book for healthy skin. Doctors recommend about 8 liters of water each day for maximum benefit however anything close will also make an impact. Pack your water bottle wherever you go and set reminders for when to take some water.
iv. Look for labels that have fewer ingredients– if you are prone to falling asleep in your makeup, you might as well strive to make the right beauty selections. Spending a little more time to double-check the ingredients applied could save you a fortune.
Surprisingly, expensive labels don’t always translate to premium quality, so you might not be out of harm’s way even without using drug store options. For this reason, resort to the product glossary instead. Preferably stay away from the word “fragrance” as it typically masks a handful of lethal preservatives and chemicals.
v. Avoid long-wear foundations – while oil-based foundations and creams stay put throughout the day, they are harder to clean off compared to water-based versions. The latter also allows your dermis to breathe right. It is supposedly a safer choice if you grow weary of taking off your makeup.
vi. Opt for soft, natural removers rather than cosmetic oils– coconut oil for instance makes up for a remover. In its absence, olive oil too is handy. Such organic cleansers pack multivitamins that penetrate deeply into the skin without the need to again rinse off your face with running water. Vaseline and baby too oils are very gentle and should be interchanged with processed moisturizers now and then. It’s all about finding skin-friendly accompaniments.
Makeup you Can Sleep in?
You might have heard of a new breed of products that claim not only to be safe to sleep in but actually good for your skin. Presently, there is coverage that allegedly fights wrinkles and breakouts, won’t clog pores overnight, and hydrates like a night cream. The big question is whether indeed these claims are factual, and does it mean it is suddenly safer to sleep with makeup than without?
Sounds too good to be true and maybe a tad exaggerated, which is why you must examine such arguments skeptically. Ultimately, your skin is at its best when in a natural state free of additions. Anything superficial masquerading as beneficial, when left on for prolonged hours, may merely be a sales hack.
To avoid frustration, it is best to work closely with your doctor for professional advice. Even if perchance special advantages were attached to the hyped product, nothing beats a fresh face going into bed. Better safe than sorry, you never know what dangers could be lurking at the corner.
Signs that You’re Wearing too much Makeup
The no-makeup look is the new trend lately. Just a light touch that doesn’t hide your natural facial features or inherent structure. This is what a lot of women are taking to especially for work or a quick date. That doesn’t mean you have to swear off a full face do up but again, the lesser the product the more forgiving it is when you slip into unpleasant beauty offenses.
So then how much makeup is too much? Well, here are a couple of clues.
- When people don’t recognize you without your makeup on. Or no one can remember seeing you without it. If your standard look is always a ready, polished face, you’re probably doing the most.
- Your makeup routine always makes you late. Spending more than 30 minutes is alarming. So is taking over 10 minutes to get it all off.
- If you’re always in the bathroom retouching more than you are being productive.
- Your eyebrows look like they were painted on, either too dark or overemphasized.
- When spotted with raccoon eyes. Yes. It’s exactly what it sounds like- excessive mascara and eyeliner smudged around the eye creating dramatic raccoon- like eyes.
- On the flip side, white circles around your eyes. Usually, primer is applied before putting on eye makeup to conceal eye bags or enhance the pop. But going overboard leaves a residue of white rings not so attractive to look at.
- When your pillowcase is left smothered with a rainbow of stains.
Doing the bare minimum is by far the convenient choice. Spare the heavy make up for occasions where it is absolutely necessary. Brush your brows, do a light foundation, maybe throw on a bit of blush and dust off your cheekbones with some highlight. This keeps you looking fresh but not an absolute freak. Remember to abide by a night regimen for days where you go all out or else you’ll have much more skin drama to deal with the following morning.
Related Questions
1. Is gloss really bad to sleep with on? Weighing the pros and cons, this could actually be a blessing in disguise. Left bare through the night, the lips tend to dry up and could even go as far as chapping. Lip balms are ideally the recommendable applicant, but creamy glosses are not such a bad substitute either, of course only if this happened accidentally.
2. How often should make up brushes be cleaned? Sponges and other makeup tools should be thoroughly washed once every two weeks. Dirty brushes can exaggerate skin outbreaks despite adhering to a consistent night treatment plan.
What else should you not sleep in (or should)? Check out our article on sleep bras!
