Sometimes washing your face at night can seem like a daunting task. Whether you’ve stayed up too late or after a few too many cocktails (or both) all you really want to do is climb beneath the covers and lights out.
Skipping this crucial step before bed can be more damaging to your skin than you realize. Before you cross off “face-washing” from your night time routine here are 6 reasons why you shouldn’t skip it.
1. You’ll reduce acne
After touching your face all day and exposing your skin to dirt and pollution, your face is one of the dirtiest parts parts of your body. Facial skin that is not cleansed is more likely to get clogged pores which can lead directly to breakouts, no matter what your skin type. Keep in mind - washing your face at night doesn’t just mean rinsing it with water. Give yourself enough time to remove makeup, use a cleaner and follow up with a moisturizer.
2 You’ll prevent wrinkles
Not washing can lead to premature aging. Makeup tends to hold on to the free radicals our skin is exposed to every day. If you don’t wash your face at night, your skin has to fight off these free radicals which causes the breakdown of healthy collagen. This eventually leads to fine lines and wrinkles.
3. Your moisturizer will work better
While you sleep your skin works to naturally repair and restore itself, these efforts are maximized when your skin isn’t fighting off the pollution from the day. Since there is less damage control, the moisturizer you apply may be more effective in aiding restoration.
If you aren’t washing your face at night you are losing out on both the skin-healing effects of sleep and your skin treatments.
4. You can avoid dry and dehydrated skin
Our skin needs oxygen to repair itself. Sleeping with your makeup on derived your skin of this vital nutrient. During our sleep cycle our bodies produce fewer oils. If you skin moisturizing before bed, your skin will feel drier throughout the day which can cause redness and irritation.
5. You can avoid damaging your eyes
While you sleep, lingering eye makeup can migrate into your eyes and cause irritation. If you make a habit of sleeping in your eye makeup the hair follicles and oil glands may clog and lead to a buildup of bacteria. This can cause inflammation and even styes or hordeolums. When washing your face at night be sure to take extra care to remove any traces of any eye makeup.
6. Your linens will stay cleaner
No one likes dirty makeup stains on their pillowcases. Not only does it look gross, but the pollution and impurities from your day will go to bed with you if you don’t wash your face before bed. Keep in mind, every night after that you will be exposing your skin to the impurities left on your pillowcase from the previous night.
