THERE is a rule of thumb that going to bed with your make-up on will age your skin seven times faster. While I have no idea how someone came up with the magical ‘seven times’ faster rate, there is a grain of truth in this.

Most make-up contains artificial colours and other ingredients that may clog the pores, cause damaging chemical reactions in the skin, and even interfere with hormones. This can result in congested skin and allergies, and of course contribute to skin ageing. Therefore, it really is best to thoroughly remove your make-up before bed.

Your skin acts as a primary defender and protective barrier to the harsh environment you live in. If you don’t help it ‘reset’ on a daily basis to purge any damage and inflammation, your defences weaken and unwanted changes to your gene patterns occur to compensate. Leaving make-up on overnight without cleaning your skin leads to greater build-up of damaging agents, which accumulate and accelerate the ageing process.

Never go to bed with make-up on. During the sleeping hours is when much of the body’s cellular repair and rejuvenation happens. As such, this is an optimal time to cleanse to remove the toxins from the day and add nourishing, repairing and hydrating ingredients to the skin.

Cleansing and applying peptides, vitamin A, and penetrating moisturisers will make a tremendous difference in the ageing process on the skin. Let bedtime be your rejuvenation time with a three-step, easy regimen.

Whether this old wives’ tale is true or not, the reality is that sleeping with make-up does cause skin ageing, comedones, pimples, irritation, and dull-looking skin.

The make-up can actually hold free radicals, which means at night when make-up is not removed, the free radicals remain on the skin, doing damage. Free radicals actually break down collagen, which in turn causes fine lines and wrinkles to appear on the skin.

When mascara and eye make-up are not removed, they also hold bacteria and the mascara can clog the hair follicles and oil glands on the eyelids. The eyes can then become irritated, inflamed, and bacteria builds up.

Michelle Vernon is a licensed aesthetician who operates the Body Studio Skincare establishment, located at 23 Central Plaza, Kingston 10. She may be reached at telephone 908-0438; IG@bodystudioskincare; Email: bodystudioskincare@gmail.com; Website: www.bodystudioskincare.com