THE LAZY GIRL’S SKINCARE GUIDE
Guilty of going to sleep in your makeup? Read on for the repercussions
WHO recently sat down with clean beauty expert and author of The Skin Journal, Georgina Alexandra, to get a glimpse into her knowledge of clean skincare and gather insights on just how gruelling laziness can be for our skin.
How does sleeping in your makeup really affect the condition of your skin?
Sleep is the time for your body to repair itself from the stress of the daily challenges. Sleeping once with your makeup on causes at least 21 days damage to the skin, including allergic reactions, irritations, acne development and ageing. Basically your skin self cleans when you are sleeping. It excretes oil from the pores which washes away any dirt, pollution, etc. and when you leave your makeup on it clogs the pores therefore not allowing for both the oil and dirt to come out, causing acne and other skin impurities. What happens to skin while you sleep?
A growth hormone stimulates the renewal of all your body’s organs, including the renewal of your skin. This growth hormone is active throughout the day and repairs the damage
accumulated. This includes pollution, sun exposure and free radicals. Each time your skin ‘tries’ to shed and renew itself, it is building up layers upon layers of dead skin and it all gets trapped and builds up dirt, grime, inhibiting the skin’s renewal process. Does it really take 21 days to recover?
It takes your skin at least 21-28 days because this is the time it takes for your skin to renew itself completely.
What are your expert steps to help speed up the recovery process? Double-cleansing is really important if you wear makeup every day. It will ensure your makeup is completely removed and your skin is clean. If you are not using an oil for hydration, I would explore this further. An oil or elixir is such an important part of recovery. For the lazy girl, what is the bare minimum? I would be removing makeup with a micellar water and using some sort of hydration product before bed. It will help with restoring your skin overnight. This could look like an oil or night serum that has active ingredients to assist with repairing.
Any treatments you would recommend? Visiting your local beautician is a great way to support you on your journey to healthy skin. I am loving the Jade Rolling and Gua Sha to increase the flow of your lymphatic system, provide anti-ageing benefits, de-puff your face and support your nervous system. It is relaxing and just the push you need to start your seamless skin routine.