When it comes to skincare, many of us place the most focus on our daytime routine, whether that takes the form of the products we use before going anywhere or booking appointments with a skin clinic for more intensive treatments.
Whilst this is not necessarily terrible, as long as you are using suitable products for your skin, it does mean that a lot of people are neglecting their nighttime skincare needs, either by merely paying it lip service, duplicating an unsuitable daytime routine or not having an evening routine at all.
With that in mind, here are some common skincare mistakes that you may not realise are hurting your skin in the long run.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
There is a reason why it is called beauty sleep. According to the Sleep Foundation, not getting enough sleep leads to dark circles, a pale complexion, fine lines and wrinkles, as well as generally looking upset and tired.
It can also be a risk factor in acne flare-ups, so if you do not typically get spots but have noticed increasingly intense breakouts, this could be the cause.
Not Cleansing
If you have put on any makeup that day, you absolutely must wash your face before you go to bed, as this can cause acne breakouts and disrupt the delicate rebuilding and repairing processes your skin goes through.
Even if you are not wearing makeup, dirt, debris, smog and the remnants of your skincare routine can still clog your pores.
With that said, too much cleansing can be just as bad for your skin if it rips away the skin’s natural moisture barrier. Make sure to find a balance between the two, and use gentler cleansing products at night than you would during the day.
Not Regularly Changing Your Bedding
Given that changing your bedsheets, duvet cover, blankets and pillowcases can take an awfully long time, some people decide to leave the task until much later, which can expose your skin to a lot of bacteria that can cause acne and other skin conditions.
Generally, if you can change your pillowcases every week at the very least you can help avoid these nasty breakouts.
As well as this, try and use a set of silk pillowcases, as they are far kinder to your skin and your hair than cotton ones.
Being Too Warm
The dangers of hot showers to your skin are well known, but a lot of the principles that make a hot shower a problem can apply to a hot bedroom in general.
First of all, using central heating systems often leads to low humidity, which can cause your skin to feel dry, lose its moisture and leave it more prone to redness and irritation.
As well as this, warm rooms in general cause you to sweat more, which not only causes that familiar unpleasant smell but also causes impurities to be expelled out onto your skin, which if you do not wash your face is reabsorbed by your skin.
Finally, being too warm makes it harder to sleep, which hurts your skin in a variety of different ways.
