How Bad Is It To Sleep With Your Makeup On?

Journalist Anna Pursglove of MailOnline.com took up the challenge to not wash off her makeup for 30 days. By the third day of the experiment, her skin felt dry and taut and tiny white cysts had started to form around her eyelashes. In a week, her skin had become flaky and lumpy, and her friends commented that she looked tired. By the end of the month, she had visibly blocked and enlarged pores all over her nose, dry skin across her lips and cheeks, and red eyelids, and her eyelashes had developed dandruff.



A trip to the dermatologist where a skin camera was used to examine her face showed her skin was severely dehydrated, and the surface texture uneven and rough due to oxygen deprivation. Facial wrinkling and redness had also worsened, and her pores were 5 percent larger. In 30 days, Anna's face had aged 10 years simply by avoiding makeup removal!

While most people will not go 30 days without properly cleansing their skin, this experiment shows how important it is that makeup is properly removed. Makeup forms a barrier on the skin that prevents the exchange of oxygen and prevents the natural sloughing off of dead skin cells. It also traps pollutants, dirt and germs that can cause infections and inflammations on the skin. Although you may feel that occasionally sleeping in your makeup can't do much harm, in the long term, it can be very detrimental to your skin.

-- Cosmetic Medicine, MD

Dr. Liow Tiong Sin is an aesthetic practitioner who practices in Kuala Lumpur and Melaka, Malaysia. He has more than 12 years of expertise with non-surgical cosmetic treatments, and conducts training courses for other doctors from all around Asia. 
To connect with Dr. Liow, Like Cosmedmd's Facebook page, visit Beverly Wilshire Medical Centre's website at http://www.beverlywilshiremedical.com or drop him an email at cosmedmd@gmail.com