The importance of removing makeup before going to bed.

The bedtime routine must invariably include the step of makeup removal, which is essential for skin beauty. Wearing makeup all day, the skin needs to be thoroughly cleansed before bedtime to enable its regeneration during the night. Moreover, it is still recommended to remove makeup even if you have not applied any during the day. Indeed, skipping the makeup removal step can impair the skin's cellular regeneration process. Similarly, if you neglect to remove makeup every evening, you will quickly notice adverse effects on your skin: spots, wrinkles, lack of radiance... Here are the reasons why it is important to remove makeup every evening:

• Cleansing serves to rid the epidermis of all traces of impurities : It's not just about removing the cosmetic products applied in the morning (foundation, powder, mascara, lipstick, etc...), cleansing is, in fact, a thorough cleaning that must be undertaken every evening. Throughout the day, sebum, pollution particles, sweat, dust, allergens, etc... clog the skin. Thus, if you do not clean your face in the evening, all this mixture remains on the skin. However, for cells to regenerate optimally and preserve your skin, you must clean it with a suitable care product before going to sleep.

• Removing makeup helps to prevent pore blockage: Foundation, eyeshadow, powder, etc., combined with dead cells and accumulated dirt, create an opaque film on the skin's surface that clogs the pores and prevents the skin from breathing properly during your sleep. Over time, due to a lack of oxygen, the skin becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. In response, the skin will create redness, inflammation, dilate the pores releasing more sebum, which will promote the appearance of imperfections such as acne spots and blackheads.

• Not removing makeup weakens the eyelashes, eyes, and lips: Skipping the makeup removal process also means treating your eyelashes poorly. Indeed, during sleep, the eyelashes are polished and nourished with the sebum naturally secreted. By going to sleep with your mascara on, you deprive your eyelashes of this moment. The eyelashes then become dry and brittle, leading to their falling out in clumps.

  However, in more extreme cases, mascara residues can slip under the eyelid and cause corneal infection or conjunctivitis. This was the case for a 50-year-old woman who admitted to using mascara for 25 years and never properly removing her eye makeup. She ended up with tiny pieces of mascara accumulated inside her eyelids.

  Similarly, lipstick can prove to be harmful. Lips that are not cleansed of makeup tend to dry out overnight, which can lead to chapping.

• Sleeping with makeup on dries out the skin: Evening is the only time of the day when the skin regenerates without being exposed to external aggressions. However, makeup, along with the impurities accumulated during the day, disrupts this nocturnal regeneration. Not to mention that makeup will clog the pores, thus preventing the skin's natural self-hydration, but also preventing facial care products from penetrating and acting. The result: the skin becomes dry.

• Not removing makeup dulls the skin's radiance: If the face is not cleansed, the dead skin cells accumulated throughout the day remain trapped under this layer of foundation, consequently inhibiting the skin's cellular renewal.The skin then quickly loses its radiance and the complexion slowly turns greyish. Moreover, the skin becomes incapable of absorbing other treatments used due to this suffocating mask covering the face.

• Removing makeup delays the appearance of wrinkles: A clean skin is less prone to premature ageing. However, by skipping the makeup removal process, your skin cannot breathe, is not purified and becomes dehydrated. As a result, wrinkles set in.

Cleansing is a mandatory step in your skincare routine, even if you do not wear makeup. To achieve results that meet your needs, choose cleansers that are suitable for your skin type. You can opt for a product with a watery, balm or oily texture. Thecleansing oil, themicellar water and the cleansing balm are suitable for all skin types, even sensitive ones. These products effectively remove makeup residues and surface impurities. Moreover, these cleansers respect your skin, even the most fragile ones.

Subsequently, it is essential to proceed to a second step to leave the skin perfectly clean (double cleansing). In addition to the makeup remover, the use of a cleanser is also important. It will gently penetrate and remove impurities, bacteria, pollution residues, etc... that have infiltrated the pores. Although skin cleansing is supposed to be done before bedtime to remove the day's dirt, it is also a step to perform in the morning. Indeed, during the night, the skin produces sebum, sweats and actively renews itself, leading to the detachment of dead cells. Moreover, this will prepare your skin to welcome your daily skincare routine.

• ROBAEI D. Subconjunctival mascara deposition. Ophthalmology (2018).