Nothing feels better than doing your skincare routine before you go to bed – there’s something so calming about cleansing your skin before you fall asleep and applying all those lotions and potions.
However, although it can make us feel relaxed, doing your skincare right before you get into bed can actually be harmful to your skin and your bedsheets.
New research conducted by the bedding experts at Happy Beds found that the earliest you should be doing your skincare routine before getting into bed is one hour before. Why? Doing this will allow your skin to absorb the products you’re using. Putting your head down on that pillow right after you apply your skincare products means you’re likely to wipe your products straight off – and all over your pillowcase.
Not only is this reductive for your skin, but it might create yellow stains on your bedding. If that wasn’t bad enough, the moisture from your face can sink through the pillow covers which could cause skin irritation if you do your routine repeatedly before bed, as well as a growth in bacteria. Gross.
Pillows are a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive, as they become warm every night when you sleep on them.
The same advice can be applied to fake tanning. If you want your bed sheets to remain clean, apply your fake tan at least one hour before bed. This way you can ensure that your skin has absorbed all of the moisture before hopping into bed.
If you want to reduce the chances of your bed sheets getting dirty after you fake fan, try sleeping with dark bedding.
Additionally, the experts at Happy Beds advise opting for loose pyjamas made from breathable materials, such as cotton when tanning. This is because you need to avoid contact with your skin – so if you sleep on your side with your legs on top of each other or with your hand between your legs, your pyjamas should stop you from rubbing your tan.
If you like washing your hair before bed, make sure you’re sleeping in a satin cap to protect your hair by reducing friction from moving side to side at night.
This cap will also help protect your pillow as the more moisture sinks into your pillowcase and pillow, the more your pillow becomes an ideal environment for bacteria due to the heat and humidity.
Looks like we can’t do anything right.