Why I've Started Skipping My Morning Facewash.

I recently saw a post pop up on my Instagram where glowing skinfluencer @bambidoesbeauty talked about the effect skipping her AM cleanse had been having on her skin. She claimed a significant boost in hydration, radiance and overall a lack of need for a purifying wash first thing in the morning. Being someone who has religiously stuck within the perimeters of a chronological AM-PM skincare routine for years, my morning cleanse has felt sacrosanct. While I still believe cleansing is the foundation of your skincare regimen, when I really thought about it, why did I need to wash my face every morning?

Am I running a marathon in my sleep? No. Your skin can only get so sweaty and dirty while lying in the same position for 8 hours right? Why this hadn’t occurred to me before, I don’t know. So I gave going cold turkey with my morning cleanse a go, replacing it with a simple splash of water to freshen up my face. While this made me feel like a cross between the star of a Neutrogena advert and an old-timey skincare girly, I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. My biggest concern was that my skin still wouldn’t feel clean, and I’d be layering skincare onto a grubby mug. But facing facts, my skin just isn’t that oily or acne prone anymore to warrant such attentive deep cleansing. If anything I’ve felt a real shift towards dehydration (especially after my damaged skin barrier escapades of the last winter).

Where my skin’s at now, it seems a good ol’ evening cleanse suffices. Since skipping this part of my morning ritual, my skin definitely feels more hydrated and I’ve had no breakouts popping up (or, no more than usual) where I’ve reduced cleansing.

Still not convinced to give it a go? Here’s some other benefits of stripping back your cleansing habits:

It saves time – granted, cleansing doesn’t take that long, but time is precious in the morning. Every little helps, and swapping a full-on face wash for a few splashes of water isn’t to be scorned at.
It saves money – by only cleansing PM, you’re halving your cleanser output. This not only allows your products to go further, but also your money. Result.
It saves your skin – dramatic, but maybe true. Over-cleansing can damage the skin barrier, bring on a barrage of skin concerns and leave you lacking glow. A clean with fresh water can be hydrating and enough of a gentle cleanse to keep you covered for daytime skincare.

The caveats:

There isn’t one skincare routine that fits all. My cleansing needs might not match yours, so here’s some reasons you might want to continue with a morning wash:

You slept in makeup – we’ve all been there after a heavy night out. If you forget to remove your makeup before crawling into bed (or, god forbid, used the dreaded face wipe) then you should definitely make sure to go ahead with a morning cleanse to remove leftover product and dirt.
You have particularly oily or acne-prone skin – some people’s skin produces a lot of excess sebum and oil that needs to be cleaned regularly to avoid breakouts. Be careful with acne-prone skin though, sometimes over-cleansing and the dehydration that comes with it can be at the root of your spots.
Your skin is happy as it is – as the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I’m trying to focus a lot more on tuning in to what my skin actually needs, rather than people telling me what it needs. If your skin’s happy and healthy with a morning cleanse, leave her be.

Some products for the rest of your morning routine

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