Well, just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Makeup, even mineral makeup, should be removed every day and the skin properly cleansed and moisturized. Read on to see why.
Recently, the beauty editor for the Daily Mail did a 30 day experiment and refrained from removing her makeup for an entire month. (Read it here.) She washed her face in the shower each morning and moisturized and then simply reapplied her makeup over the old layer, day after day. Unsurprisingly, at the end of the month when a dermatologist examined her skin the result was not pretty.
She looked 10 years older and every problem with her skin was magnified. Incidentally, the results were so bad she was worried that her skin was permanently affected. At the end she had tiny white cysts lining her eyelids that turned into a flaky, dandruff like substance. Pores across her face were visibly blocked and enlarged. She had dry cracked skin on her lips and cheeks. In fact, the dermatologist confirmed her skin had actually aged 10 years! Fortunately, going back to a daily cleansing and moisturizing routine would have her skin back to normal in about 4 weeks.
Turns out, sleeping in your makeup has a drying effect on the skin. This can cause skin to crack and enhances the production of fine lines and wrinkles. Dirt and makeup particles can physically clog pores which makes them appear larger as they become impacted, but dermatologists also think over time this can actually stretch pores. Our pores enlarge as we age because the skin loses its elasticity, but why speed up the process, right?
Plus, makeup left on the skin forms a barrier over time. If your skin is having a reaction to a product or ingredient it will be worse because that product is trapped on the skin with no air flow. Likewise, what is not locked in is locked out. The barrier disallows moisturizers to absorb and they will just sit on top of the makeup barrier until they are wiped away.
Why Removing Your Makeup Is Necessary
Removing your makeup not only cleans the skin of makeup but provides other benefits. First, removing makeup, oil, pollution, dust and other particles from your skin allows the skin to breathe and naturally renew and cleanse itself. It also exfoliates the top layer of skin, leaving room for new, healthy, younger skin to shine through.
Daily cleansing also helps remove environmental pollutants, which stick to makeup throughout the day. Environmental pollutants cause oxidative stress, where the skin's cellular structure is attacked by free radicals. Free radicals break down the structures of facial cells and also decrease the production of collagen. Collagen helps give skin its plump, youthful appearance. We definitely want our collagen as healthy as possible.
Not removing mineral makeup at the end of the day will encourage the same results. Exfoliation and cell renewal will be inhibited over time and skin will become dry, tired, and dull. So, regardless the makeup you use, be sure to take the extra 5 minutes every night to cleanse your skin and treat it to a moisturizer.
