Most experts would agree that the first lesson in Beauty 101 is to wash your face both morning and night to avoid developing skin concerns like acne. Cleansing your face in the morning starts your day off on a clean slate by ridding your skin of any bacteria that may have built up on your skin from your pillowcase or hair overnight. Washing your face at night removes all your makeup, excess oils, debris, and pollution from the day.
But recently, TikTokers have been campaigning for nighttime-only face washing — a trend that (like many other TikTok phenomenons) is up for debate. Though it’s having a social media moment, “washing your face [once a day] has been something people have been doing forever, says Dr. Papri Sarkar, a board-certified dermatologist in Brookline, MA. But like anything else on TikTok, always make sure a trend is appropriate for your skin and lifestyle. Below, we dive into whether or not nighttime-only face washing could work for you.
Who Can Benefit From Nighttime-Only Cleansing
Not all skin types find it necessary to wash their face twice. ‘I have very dry and sensitive skin. I’ve been asked frequently When it comes to cleansing, should you do it in the AM, the PM, or both? I know many of us, particularly people with dry skin, are like, I don’t need to cleanse in the morning. You might say, I don’t want to wash my face twice because my skin already feels tight and dry when I wake up. Sort of the problem is that indoor air pollution can often be worse than outdoor air pollution,’ adds Sunday Riley. “If you had to only choose one, we’re going to choose the PM. We want to remove all the dirt, the sunscreen, the makeup, the sweat, all those types of things, and the pollution accumulated on your skin throughout the day. Remember all the makeup, all the sunscreen, it’s also like a nice glue for all of the pollution particles. They’re incredibly irritating and cause aging of the skin. So we want to remove everything, particularly if you live in a big city.”
Meet the Experts
Sunday Riley , CEO, founder and product formulator
Dr. Papri Sarkar is a board-certified dermatologist in Brookline, MA.
Cheryl Staurowsky is an aesthetician in Boca Raton, FL.
Some skin types can handle nighttime-only washing because cleansing with a certain type of cleanser can create tightness in the skin due to the stripping of beneficial oils. Boca Raton, FL aesthetician Cheryl Staurowsky explains that you need to choose the right cleanser to avoid stripping the necessary lipids from the skin, which keep out contaminants and impurities and keep in moisture. In addition, a lack of skin-friendly natural oils can increase the chances of irritation, breakouts, and an overproduction of sebum. When cold temperatures and dry weather negatively impact the skin, consider switching up your regular cleanser to include more hydrating ingredients, such as a rich balm cleanser like Sunday Riley Blue Moon Clean Rinse Cleansing Balm.
‘This luscious, soft blue cleansing balm easily removes impurities and makeup (even stubborn eye makeup) using gentle sugar-based cleansers to leave skin thoroughly clean, comfortable, hydrated, and glowing. This cleansing balm helps dissolve and lift all of that gunk off of your face. The balm-to-oil formula melts away all that makeup, that stubborn makeup, and maybe stubborn eyeliner that you might have on like eyelash glue. Maybe you have sunscreen on your shoulder. Maybe you just have dirt, oil, sweat, all those different things. You can also use the Blue Moon as a hydrating mask. It’s going to help soften the skin and hydrate it. I like to leave it on when I’m in the bathtub,’ explains Sunday Riley.
If you decide to go the nighttime-only cleansing route, you should always aim to remove the day’s grime, sweat, makeup, and sunscreen. “I often recommend a double cleanse, in this case, with an oil or balm cleanser on dry skin,” says Dr. Sarkar. “Work it in well to emulsify everything on the skin, and after, based on what your skin prefers, use either a foaming, oil, or gentle cleanser.” Gentle ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid are good for retaining moisture and are compatible with most skin types.
Formulated as a universal, foaming cleanser for even the most sensitive skin, Ceramic Slip by Sunday Riley leaves all skin types softer, cleaner, balanced, and radiant. Extremely gentle, this deep cleaning cleanser can be used daily, morning and night, for a healthier-looking complexion.
