I know we have all had late nights, and the last thing that is on our mind is to cleanse our face before bed. In fact, if your life is anything like mine, there are nights we are dragging ourselves to bed, trying to get some desperately needed sleep before we do it all over again tomorrow.
At that point, skin care is the farthest thing from the mind and yet I can honestly say that a little self love right before bed works like magic to help relax and literally and figuratively wash the day’s events off, setting ourselves up for a fresh start tomorrow.
If some self love is not enough motivation to drag you to the bathroom before bed, then let’s talk about what not cleansing your skin is really doing. At the end of the day our faces are covered in makeup, sweat, oil, pollution and grime. Our skin is our body’s biggest organ and the health of our skin can literally affect our entire well-being.
During the day our skin works to protect us from all the environmental factors that we encounter, such as harmful UV rays and pollution. At night our skin works to repair the damage cause to the skin and regenerate and restore healthy moisture levels. If our skin is still covered in this dirt, grime, pollution or traditional makeup, it must work even harder to restore the skin during the night. Over time, not washing at night can result in dull and damaged skin.
1) One of the first signs of damage is clogged and oversized pores. These become even more pronounced when they are imbedded with dirt, residual makeup and grime. They can stretch the pores and exacerbate the problem. The solution to this is to gently cleanse your face daily.
2) Another effect of not washing is that your skin can dry out. This will not happen in one night but over time it will become increasingly difficult for your skin to restore the hydration balance it requires to be healthy. Consider this; some makeup products we choose are designed to eliminate shiny, oily spots and often create a dry matte look. After wearing all day, these products have continually absorbed oil and may have dried your skin out. It is necessary to re-hydrate and protect the skin to preserve its elasticity and healthy glow. The best way to do this is to use a hydrating mist and facial serum.
3) Clearly none of us are immune to the pollution in the air. Even if we live in a remote location pollution travels through wind and rain to cover the globe. Car exhaust, smoke, industrial pollution and even pollution transferred through direct contact all affect our skin. Sadly, that absorbing makeup can also absorb the pollutants and toxins we encounter. Over time this can also cause premature aging.
4) Our skin is continually building up layers of bacteria, debris and oil. When that is coupled with the environmental factors, it can lead to acne breakouts. This can happen even when you are not acne prone.
So next time you are tempted to let that makeup stay, remember your skin works hard to protect you and needs to be treated with care. It is easier to prevent the problem of wrinkles, large pores or acne than to try to treat them afterwards. Fortunately, Lauren Brooke's Cleansing System has been created to be used without added water, so cleansing you skin can be quickly done literally anywhere! With only a couple of minutes a day you can slow the signs of aging, hydrate and create healthier glowing skin.
Trust me you owe it to yourself to cleanse your skin every night.