Quick question: do you ever NOT wash your face at night?
I love putting on makeup. It’s so much fun to experiment with new products and see how they transform my face. A swipe of red lipstick turns me into a femme fatale while a hint of blush and a touch of clear lipgloss gives out girl-next-door vibes. Whether you’re going for sultry and mysterious or sweet and approachable, makeup lets you play with different versions of yourself.
But, removing makeup? That’s such a chore! Even more so when you come back home in the wee hours of the morning, after a night spent partying with your friends. All you want to do is get into your bed and sleep for hours.
That makeup can wait until the morning, can’t it? Surely, no harm can come if I sleep with makeup on once or twice? After all, no one’s going to see you, and you just want to rest. Who has the energy to go through a full cleansing routine at 3 a.m., right?
That’s what I used to tell myself, and I was SO wrong. Here’s why:
1. Clean Skin Better Absorbs Skincare Products
Did you know that the night is the perfect time to apply your actives, like retinol and glycolic acid? There are a couple of reasons for that.
For starters, the more layers you apply underneath sunscreen, the higher the chances you’ll get an uneven application or even pilling. If you’ve ever noticed little flakes or balls of product on your skin, that’s pilling. Not cute. It’s like your face is rejecting your expensive skincare, and who wants that?
Other ingredients, like retinol, are unstable and degrade (i.e. lose their effectiveness) in the presence of sunlight. Makes more sense to use them when the sun isn’t around, don’t you think? It’s like letting your skincare work the night shift while you catch some Zs.
It’s like trying to water a plant through a layer of plastic wrap—good luck with that. Do you really want to waste good product and money like that? Not to mention, you’re missing out on all the benefits your skincare could be giving you.
Plus, nighttime is when your skin goes into repair mode. It regenerates itself, fixes damage, and basically does a whole beauty overhaul while you sleep. But it can’t do that properly if it’s suffocating under layers of foundation, concealer, and setting spray.
If you’re serious about glowing skin, that nighttime cleanse is non-negotiable.
BEST CLEANSERS FOR DRY SKIN:
- CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser ($14.99): A no-frills cleanser that also moisturises skin without irritation. The bottle is huge and will last you for ages. Available at Sephora, Look Fantastic, and Ulta
- La Roche Posay Toleriane Dermo Cleanser (£13.00): One of the gentlest creamy cleanser, it removes dirt and impurities without irritating skin. Suitable even for the most sensitive of skin types. Available at Boots, Cult Beauty, Dermstore, La Roche Posay, and Sephora.
- Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser ($17.00): This moisturising cleanser uses a mix of surfactants and natural oils to remove impurities and makeup from skin, leaving it soft and clean. Available at Paula’s Choice.
Related: 4 Ways To Help Skincare Products Better Penetrate Your Skin
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2. Cleansing Skin Keeps Breakouts Away
Do you know what happens to all that dirt and makeup on your face? If you don’t remove it regularly, that crap may end up inside your pores, clogging them up and causing pimples. And not the cute, tiny ones that go away overnight. We’re talking about the painful, under-the-skin monsters that take forever to heal and always pop up at the worst possible moment, like right before a big meeting or a first date.
By the way, this applies to you even if you don’t wear makeup. Dirt, pollutants, excess oil, and all kinds of crap deposit on your skin every single day. Think about all the times you touch your face without realizing it, after touching your phone, doorknobs, or pretty much anything else in public. Yeah, gross.
Oh, and here’s a fun fact: Your pillowcase? Yeah, that thing collects dirt, oil, and bacteria too. If you’re not washing your face before bed, you’re basically pressing all that grime into your skin for 8 hours straight. Sweet dreams? More like a nightmare for your pores. And even if you do wash your face at night, change pillowcase often.
BEST CLEANSERS FOR OILY SKIN
- CeraVe Foaming Cleanser ($14.99): A little stronger than all the other cleansers in this list, it effortlessly removes dirt, excess oil and makeup without drying out or irritating skin (unless it’s sensitive). Available at Beauty Bay, Boots, Sephora, and Ulta
- Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Cleanser ($11.00): A gentle, no-frills morning cleanser that gets the job done without irritating skin. Plus, it has a skin-friendly pH that doesn’t destroy the skin’s protective barrier. Available at Beauty Bay, Boots, Sephora, Stylevana, Ulta, and Yes Style
- First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser ($24.00): This gentle cleanser barely foams, but don’t let that fool you. It still removes dirt and impurities from your skin well – although it does struggle with makeup. Available at Harrods, Look Fantastic, Sephora, and Ulta
Related: Adult Acne: Why It Happens And How To Treat It
3. Cleansing Skin Prevents Infections
Even if you can’t be bothered to wash your face at night, you MUST at least remove your eye makeup.
