What Would Happen To Your Skin If You Never Removed Your Makeup?
Everyone who wears makeup knows the importance of removing it at the end of the day. No matter how tempting it is to just go to bed after a late night, it's crucial to clean your face before your head hits the pillow.
Leaving your makeup on at night can lead to clogged pores and breakouts. "If you don't cleanse your face, dirt and dead skin cells are not removed," celebrity dermatologist Dr. Annie Chiu told Good Housekeeping. "They stay on the skin, clogging pores and leading to chronic inflammation in the form of pimples." If you never removed your makeup, you would probably develop oily skin and eventually acne.
Neglecting to remove your makeup can also lead to a dull complexion. Makeup doesn't allow your skin to breathe, so all the dead skin cells on your face will be trapped against your pillow all night. "Regular cleansing and exfoliation are integral to revealing healthy new skin cells and allowing the natural repair processes of the skin to occur," said Dr. Chiu. A dull complexion can lead you to apply even more makeup later, which will continue to cause issues with your skin.
Your skin repairs itself mainly at night
Sleeping doesn't just restore your energy. It also is when your skin goes through its regenerative process of getting rid of dead skin cells and turning over new ones (via Refinery29). "The skin works its magic at night, and it will really absorb any products left on the skin," celebrity facialist Teresa Tarmey told Refinery29.
Makeup can also trap pollutants, dirt, and oil throughout the day. This can be particularly harmful when it comes to eye makeup because those pollutants can get into your eyes and lead to eye infections (via Bustle). The list of reasons to take off your makeup doesn't end there. Leaving on mascara can make your eyelashes dry and brittle while leaving on lipstick can make your lips dry and chapped.
Finally, leaving on your makeup can lead to premature aging. "Dirt and makeup trapped against your skin cause environmentally-induced oxidative damage," Dr. Chiu told Good Housekeeping. "This leads to a breakdown of the skin barrier and prematurely ages your face." The bottom line? Wash your makeup off at the end of the day!