Why shouldn't you wear makeup to bed?

Author: Lauriane Weber  |  Last update: Monday, December 29, 2025

Skin Health Priority: Sleeping with makeup on can disrupt your skin's natural renewal process, leading to dullness and premature aging. Acne and Irritation Risks: Leftover makeup can clog pores, contribute to breakouts, and irritate sensitive areas like the eyes, potentially causing infections.

What happens if you sleep with makeup on?

Sleeping with makeup on could lead to breakouts, clogged pores and wrinkles. A full face of makeup works against your skin's natural repair mechanism while you sleep and doesn't allow your skin and pores to breathe. Not to mention that the dust, dirt and pollution you were exposed to all day long sticks around.

Why should you take your makeup off at night?

Sleeping with makeup on could lead to breakouts, clogged pores and wrinkles. A full face of makeup works against your skin's natural repair mechanism while you sleep and doesn't allow your skin and pores to breathe. Not to mention that the dust, dirt and pollution you were exposed to all day long sticks around.

Is it okay if I accidentally fell asleep with mascara on?

Overnight eye makeup can make you prone irritation, inflammation and every infections. Leaving mascara on too long can also clog the (meibomian) glands attached to your eyelashes and lead to development of a stye.''

Why shouldn't you wear mascara to bed?

“It can cause eye irritation, infections, and clogged hair follicles, which may result in styes. Mascara and eyeliner can transfer to your pillow, leading to further contamination and irritation,” Dr. Joel Kopelman, facial plastic surgeon at Kopelman Aesthetic Surgery, tells Sleepopolis.

3 Scary Reasons Why You Shouldn't Sleep With Your Makeup On - Dr. Jacqueline Schaffer

What happens if you don't take your mascara off before bed?

Leaving your eye makeup on overnight can lead to eye infection and irritation. Just as bad, a stye can form from mascara clogging glands connected to your eyelashes.

Is it bad to sleep with tinted moisturizer on?

Tinted moisturizer may be skincare, but it's also still makeup, and that means you need to wash it off at the end of the night. If you don't, the impurities left on your face from the day may get into your pores, leading to breakouts.

Can I sleep for 2 hours with makeup?

Sleeping with makeup on can mix with the dirt and oil that has built up throughout the day on the surface of your skin. This, in turn, can lead to clogged pores and breakouts. Hence, you must remove makeup and cleanse your face before hitting the bed and make sure no residue is left on the skin.

What happens if you leave mascara on for 24 hours?

Mascara left on overnight, for example, can harbour bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, which may lead to eye infections such as conjunctivitis (pink eye) or styes (localised infections of the eyelid glands).

What happens if I sleep with lashes on?

Technically, it's possible to sleep with fake lashes, but we do not recommend it. Leaving false eyelashes on overnight can lead to lash damage, eye irritation, and hygiene issues. We recommend removing strip lashes and magnetic lashes, as synthetic fiber lashes are lash extensions that can't be removed.

Why you shouldn't wear makeup everyday?

If you are applying makeup on a regular basis and leaving it on your skin for a long time, there are chances that your skin pores get clogged. This does not let your skin breathe, making it prone to acne, bumps and other facial skin problems. You may notice bumps around your eyes as well.

What is in the micellar water?

Micellar Water is essentially just water containing lots of these micelle clusters. They're pretty happy to hang around in the water, but when they meet other oils, just as they do when they're on a Reusable Pad being wiped over your face, they draw them up like a magnet.

Does leaving makeup on age your skin?

Leaving makeup on while sleeping can age your skin.

Makeup can dehydrate your skin and prevent it from renewing and repairing itself properly. Over time, this can result in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and a dull complexion.

Why is it important to remove makeup before bed?

Most makeup is oil-based, which can clog the pores and lead to pimples. But sleeping with makeup on will actually heighten your chance of a breakout. While you sleep your makeup can mix with additional built-up debris and oil from your skin's surface – the perfect recipe for clogged pores, acne, and blackheads.

Is it bad to sleep with wet hair?

Is it bad to go to sleep with wet hair? The short answer: Yes, it's bad for your hair to go to bed when wet. “Wet hair strands are much more fragile than dry hair strands,” explains Dr. Michele Green, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist in New York City.

Is it OK to sleep in eye makeup?

During the night, make-up products can penetrate the protective surface of the eyes due to abrasion caused by movements of the pillow. The particles that come from glittery eyeshadow, mascara and eyeliner can clog the hair follicles and oil glands on your eyelid.

What happens if I accidentally sleep with makeup on?

Sleeping in makeup is especially problematic for acne-prone skin. It traps oil, dirt, and bacteria against your skin all night, which can clog pores and lead to breakouts. If you have an active pimple, leaving makeup on can potentially cause an infection.

Do eyelashes grow back?

Like the hair on the rest of your body, your eyelashes can fall out. Thankfully, they also grow back. It takes a couple of months for lashes to grow back under normal circumstances. However, your lashes don't typically all fall out at once, so you won't notice that they're in the process of growing back.

Why shouldn't you wear mascara everyday?

The primary risk is that certain components may migrate into the eye, potentially causing irritation for some individuals. Due to repetitive applications, these mascaras disrupt the production of tear films or lacrimal film, which covers the surface of the eye and protects it against external assaults.

What happens if you don't wash your makeup off?

What happens if you don't wash off makeup at night? Sleeping with makeup on can cause severe skin problems. The buildup of dirt, oil, and makeup residue clogs pores, leading to acne and irritation. Over time, it accelerates skin aging by preventing the skin from shedding dead cells and repairing collagen.

Is napping in makeup ok?

Asides from the obvious hygiene factor to consider, it can potentially cause clogged pores, dull skin, dry skin, puffy eyes and generally aggravates your skin, if sleeping with your make-up on is a regular occurrence then consider that premature ageing, and collagen degradation may also be a by-product of snoozing in ...

Why does James Charles wear makeup?

He has said that, for him, makeup is "a creative outlet and an art form".

Is it OK to sleep with moisturizer on?

As you sleep, your body naturally loses moisture, which is why it's so important to lock in the topical hydration before you go bed by applying an effective night moisturiser.

What makeup can you sleep in?

Youthforia makes makeup you can sleep in, because we use clean, plant-based ingredients that act like skincare. We're best known for making the world's first color-changing, universally flattering blush that went viral on TikTok!

Do you put sunscreen or tinted moisturizer first?

When using a physical sunscreen, always know that it must be applied after all other products so that it can create a barrier. Apply physical sunscreens after serums and moisturisers.

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