The Number 1 Anti-Aging Secret

The absolute number one rule of good skin care is to never, ever, ever go to bed without washing your face. I don’t care if it is 3 am and you have to get up for work in a couple of hours (you might want to think that through in advance next time, though) or even if you have the worst flu of your life (washing your face will actually make you feel better, anyway); you should always wash your face before going to sleep. Why is this so important? Your skin is not just a covering for your bones, blood and muscles as was once believed. It is a living, breathing organ. It is actually the largest organ of the body.Your skin allows toxins to exit the body and moisture, oxygen and other nutrients to enter the body.

Unfortunately, it can also allow toxins and bacteria to enter the body. During the day your skin is protected by a layer of sebum (the natural oils) and or your make-up and moisturizer (yes, the right make-up is actually good for your skin). At night your skin goes into feeding and rebuilding mode. It will absorb anything that is left on your skin (ever notice that most of the make-up is gone in the morning, but the pillow isn’t covered in it?). If you are using the right kind of make-up, without fragrance and mineral oil, it may not necessarily be “bad” for your skin, but that protective layer of sebum or make-up has collected a variety of molecules of dirt, bacteria and other environmental toxins throughout the day and those things are definitely bad for your skin and your body.

Allowing these substances into the skin not only causes blemishes; it also causes free radical damage which will lead to premature aging and possibly skin cancer. Free radicals are unstable molecules that attack and destroy other healthy molecules. In other words, they eat away at healthy skin cells. Free radical damage can also be caused or perpetuated by a poor diet, lack of sleep, pollution and most notably sun exposure. Preventing free radical damage means eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, using cosmetics and skin care with a good SPF coverage and of course washing your face before going to bed in order to cleanse away dirt, oil, bacteria and other pollutants that have collected there throughout the day.

The 2 Big Reasons to Never Break Rule #1

There are two serious consequences you will face if you do not consistently wash your face before going to bed at night:

1. Breakouts- Your entire body, including your skin, is on a 28-day cycle. It takes 28 days for a new skin cell to work its way to the top layer of your epidermis (the outermost layer of your skin). This means that if you have slept without washing one night, the effects of that choice will be with you for a full month. You may have a breakout the next day or it may take several days for the dirt and bacteria to work their magic (dark magic in this case). It will then take 28 full days to completely eradicate that damage.

2. Accelerated Aging- The second reason to never break Rule #1 is that your skin will age at a much faster rate if you sleep with make-up, dirt, pollutants and other debris on your skin at night. Your skin will age 3 days every single time you sleep without washing your face. That’s right, your skin ages 3 times faster when you sleep without washing! Washing your face before bed is absolutely one of the easiest and most important things you can do to prevent premature aging. Of course, you need to use a gentle cleanser and never soap, but we will discuss that in a later blog. (of course you can check my website at http://healthynatural.myarbonne.com/ for more information on anti-aging skin care in the meantime)