What happens when you leave your make-up on all night?

1. Wrinkles

If a carefully curated beauty arsenal is your pride and joy, sleeping in make-up could be rendering it redundant. “During the day, your skin is under constant attack from oxidative stress, with free radicals causing collagen breakdown,” says dermatologist Dr Anne Wetter. “This continues if make-up is left on, leading to loss of elasticity, wrinkles and, ultimately, premature ageing.” So, to keep early signs of ageing at bay, give your skin the night off.

2. Pores

If a bottomless brunch, turned all-day bubbly binge, is to blame for your made-up slumber, it won’t just be your mouth that’s dry come morning. “When makeup is left on at night, it penetrates the sub-layers of the dermis,” Dr Wetter says. And pores clogged with makeup prevent your skin from rehydrating and protecting itself from oxidative stress. Combat this with a double cleanse the next day. “Start with an oil-based cleanser to emulsify make-up, dirt and oils, then use a regular cleanser to get rid of any residue,” she adds.

3. Breakouts

Woken up with some new blackheaded friends on your face? “Sebum is our natural lubricant, moisturising the skin and removing irritants, such as dead skin cells,” Dr Wetter says. “But = leftover cosmetics block sebum release, so dead skin builds up in the enlarged pores, which can lead to acne.” Think prevention rather than cure and follow your usual cleansing routine with a product containing retinoids, which unclog pores..

4. Eyes

Unless you want to be that person who wears sunglasses indoors, don’t avoid wiping your peepers clean. “If you regularly leave mascara and eyeliner on at night, the small hair follicles and sebaceous glands can become clogged, causing infection and inflammation,” Dr Wetter warns. Finally found a mascara that gives you longer lashes than Naomi Campbell’s legs? Don’t undo its good work by failing to remove it. “Sleeping in mascara dries out the lashes, making them brittle and easily breakable,” Dr Wetter says.

5. Lips

Thought left-on lipstick would be the least of the possible beauty crimes? Think again. “Lipstick contains chemicals that dry out your lips,” Dr Wetter says. “Eating, drinking and talking mean your lipstick doesn’t stay put all day, but at night the chemicals stick to the surface, draining moisture from your lips.” Plus, the wax in lipstick can cause the pores around your lips to clog, leading to more blackheads. Long-lasting lippy living up to its claim? Gently brushing the lips with a toothbrush and an oil-based cleanser should see it off.