Sorry, Dolly

Dolly Parton’s revelation about not taking off her make-up before bedtime can do you more harm than good. An expert shares why

In a recent interview, country music superstar Dolly Parton made a controversial declaration of going to bed with a full face of make-up on. And while the 75-year-old singer claimed that her routine works for her, experts aren’t as quick to get on board. “Regardless of whether you wear make-up or not, it is important to cleanse your skin before you sleep. Through the day, your skin is exposed to dirt and environmental pollution that combines with the oil secreted by your skin to clog your pores and weigh your skin down. While you sleep at night, the skin repairs itself — your pores open and there is an exchange between your lymphatic and circulatory systems to purge toxins and dead skin cells and replenish these with younger, healthier cells,” explains Dr Chytra V Anand, a dermatologist and founder of Kosmoderma Clinic. Make-up adds an additional barrier that prevents your skin from breathing at night. Your skin, therefore, is unable to repair itself at the same intensity as  it could have, if you had cleansed it. 

The aftermath, Dr Anand says, doesn’t show in a matter of hours or days. “It is a cumulative effect of the damage caused to your skin over a couple of months or even years. This is especially true for people in their 30s and 40s, when their hormone levels change, and the skin can’t replenish itself at the same pace it did during their teens or 20s. If you stress your skin out by not taking off your make-up, the process of repair slows down, resulting in larger open pores, more clogging or blackheads, and closed comedones or whiteheads. You may also experience breakouts,” she explains. Unlike Western skin that develops lines and wrinkles, Indian skin becomes blotchy and dull with large open pores due to improper care. 

Dr Chytra Anand

Although make-up wipes get a bad rep, Dr Anand clarifies that you can use them in a pinch, provided you use wipes that have a soft, woven texture. This prevents micro-abrasions in the skin, which can irritate it and lead to hyperpigmentation. “Make sure to rinse your face with water after using a wipe, so that you can wipe off the residue,” she adds. And while double-cleansing has been doing the rounds on social media, she advises against double-cleansing your skin every day, unless you are wearing very heavy make-up, have been exposed to a lot of pollution or have very oily skin. “In most cases, a simple cleanser does the job if all you’re wearing on your face is skincare products and a light tint. If you have a very oily T-zone, you can double-cleanse only that area,” she concludes.  

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