Spotty Skin? Your Pillow Could Be to Blame
October 20th, 2015
Spotty Skin? Your Pillow Could Be to Blame.
Do you struggle with pesky pimples around your hairline, jaw or cheeks? Do new spots that somehow grew overnight greet you in the morning? So much for beauty sleep!
Your pillow could be to blame. It’s hard to imagine that something so cozy could be the culprit, but hear me out. Stress, hormones and diet can all contribute to breakouts, but your pillow may be one factor that you’ve never considered. Good news is that it’s an easy one to fix.
During the night your face presses up against a pillow for 6-8 hours leaving residue from your hair products, sweat, oil and maybe even drool. Attractive, I know. Night after night this pore-clogging residue piles up and transfers back to your face, which can lead to blemishes.
Here are a few simple suggestions to clean up your nightly routine.
1) Keep Your Pillowcase Clean
How often do you wash your pillowcase? I’m guessing not often enough. I realize that doing laundry every other night may not be realistic so here’s a suggestion. Use one side of your pillow for 2 nights then flip it over and use the other side for 2 more nights. After that you can turn it inside out or switch to a fresh pillowcase. While you’re at it, make sure to wash your towels regularly too
2) Ditch the Dryer Sheets
Now that you’re washing your pillowcase more often, let’s talk about dryer sheets. While they smell great, they aren’t so great for your skin. Dryer sheets leave a waxy residue on your pillow that gets transferred to your face at night. This can cause skin irritation and can also clog your pores.
Wool dryer balls are a great eco-friendly alternative. Not only are they free of chemicals; they also reduce dry time by 30-50%, which helps save money on household electricity bills. Bonus!
I recently picked up some wool dryer balls at my local farmers market made by a Toronto-based company Green Carbon Living. I like adding a few drops of lavender essential oil to the dryer balls, as it give my sheets a calming scent perfect for putting me to sleep.
3) Put Your Hair Up
Do you still have hair scrunchies lying around from the ‘80s? They are perfect for putting your hair up at night without worrying about hair breakage. It’s a good idea to get your hair away from your face at night, as heavy styling products can be transferred to your face at night. Switching up your actual hair products is a topic for another post, but in the meantime get your hair away from your face while you sleep.
4) Wash Your Face – No Excuses
Last but not least is to make sure you do a thorough job washing off all your makeup at the end of the day. I’m sure you’ve probably heard this one before and with good reason. During the day your face gets exposed to dirt, smog and other air contaminants. Do you really want these particles sitting on your face all-night and getting transferred to your pillow? Wearing makeup overnight can also clog your pores and irritate the skin.
Do you often find that you’re too tired to wash your face before bed? Why not try switching up your routine and washing your face when you get home from work.
Follow these 4 steps and you’ll be well on your way to sweet dreams and smooth skin.
Looking for more simple tips to get clear skin now? Check out my FREE guide here!