If you have heard somewhere that washing your face before going to bed is quite beneficial for your skin health, but you are unsure whether this piece of information is accurate, you are in the right place to learn the truth.
Yes, washing your face every night before going to sleep can improve your skin health, in turn, your facial appearance in many ways.
For instance, cleansing your face properly before sleep can remove pollutants accumulated in your face during the day.
However, this is not the only skin benefit of washing your face before going to sleep. There are other advantages of this free and easy nighttime skincare regimen.
In this article, we are going to talk about 4 major skin benefits of washing your face before sleep.
Please note that we will support the accuracy of the information about the potential skin benefits of washing your face before going to sleep with related scientific studies.
Plus, we will listen to what board-certified dermatologists have to say about this issue.
Why is Washing Your Face Important For Your Skin?
According to dermatologists; keeping your face clean is essential for having radiant and healthy-looking skin (1),(2),(3).
Once again according to dermatologists and studies; the most effective and recommended way of keeping your face clean is to wash it with clean water twice a day (4),(5),(6),(7).
That being said, it is also important to note that how often you should wash your face heavily depends on your skin condition and skin type (7),(8),(9).
What we can infer is washing your face with water is necessary not only before bed but also during the day to keep your skin healthy.
Then you might want to ask why we focus on the skin benefits of washing your face before bed, instead of the skin benefits of washing your face at any time during the day.
Well, the reason that we are focusing on the skin benefits of washing the face before bed is related to the fact nighttime face washing is arguably the most effective one in terms of keeping your face clean and healthy.
Ironically, approximately 55 per cent of Americans often go to bed without washing their face, according to a national survey (10),(11),(12).
If you are one of those who skip washing your face before bed, the below give four skin benefits of cleansing your face before bed and can convince you to wash your face every night before going to bed.
4 Skin Benefits of Washing Your Face Before Bed
Please note that, although there are other benefits of washing the face before bedtime such as stress reduction, in this article only the skin benefits of washing the face before bed were mentioned.
It is important to note that if you are a woman who wears make-up regularly, then the advantages of washing your face before bed can be greater.
Here are the 4 skin benefits of washing your face before surrendering to sleep.
Washing Your Face Before Bed Removes Pollutants
Since environmental pollutants are, in general, unseeable, you may not be able to realise their negative impact on your health and (related to our topic) on your skin (13),(14),(15).
However, during the day many of us are exposed to environmental pollutants and these pollutants can cause a great deal of damage to our skin. Actually, the consequences can be greater if you live in a big city.
In a nutshell, these particles remain on your skin even if you don’t see them. So, if you sleep without washing your face properly before sleep, these pollutants will remain on your skin for long hours while you sleep, irritating your skin and thus causing certain skin problems ranging from acne to premature skin ageing to occur (16),(17),(18),(19).
What’s more, some small particles in the air can even damage collagen, leading to loss of skin elasticity.
So, when you wash your face before going to bed, you don’t allow these pollutants to penetrate your skin.
For this reason, you should never skip washing your face before sleep, especially, if you live in a crowded and industrial city. Indeed, taking a bath can be another alternative to keep your skin as well as your hair clean.
Wash your face with lukewarm water before going to bed to keep it as healthy as possible. Remember that the impact of environmental pollutants on your skin can be greater than you might think.
Washing Your Face Before Bed Removes Cosmetics
As mentioned above if you are a woman who wears make-up regularly, the significance of washing your face properly before bed is greater for you compared to almost anyone else.
Makeup products may not be harmful to your skin as long as you apply them occasionally and cleanse them at night.
However, various research and studies tell us that some chemicals found in many makeup products can harm the natural structure of the skin if these products stay on the skin for long hours repeatedly (20),(21),(22).
Bear in mind that, your skin gets the chance to renew itself while you sleep. So, if you allow makeup products to remain on your face as you sleep, you can wreak havoc on your skin, especially in the long run.
So, do not forget to remove your makeup and wash your face before going to bed. In doing so, you can help your skin to breathe at night and rejuvenate itself.
After washing your face at night before bed, you can also use a moisturiser to prevent the risk of dry skin.
Washing Your Face Before Bed Keeps Your Pillow Case Clean
This subtitle says washing your face before bed keeps your pillowcase clean! But, is this relevant? Well, it is, at least, to some extent.
You may not be aware, but the condition of your pillowcase is an important factor that determines the quality of your skin. How so?
For instance; if your pillowcase is not clean (although seems clean), it can either lead to acne breakouts or trigger eczema in people who are prone to it (23),(24).
Moreover, dirty pillowcases can lead to clogged pores and skin blemishes (such as dark spots) according to Dr David E. Bank, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder and director of The Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery (25),(26).
Indeed, the best way to keep your pillowcase clean is to wash it regularly. However, washing your face each night before going to bed is another important way to keep your pillowcase clean.
Because, even you don’t realise, firstly you transmit bacteria and other residues – which accumulated on your face – to your pillowcase.
The conclusion is that when you wash your face before bed your face remains clean and that in turn keeps your pillowcase clean too. Note that keeping your pillowcase clean and soft may also help hair growth.
Washing Your Face Before Bed May Prevent Acne
Well, if you have acne-prone skin, then you have another strong reason to keep your face clean before going to bed.
Needless to say, the most effective way to keep your face clean is to wash it with lukewarm water before bed, as mentioned above.
According to a study; washing acne-prone skin with a mild cleanser two times a day is ideal to treat acne breakouts (27),(28).
Please note that residue on your face, such as dead skin cells, bacteria, or excess sebum can aggravate your acne (29),(30).
So, make sure you remove residue from your face with water and a mild cleanser before bed. In doing so, you can minimise the risk of acne breakouts.
Conclusion
Many of us know the importance of washing our faces almost first thing in the morning. After all, it is good practice to shake off sleep and it also provides skin hygiene.
However, as is evident in a comprehensive national survey, many people skip washing their faces before going to sleep.
In this article, we have provided 4 reasons that indicate why you shouldn’t neglect night face washing.
When it comes to having healthy-looking skin, washing your face before going to bed is more effective than doing it at any time during the day.
So, if you don’t have a habit of washing your face before bed, get yourself accustomed to practising this night skin-care regimen. In doing so, you can do a great favour for your skin.
Tarkan is an experienced health writer ( currently more than 600 articles ) and also the founder of this website namely www.neededforhealth.com. His expertise in health stems from in-depth medical research and knowledge which he obtained over the course of many years.
Tarkan enjoys sharing factual knowledge on health, psychology and nutrition. He always aims to deliver evidence-based recommendations, provide links to related scientific studies.