‘Think of it as if you’re using a really good detox face mask along with your cleanser. Imagine the clay (I used Green Clay, Bentonite, and White Kaolin) diving deep into your skin to pull out all the stuff you definitely don’t want, kind of like how a super face mask works. But then, it doesn’t stop there. It brings in some goodies, like rice and olive oil esters, to pump hydration right back into your skin. So, it’s like you’re using a magnet: yanking out the bad stuff but also making sure the good stuff, like serious hydration, gets back in. You don’t want to strip your skin bare. We’re aiming to get rid of all the gunk— pollution, dirt, makeup, sunscreen, you name it — without leaving your skin dry as a desert. We don’t want to over-dry your skin,’ Sunday says.
If you’re not going to do a full cleanse in the morning, Staurowsky suggests rinsing the skin with just water before applying your usual morning skincare products. Splashing the skin with water will help loosen up product, debris, and sweat lingering on the skin, but it may not entirely remove it. So, keep this in mind if you notice an increase in breakouts.
Those Who Should Stick to Cleansing Twice Day
Oily, acne-prone, and normal skin types should stick with cleansing the skin twice daily since these types tend to create excess sebum and oil — even when you are asleep. That’s why, sometimes, the skin feels greasy or slick in the morning. “If you sweat at night (even if your skin is dry), you need to do a proper face wash in the morning,” says Dr. Sarkar. Not removing accumulated oil can lead to clogged pores and breakouts.
“Clay cleansers are great for those with oily skin or anyone who feels they have clogged pores,” says Sunday Riley. Like an oil-based cleanser, these formulas are gentle on skin. But like water cleansers, they leave you with that feeling that every pore has been scrubbed clean. Formulated with mineral-rich clays, “clay cleansers can help draw impurities, bacteria, oil and sebum out of pores,” Sunday says. Sebum, especially, is what contributes to clogged pores. Clay cleansers are like magnets for sebum. “They not only deeply clean but can gently exfoliate the skin as well,” says Sunday.
If you have oily skin and use products with active ingredients as part of your morning skincare routine, a morning cleanse is a must so that your products can work effectively. Similarly, “if you use topical prescriptions nightly, it is best to wash in the morning to remove them fully,” says Staurowsky.
If you start your day with a sweat session, no matter your skin type, you should always cleanse your face after your workout. “Again, oil, sweat, and other impurities can clog pores and create congestion and, in general, affect the overall health of our skin,” says Riley. ‘I always bring with me to the gym Ceramic Slip Cleanser. This is your face mask and your cleanser, two in one. You can leave it on the skin for a little bit, like a spa mask, and then rinse it off. It’s going to put a little bit of hydration back into your skin, so it’s not going to strip it. Then you put the firming mist Pink Drink on, and then you put the Good Genes on. It’s great for all skin types, and these three products are enough for the total transformation of your skin. Pink Drink has not only firming peptides in its formula, but it also helps to reduce the appearance of pore size, restore the moisture barrier, and add antioxidant protection to your skin. It’s resurfacing the skin so fast. That’s the reason why this is such a sellout for us. You put this on after cleansing your skin. It feels so refreshing. You could put on top of makeup even,’ adds Sunday Riley.
The Cons to Nighttime-Only Washing
Though the benefits of skipping the morning cleanse are a pared-down routine and perhaps sneaking in a few more zzzs, you want to chat with your dermatologist to make sure it’s the right move for you.
Before you decide to throw yourself into the latest TikTok fad, consider the downsides to reserving face washing for your nighttime routine:
- Skin doesn’t feel clean in the morning
- Not removing active nighttime skincare ingredients like retinoids, which may cause photosensitivity
- The possibility for bacteria and dirt living on towels and pillowcases to stick to the skin
Your daytime skincare ingredients may not penetrate non-cleansed skin as well.
IF YOU DO NIGHTTIME ONLY – HERE IS YOUR SUNDAY RILEY PM ROUTINE:
HOW TO USE
- After patting your skin dry, mist PINK DRINK onto your face, massage into your skin, and let dry.