Sleeping with your mascara and eyeshadows on can clog and inflame the skin and glands around your eyes. In the best case scenario, you wake up with red, swollen, puffy eyes. In the worst case scenario, you’ll get a full blown eye infections that’ll be a pain to heal. Don’t risk it!
Mascara and eyeliner can also break down and get into your eyes, irritating them. Your lashes are meant to protect your eyes from dirt and debris. When they’re coated in product, they can’t do their job properly. Plus, brittle, product-coated lashes are more likely to break off. If you’re trying to grow long, fluttery lashes, that’s not exactly helping the cause.
Oh, and one more thing: Sleeping in false lashes or with leftover lash glue on? Major no-no. That’s a one-way ticket to irritated eyelids and potentially even an allergic reaction. Not worth it.
The Bottom Line
I get it. Sometimes you’re exhausted to wash your face at night, and the thought of standing at the sink for even five minutes feels like torture. But if you want healthy, glowing skin, it’s worth making the effort. Not only will your skin thank you in the long run, but your future self will also appreciate waking up to a fresh, clean face instead of dealing with breakouts, irritation, or worse.
So next time you’re tempted to skip your nighttime skincare routine, remember: It only takes a few minutes to cleanse, but the consequences can last a lot longer. Do yourself a favor and take that makeup off. Your skin (and your wallet) will thank you.
I picked up some cleansing/makeup remover disposable towelettes at, of all places, Staples, the other day. For those not in the know, Staples is an office supply store. But they had the wipes for $1 for 25 wipes. Very good deal and they’re awesome, so I’ve been using them at night. I think I’ll go get a couple more packs.
Trisha, that’s a great deal, I would stock up on them! They are a quick way to remove all makeup at night when we’re tired. 🙂
I have to wash off my face completely every night. If I don’t, not only do I feel guilty, I can’t go to sleep knowing I still have gunk on my face, lol. I do agree on point #2. Skin care products absorb so much better on a clean face!
Dee, I’m the same. I can’t sleep thinking of all the stuff that’s on my face and what it could do to my skin. I feel much better when everything’s off and skincare products works better on a clean canvas anyway. 🙂
I agree! I definitely can’t go to sleep without washing my face and removing my makeup. I just feel so much better afterwards 🙂 I didn’t know the thing about skincare absorbing better on a clean face, that’s good to know!
Makeup Morsels, I’m the same. I could never sleep knowing my face is so dirty! And it helps with skincare products too which is great too.
Taking off makeup before bed is pretty much my only beauty rule. I don’t care how late it is, how tired you are, or even how drunk you are, take off your dang makeup before you hit the hay!
Tammy, well said! I couldn’t agree more! 😉
I can’t stress enough how important it is to remove your makeup before going to bed! Excellent post Gio! 😀 x
Stavroula, thanks and I so agree! Makeup removal at night is essential and so good for our skin. 🙂
Wow, great info. Thank God I am doing atleast one thing right. 🙂 I wash my face daily before going to bed.
Shruti, that’s great! 😉 and thanks. 🙂
I experience exactly same thing at the end of the day. I am so tired to get up from my bed if I have forgotten to wash my face. Sometimes I just think let it be. I know it is a bad habit but at that time I don’t get the will power to get up and go to the washbasin.
LatestGirls, I so know how you feel! I used to be like that when I was younger too but my skin feels so much better when I remove everything before going to bed. If you’re tired at the end of the day, you can just wash your face and apply moisturizer as soon as you get home in the evening. Doing in at 7/8pm is better than not at all. 😉
Yes I agree to wash the face because sleeping immediatly makes the pillow case quickly grubby, yuck. does the moisturiser / serums / night cream still effectivly work on skin if we used an oil cleansing method or does the oil make a barrier? thanks.
Julina, there is the chance it could create a barrier, but I find that most serums are still able to do their job. At least, I use them after the OCM and they work well. Of course, they must also have the right concentration of active ingredients and delivery system to get through the skin in the first place, as the skin acts like a barrier too.