I woke up this morning at 4:54am. What would cause such an early rise on a Saturday morning? Well after rubbing my left eye, I realized that I’d gone to bed without removing my makeup. And nothing feels quite as wonderful as rubbing twelve-hour old mascara into your eyeballs. Not to mention the effect it can have on your delicate eye skin. Not to mention the twelve eyelashes I probably lost in the process! And without those eyelashes I can’t bat my eyes at the cute neighbor in apt. 24. So! Removal of all makeup is crucial. Aside from protecting your sex appeal, makeup removal has many health benefits as well…especially at night.
Most of us may not even consider it, but your skin is the largest organ of your body. Apart from housing your internal organs, it protects the body, regulates body temperature and facilitates the sensation of touch. One of its most important functions takes place at night, while you sleep. Cell Regeneration or “turnover” is the process where fresh, new skin cells replace the old, dead skin. The purpose of regeneration is to replace your outer skin layer, the epidermis, which is turned over about every one to two months. Makeup that is left on over night can impede this process or worse, block pores, which can cause acne. It is especially important for the delicate skin around your eyes.
Your skin houses microscopic glands called, Sebaceous glands. Found nearly all over the body, these glands secrete oil and a waxy substance called Sebum, which is responsible for lubrication of the skin and hair. The delicate skin around your eye area is highly prone to dryness because it has very few Sebaceous Glands. Unlike the skin around other parts of your face and body, your delicate eye area is substantially thinner and doesn’t produce enough sebum to keep it moisturized at a healthy level. Along with pulling, rubbing and stretching, lack of Sebaceous glands is also attributed to fine lines and wrinkling around the eyes. So in short, for healthy skin and wrinkle-free eye skin, it is important to: get plenty of sleep, remove ALL makeup and keep your eye skin moisturized.
CONSENSUS
Of course to achieve perfect makeup removal, you need the perfect product. In my humble opinion, I happen to love
Neutrogena’s Makeup Remover, cleansing towelettes. Pre-moistened, these beauties effectively dissolve ALL traces of dirt, oil and makeup. Even those pesky MAC, RuPaul-grade liquid liners that don’t want to budge. They leave your skin feeling clean with only a slightly faint, cleanser residue. Even though the package states that it’s unnecessary, a light rinse is recommended.
This product is also Alcohol Free, making it perfect for the sensitive eye area and contact lens wearers. But beware of supposedly “comparable” generic brands. Read the ingredients! I have found that most generic, CVS or grocery store brands that compare themselves to this product, contain Alcohol-Denat or SD Alcohol. Both are forms of Ethanol Alcohol, a denatured alcohol that is used in cosmetics. Not something I would advise using on your skin or eye area if possible. It won’t kill you buuuut I advise against it. We’ll revisit the family of Alcohols and their functions in cosmetics during future posts! Stay tuned!
One last note, a personal favorite about this product: if you happen to let the wipes dry out, I’ve found that you can re-moisten them with tap or any water of your choice. Provided they aren’t dry
and a hundred million years old.
