Don't remove makeup before bed? Optometrist explains what happens when you leave your mascara on at night

Forgetting to remove your makeup, especially mascara, before bed is not only a skincare lapse but can actually affect your eyes. Dr Tsai explains what happens.

We’ve all had those nights when exhaustion wins and makeup removal feels optional - after all, skipping it once can’t be that harmful, right? But leaving mascara on overnight isn’t just a skincare slip-up; over time, it can quietly irritate your eyes and even scratch the surface of the cornea, making proper removal more important than it seems.

Be sure to remove our mascara before bedtime to prevent eye complications. (Unsplash)

Dr Jennifer Tsai, a board-certified optometrist based in New York City, specialising in dry eye treatment, ocular aesthetics, and regenerative eye and skin therapies for longevity, is breaking down what actually happens when you fail to remove mascara before going to bed. In an Instagram video shared on January 15, the optometrist offers a visual of how tiny bits of mascara can accumulate beneath your eyelids, explaining why it is so important to remove your makeup before you sleep at night.

What happens when you sleep with mascara on?

She explains, “You sleep with your mascara on at night? Look under your lids. These are tiny concretions, basically rolled up pigmented particles of mascara depositing underneath your conjunctiva and the upper lid. Causes these hard lumps or nodules, so when you blink, it irritates your cornea because it scratches the surface.”

Prevention tips

The optometrist stresses the importance of removing all makeup before going to bed. She recommends double-cleansing the lashes and choosing non-waterproof mascaras, as they are easier to remove thoroughly.

Dr Tsai highlights, “Always always take off your makeup every night if you wear it. Double cleanse your lashes. Make sure you try to aim for non-waterproof mascara. And if you choose to wear mascara, tubing mascara has been a popular alternative for mascara which forms tiny tubes around lashes instead of wet film so it comes off more easily.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.