- Follow with 1-2 pumps of GOOD GENES to the face and neck.
- Next, apply 1-2 pumps of A+ SERUM to your face and neck, followed by 3-4 drops of LUNA (or mix them together and apply as a skin cocktail).
- Using your ring and middle fingers, lightly tap a pearl-sized amount of 5 STARS onto the eye area and massage outwards around the outer crow’s feet, under the eye, and between brow bone and eyebrow.
- Before bed, massage in ICE onto the face, neck, and décolleté to lock in moisture.
CERAMIC SLIP CLAY CLEANSER
Gentle enough for a baby, powerful enough to dissolve eye makeup. This soothing gel cleanser (for all skin types) removes makeup, impurities, and excess oil, without stripping the skin. White and green clays purity, while rice and olive oil esters infuse hydration back into the skin, for smaller looking pores and a clean, balanced complexion. Can be used twice a day, on dry or wet skin.
PINK DRINK FIRMING RESURFACING
A power drink for your skin, this peptide-infused essence resurfaces, firms, and balances (while drenching the skin in botanical and antioxidant support). With prebiotics to support the skin’s natural microbiome, skin-firming peptides, vitamin-rich apricot and cucumber extracts, EGCG (a super-powered antioxidant from green tea), and ceramides. Can be used twice a day, misted directly on the face or massaged into the skin.
GOOD GENES LACTIC ACID TREATMENT
GLOBAL BESTSELLER for all skin types. Deeply exfoliates the dull surface of the skin with lactic acid, removing pore-clogging dead skin cells for clarity and instant radiance. Immediately smooths rougher skin texture for softer, clearer-looking skin. Licorice root and lactic acid visibly brighten the appearance of dark spots and discolorations. Can be used morning and evening.
LUNA SLEEPING
Retinol ester reduces the appearance of pores and wrinkles, while fighting the visible signs of premature aging: fine lines, uneven texture, dark spots, dryness, and dullness. Balanced with blue tansy and German chamomile essential oils, both rich in soothing, blue azulene, to neutralize surface redness and the signs of sensitivity. Can be used in the evenings.
5 STARS RETINOID + NIACINAMIDE EYE SERUM
Targeted and gentle anti-aging treatment for the delicate eye area, this wrinkle-fighting serum is powered by a 6% retinoid complex and bioactive centella asiatica to support healthy collagen. Balanced with poppy seed extract and ceramides to soothe, smooth, and nurture the eye area while olive oil and shea butter rehydrate for overnight restoration.
Apply daily in the evenings, before or after moisturizer. Using your ring and middle fingers, lightly tap a pearl-sized amount onto the eye area and massage outwards around the outer crow’s feet, under the eye, and between brow bone and eyebrow.
A+ HIGH DOSE RETINOID SERUM
Advanced-strength retinoid serum delivers a 6.5% solution of stabilized retinoid blends and botanical, retinol-alternative extracts into the skin. Encapsulated COQ10 helps to improve the appearance of aging or damaged skin, while Hawaiian white honey, bisabolol, cactus extract, and ginger balance and soothe the skin for the appearance of a calmer, even-toned complexion. Can be used in the evenings.
ICE CERAMIDE MOISTURIZING CREAM
Pro-ceramide moisturizer, enriched with Vitamin F and Ceramides 3, 6, and 9, strengthens the natural moisture barrier against environmental stressors, for plump-looking, baby-soft skin. Can be used twice a day, morning and night.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Missing a few days of morning washing isn’t majorly detrimental to your skin’s health. As long as the skin barrier is healthy (meaning it’s well-hydrated, plump, and shows no redness or irritation), it’s all about what works best for your skin and your lifestyle.
There are no hard and fast rules other than listening to your skin at the end of the day. “Do what feels right for you at that moment in time, which can change based on your cycle, stress levels, the season, and geography,” says Sunday Riley.
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