Wouldn’t you love to wake up feeling clean with your skin glowing? Yes you do! And this is why you absolutely need to take off your makeup properly before going to bed.

Many women make the mistake of leaving makeup on before going to sleep and, as a result, develop wrinkles, acne, dry skin, etc. – and these are just the effects of facial makeup. Leaving eye makeup on, for instance, can cause a range of problems such as broken eyelashes, eye irritation and even eye infections.

Taking makeup off before going to bed is not at all complicated or cumbersome, for that matter. Here are a few simple steps to help you:

Break it down with Cleanser

Your daily cleanser would more than suffice to remove foundation and blush. Simply massage your cleanser over your face, allowing it to sink in for about 15 seconds and then wipe off with a damp cotton washcloth. Keep scrubbing gently until there are no signs of makeup.

Be Really Gentle

Taking off makeup should never be a rushed process or it can leave your skin irritated and dehydrated. Use your fingers to spread just a pinch of oil across your lips, eyebrows and eyelids and massage it evenly across your face.

This softens up the skin and loosens makeup. Dab a flat cotton pad in some cleansing oil and gently massage the same spots again. Skim the surface of your skin in one direction at a time to ‘pull off’ all that makeup – always avoid scrubbing back and forth.

Apply Steam Heat

It’s a good idea to steam heat your face prior to washing. All you need to do is fill up your sink with some hot water and hover your face over it; about a minute or perhaps two, is all you need.

Steam is great for loosening up pores, making it easier for your cleaner to penetrate the skin more deeply – which helps you remove debris and makeup for effectively. Add some lavender oil for a soothing spa-like effect.

Pay Extra Attention to those Eyes

Liner and mascara can be tough to get off – but remember, it’s never a good idea to scrub them off because skin around the eyes can be particularly sensitive.

Use a cotton pad and dual-phase or oil-based remover, especially for the eyes, although pre-soaked pads work fine as well. An important rule of thumb here is to first close your eyes and press the soaked cotton pad against your eyelids and lashes for 10 seconds or so – which gives the remover enough time to dissolve before you can start wiping.

Remove Excess Oil

After removing eye makeup, use a dry cotton pad to ensure any last product bits have been removed. Don’t skip this step unless you’re willing to endure “raccoon eyes syndrome” the next day.

Oil-based Makeup Remover Best for “long term” Lipstick

Finally, you’d want to use a liquid/cream makeup remover-soaked pad to remove lipstick. An oil-based remover is only required if you have long-wearing lipstick on.

You’re all set – and please – avoid baby wipes to remove makeup!