For some, washing their face at night is somewhat of a ritual, for others, it is an infrequent habit. While washing your face may seem like a bit of a chore, especially after a big night or long day. Washing your face is important, as it doesn’t just remove the day’s makeup.  Here are some reasons why washing and cleansing your face should always be a part of your nightly routine.

Your skin restores itself whilst you are sleeping

If you’ve ever been told that you need to get your ‘beauty sleep’, there’s actually truth to that saying. At night, your skin goes through the process of naturally restoring and rejuvenating itself. According to dermatologists, whether you are asleep or not, the skin goes through what is known as cell mitosis. Cell mitosis or cell division is the process that the skin goes through to naturally restore itself. Washing your face and cleansing it with moisturiser, provides your skin with the nutrients it needs to restore itself.

Makeup can damage your eyes and eyelashes

Going to bed without washing the makeup off your face not only clogs your pores, but it could also be damaging your eyes and eyelashes. Every time you neglect the task of washing the makeup off your face, you risk your eye makeup building up under your eyelids. An Australian woman, Theresa Lynch, recently found out the hard way of what can happen when you neglect to remove your eye makeup before going to bed. After complaining about having watery and irritated eyes, Ms Lynch decided to visit her Optometrist, who discovered small mascara particles embedded under Ms Lynch’s eyelids. This resulted in a ninety-minute surgery to remove the particles from Ms Lynch’s eyelids. As not only does mascara build-up under the eye look pretty nasty, it can also cause eye problems associated with conjunctivitis and damage the cornea. This could even result in permanent vision problems.

You may prevent blemishes 

Bacteria makes it onto our faces as we constantly unknowingly touch it throughout the day, making the face one of the dirtiest parts of our body. When you wash your face, it may lessen the amount of oil on your face which may also prevent blemishes. This is because too much oil can clog and trap bacteria if it is present on the skin, leading to skin blemishes like pimples. Washing your face may also prevent dirt, makeup and dust from clogging up your pores and causing breakouts such as blackheads and whiteheads.

Washing and cleansing your face will keep your sheets clean

Washing your face before going to bed may also mean that you may not have to clean your pillowcase and bed sheets as much. This is because you are washing all the dirt, dust, pollutants and makeup off your face which would otherwise rub off onto your pillows and sheets as you sleep if you didn’t wash your face.

Washing and cleansing your face may prevent dryness

Most of us likely apply moisturiser to our face in the morning, meaning that by the time we are getting ready for bed the moisturiser has more than likely already worn off. As the skin produces fewer oils that naturally lubricate the skin at night, washing and moisturising it will ensure that the skin stays hydrated. Therefore it will prevent the skin from becoming dry and irritated. Washing the makeup and dirt off your face will also ensure that the skin goes through its natural exfoliation process, which may prevent flakiness.

It instils good self-care habits into your little ones

Children are impressionable, meaning that they follow by a parent or older loved one’s example. Much like other mundane tasks such as brushing your teeth or washing your hair, washing and cleansing your face nightly could teach your children the importance of self-care from a young age. It is often said that many women wished their parents and loved ones instilled the importance of routinely washing and cleansing their face during their youth.