Is It Bad To Sleep With Mascara On?

May 19, 2025 by Manasa Hegde

Important: This article is for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer for more details.

Mascara is an important part of our eye makeup that enhances our beauty but once you are back home after attending some party or any other event, you might not feel like removing your makeup. especially your mascara. But in any circumstance, this has to be avoided to avoid undesirable outcomes later. Read on to know why you need to remove your mascara before sleeping.

Article Contains

Need For Removing Mascara Before Sleeping
Steps To Follow If You Already Slept With Your Mascara On

Need For Removing Mascara Before Sleeping

Some important issues that can occur when we do not remove the mascara before sleeping, are as follows:

1. Concretions

Concretions are solid masses forming below the eyelids when something accumulates, including mascara that is not removed before sleeping. It can result in irritation, negatively affect the cornea, cause pain in the eyes and even blindness in severe cases.

2. Development of Bacteria

Bacteria can develop in the eyes when you don’t clean off the mascara before sleeping. This can result in vision and eye issues, including blindness.

[ Read: Brown Mascara Vs Black Mascara – Which is Better? ]

3. Irritation

You might accidentally rub off your eyes while sleeping, letting in the mascara, which can lead to eye irritation. Thus you won’t be able to focus on work and do important activities.

4. Falling Off of Lashes

When you let the mascara remain while sleeping, it can dry out and form clumps, resulting in the lashes falling off. Thus the eye health would be harmed.

5. Harming the Eyeballs

The eyeballs are most affected when we don’t remove mascara before sleeping as they are delicate and we might rub our eyes at night which can scratch the cornea.

Steps To Follow If You Already Slept With Your Mascara On

On waking up, remove it as soon as possible using oil and then wash your face.
Calm down and hydrate your skin using a face mask. Consult a doctor immediately if the eye irritation doesn’t go away in some time.
Check your eyes to see if there is any infection, pain or something unusual that needs a doctor’s consultation.

Removing the mascara before sleeping can be done easily with the help of mascara removal pads. In rare cases sleeping on with mascara is fine but it should not become a habit. So, it is important to keep the above points in mind and remove all your makeup thoroughly, moisturize your skin and then go to bed, for healthy skin and eyes.

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