EZ Beauty: Sleeping In Your Makeup Will Age You

Did you fall asleep in your makeup last night? If you answered yes, then you could be unwittingly accelerating the aging process. Anna Pursglove, a writer with the UK newspaper the Daily Mail, underwent a guinea pig experiment to see what would happen if she slept in her makeup for 30 days. The results were astonishing: her face was warped and her dermatologist concluded that she had aged the equivalent of 10 years.

The culprit? Excessively dehydrated skin with a rough and patchy texture. “Not only is the top layer of skin dry,” said her dermatologist Dr. Stefanie Williams, “but a layer of make-up will also prevent normal skin shedding, slowing down the usual renewal process, resulting in uneven and dull textured skin.”

Now, let’s not pretend we haven’t all done this. When faced between two options–in this corner sweet, glorious slumber, and in the other, an extensive, nightly beauty routine—it’s easy to see the odds are in favour of you retreating to your boudoir.

To combat this urge, simplify your process. At the least, use a gentle cleanser (if you also use a face cloth, you benefit from mild exfoliation as well), followed by a nighttime moisturizer formulated for your specific skin needs. Before you leave in the morning, take your products out and leave them on the bathroom counter so they’re ready to go and in plain sight when you arrive home. And, if you’re truly feeling too exhausted, try one of the many makeup removing wipes on the market.

Garnier Refreshing Remover Cleansing Towelettes, $11, Shoppers Drug Mart
Perfect for when you just don’t have the energy to swipe off all of your makeup. Garnier also has a similar product for sensitive skin types.

Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover, $11, Sephora.ca
Shake it up, then saturate a makeup pad with product. Press and hold against your closed eyes for a few moments to dissolve the eye makeup, then swipe away.

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, $34, Sephora.ca
The name says it all. This lightweight cream dissolves into an oil after massaging into the face. Then simply wash it all away.