Every beauty expert tells you that you should always make sure that you remove every speck of makeup from your face and neck before going to bed. Most people follow this rule religiously, mostly because it’s bad for skin, but also because it’s uncomfortable to sleep with makeup on. Remember when Kim Kardashian made headlines when she said she doesn’t remove her layers of foundation before going to bed? That’s perhaps the unhealthiest thing ever. Needless to say you should never follow her policy.
Though most people are aware of the fact that makeup harms the skin, if left on overnight, there are other consequences. You might have heard horror stories about ageing skin and acne which are results of not removing makeup. But recently a woman made news for not removing her mascara for twenty five years, before going to bed, and you will never believe how it affected her.
Most people don’t remove their makeup because they are too tired or lazy. After a busy work night or partying, people often don’t think about the leftover makeup on their face. But it is a huge mistake. In fact, it’s okay if you don’t change out of your clothes, but it is very important that you remove the foundation and eye makeup from your face, even if just with water.
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Most people will say that they remove makeup almost everyday, but only skip it once or twice a week. That is dangerous too. Most cases of acne breakouts and blemishes happen due to this particular bad habit. Doctors and experts have relentlessly reminded their patients and clients that they must take care of their skin by removing makeup every night. In fact, this is the most basic part of anybody’s beauty regimen.
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Theresa is a housekeeper by profession, and wears quite quite a lot of makeup every day. She uses eye makeup, and a generous amount of mascara and has been doing so for 25 years. But for the last 25 years she has not removed her eye makeup before going to bed. It wasn’t a problem for her - until it was.
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Theresa discovered that her eyes were swollen and there was a pain which wasn’t going away. She initially couldn’t understand what might have caused it. Plus, she noticed that there were black lumps in her eyelids. In fact, she took some eye drops and that didn’t do her any good.
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Theresa obviously did not understand what was causing the massive irritation in her eyes. “They (the particles) were embedded so deep that particles were building up on top of each other. I was so uncomfortable. My eyelids were swollen and heavy because I left it for so long,” Theresa said.
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For 25 years, Theresa had not removed any of her eye makeup before going to bed. This might sound extreme, but the carelessness has costed her. Theresa visited the doctor who told her that some calcifications which had formed in her eyes because of the residual mascara. In fact, they were so deep into her eyelids that she had to undergo a surgery which lasted 90 minutes. The surgery was basically done to remove the bumps in her eyes which made her eyes swell up.
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“It was certainly disabling. She has suffered permanent scarring on her eyelid and the surface of her cornea. This was an amazing case, I’d never seen anything like it. But this is a risk not many people are aware of,” Theresa’s surgeon Dr. Dana Robaei said.
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We all know the makeup build-up does not just make your skin age faster but also causes acne and makes your skin dehydrated. But Theresa’s case was much more serious, as she has had a habit of never removing her makeup. Doctors claimed that if things had gotten more serious, the 50-year-old Theresa could have easily gone blind if the lumps on her eyelids had gotten infected.
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“Gritty eyeshadow, chunky mascara, and flaky eyeliner might irritate the eye and the eyelash roots which can lead to redness and ingrown lashes," a New York-based skin specialist named Dr. Ellen Marmur told Teen Vogue. She also maintains that the products you use for makeup and for removing makeup needs to have passed tests for safety, and you must know if they suit your skin.
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Dr. Marmur points out that Theresa's case was a rather curious one which was a result of a bad habit which she had sustained for decades. It is quite unusual that she never removed her makeup for 25 years. The doctor says it is highly unlikely that somebody might face a situation like her. Most makeup users, especially those who use makeup regularly, know how to remove them.
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The eye makeup is usually applied on the most sensitive region in the face, and therefore should be dealt with care. The eyelids and the under eye areas are more prone to damage than other parts of your face and show the first signs of ageing. You will notice crow’s feet and fine lines start appearing on people’s faces from their early ‘30s. And extensive layers of drugstore products applied everyday can’t be helping your eyes. So, you need to be extra careful about your eye makeup.
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Your makeup also comprises of other aspects, and you must remember to take off your compact and foundation as they affect the skin the most. Some people use quite a lot of foundation and primer or highlighters and often reapply them. This thick coating of makeup must be taken off before going to bed. A number of celebrities have often admitted that they felt the guiltiest when they don’t take off their makeup.
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Removing makeup is quite an ordeal, and yet you must make sure to do it the right way. Most people just wash the makeup off with soap and that’s a strict no-no. Start with a cleanser and apply it thoroughly on your face and neck, mainly for the foundation layers. Then massage some baby oil or almond oil on your eyelids and cheeks. Take soaked cotton balls and put on some oil-based makeup remover and clean your face with it. Make sure to check for excess oil after cleansing.
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After your face is clean, use a water-based moisturizer and toner. Let it absorb on your skin. A lot of people have a night-time beauty regimen involving night creams and eye creams or scrubs. Wait for 15-20 minutes for the moisturizer and toner to soak in. Then you can apply your night creams.
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Yes, there will be nights when you are too tired to do it all. In case of an all-nighter or tired nights, just take a baby wipe, soak it in some water and wipe away your face. Use another dry baby wipe to dry off. But make sure to clean your face the next morning.
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