Is There Any Eye Makeup Safe To Sleep In?

Given the “skinification” of makeup (the influx of makeup products infused with skin care ingredients), you might assume that mascara, eyeshadow, and other eye makeup formulations are becoming more skin friendly too, and by extension perhaps safer to wear for extended periods of time — including during a night’s rest. But Heather Rogers, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in Seattle and the founder of skin care brand Doctor Rogers, knows better.

“Yes, there is an increasing number of makeup products that include ingredients potentially beneficial for the skin and, hopefully, fewer of those that are harmful. However, no matter how you frame it, makeup is still makeup,” Dr. Rogers says. “It is designed and used for a different purpose than skin care.” 

As such, Dr. Rogers says it’s never a good idea to sleep in eye makeup, no matter how many skin care ingredients are used in the formula, how unmotivated we may feel to strip our eyes of makeup before bed, or what the brand’s marketing wants us to think. That’s because mascara, eyeshadow, and eyeliner worn to bed can migrate into eyes and/or transfer onto your pillowcase, increasing exposure to bacteria. Once on the fabric, makeup can get into eyes and skin, causing redness, itchiness, and other irritations that can lead to eye infections and flare-ups on skin.  

“There are days when people are too tired to wash their face, let alone follow a skin care routine, but we want to minimize those moments,” Dr. Rogers says. “The goal isn’t to find makeup that can adequately do both. Instead, it’s about creating a skin care routine that is so easy and effective, even on your most exhausting days, you still want to do it.”

Bottom line: It’s always worth the extra effort to remove eye makeup before hitting the pillow. Dr. Rogers’ recipe for success when it comes to sticking to a nightly eye makeup removal and skin care routine? “Choose quality over quantity — just stick to the basics but do them exceptionally well,” she says. “Wash your face once with a cleanser that can remove makeup in one go, follow it with a cell turnover treatment suited to your skin — whether that’s a potent tretinoin or a gentle lactic acid — and always finish with a well-formulated moisturizer that works for your face, eyelids, and neck. That’s it!” That we can do.