After a long night of gallivanting with your favorite ghouls and gals, you may be tempted to wear your makeup to bed and deal with it in the morning. However, this skin care offense comes with a hefty fine. Besides the possibility of waking to a mess of costume makeup staring up at you from your pillow, not cleansing your face before bed–even on no-makeup days–can pose a major threat to your complexion.

To learn exactly what happens when you sleep in makeup, we reached out to board-certified dermatologist and CEO of LovelySkin, Dr. Joel Schlessinger:

“Nightly cleansing is one of the most important steps in every skin care regimen. If you go to bed without washing your face, you’re sleeping on pores clogged with oil, impurities and anything else your skin came in contact with that day. Sleeping on clogged pores interferes with the skin’s ability to repair itself and secrete sebum which regulates moisture levels. Long-term, this can lead to premature aging, but even one night without cleansing can cause skin to breakout and become dry the next morning. Sleeping in makeup clogs pores even more, making the possibility of waking up to dry, blemished skin all the more likely.”

Now that we’ve established how important nightly cleansing and removing makeup is to maintaining a healthy complexion, here’s how to clean your face effectively. Splashing some water on your skin and scrubbing away actually does more harm than good. This method provides you with little more than a dry, irritated complexion, as it doesn’t achieve the deep cleanse needed to remove all traces of makeup. With these detoxifying cleansers and makeup removers, you can steal the spookshow this Halloween without making your skin suffer.

Find the Best Makeup Removers for Your Unmasking

1. jane iredale Magic Mitt

Swap out that towel for the gentle jane iredale Magic Mitt–no scrubbing or rubbing necessary! Specially knitted microfibers penetrate the oils in makeup, dissolving them and lightly exfoliating skin in the process. It also acts as an eye makeup remover, even removing stubborn mascara. Simply soak the Magic Mitt in tepid water and enjoy a clean, renewed complexion.

2. Patchology Clean AF Facial Cleansing Wipes

These convenient cleansing towelettes are perfect for creating a clear canvas prior to makeup application or when you’re ready for a clean slate. Formulated with folic acid and vitamin B5, they strike the perfect balance between purifying and hydrating, removing all traces of makeup without stripping necessary moisture.

3. Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water

If you prefer using a liquid cleanser and cotton pad, try this soothing thermal mineral water enhanced with nourishing extracts. Herbs like rosemary, sage and lavender maintain a balanced complexion while botanicals effectively dissolve waterproof cosmetics, making it an effective eye makeup remover as well.

Discover the Best Cleanser for your Post-Halloween Detox

1. LovelySkin LUXE Clarifying Gel Cleanser

To make sure you’re going to bed with the clearest pores possible, follow your makeup remover of choice with this gel cleanser containing 2% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid. These two highly effective alpha and beta hydroxy acids dissolve dull skin and unclog pores to prevent breakouts while allantoin soothes and reduces inflammation.

2. Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant

Get the best of both physical and chemical exfoliation with this powder-to-paste formula. Rice bran extract acts as the physical exfoliant, smoothing the skin’s surface and improving texture. A combination of lactic acid and malic acid rids the skin of dead skin cells and other impurities, allowing activated charcoal to dive deep into pores and absorb excess oil.

3. Erno Laszlo Pore Refining Detox Double Cleanse

Providing all the power of a double cleanse in one formula, this detoxifying facial wash features cleansing oil beads to slough off impurities and soften skin while a proprietary Fruit Enzyme Complex provides additional exfoliation. Rounding out this purifying experience, black charcoal minimizes the appearance of pores and balances oil production.

BONUS: Kenra Professional Platinum Deep Detox Scrub

Maybe you employed some temporary hair color or went heavy on the styling products to take your haunting hairdo to the next level. If that’s the case, be sure to extend your deep cleanse to your hair as well. This detoxifying scrub from Kenra Professional includes their highest concentration of activated charcoal to completely eliminate buildup and wash out all product. Plus, biodegradable micro-beads get rid of any dulling impurities or pollutants that may be clinging to your strands, enhancing natural luster and shine.

Still searching for that spellbinding look? Check out more Halloween makeup tutorials on our blog!