Morning and night skincare routines are an indispensable part of the day for all skincare enthusiasts. And we are all about it! If you are one of them, besides your cup of coffee and planning for the day ahead, you probably have another thing to look forward to at the beginning of each day: cleansing and moisturizing your skin. And who knows - maybe even applying a drop or two of your new serum or toner.

 

Nowadays, you can find dermatologists and influencers who share their morning and night skincare routine with the rest of the world through YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. And after checking out their skincare habits it may seem that cleansing and moisturizing are two key and necessary steps, and that skipping any of them will adversely affect the skin. But is that really the case?

Studies now point to benefits of skipping the morning cleanse. While it may sound like a big no at first, science has come up with interesting discoveries that suggest that it is not always a good idea to grab our favorite cleanser in the morning. It seems that it's better for it to stay exclusively part of the night routine.

 

If we tickled your imagination a bit with this and you want to know more about the benefits of skipping the morning cleanse, keep reading.

 

Washing vs. rinsing the face

 

Have you ever thought about the difference between washing and rinsing your face? And no, these are not the same things. Washing includes the use of cleansers - products that play a role in removing makeup, impurities and excess sebum from the skin. On the other hand, rinsing the face involves using only lukewarm or warm water for this purpose, without additional cleansing agents.

 

If you have been committed only to facial cleansing so far, we suggest that you start thinking about changing this. These days more and more dermatologists recommend rinsing as part of the morning routine, and that the night one should contain a cleanser in order to thoroughly remove all impurities. And we wholeheartedly agree. If you cleanse your skin properly in the evening, there is simply no need to do it again in the morning, because you have nothing to cleanse your skin of. 

 

But what if my skin is super oily?

 

At first it might seem like a good idea to rid your skin of extra oils and make it squeaky clean in the morning, but if sebum overproduction is an issue, over-cleansing will actually signal to your oil glands to replenish the oil, recreating the same problem all over again. So, our suggestion is to try and rinse even oily skin and see how well your skin will regulate its own oil production when this natural process is left undisturbed with too much products. 

 

 

So, unless you skipped the evening cleanse and still have on makeup, or you drool, or someone licks your face the night before, try to stay clear of cleansers in the morning :)

 

 

How can morning cleanse adversely affect the skin?

 

It has been shown that excessive use of cleansers can be too stripping for the skin and damage our skin microbiome. And a balanced skin microbiome is crucial if we want our skin to be healthy, well-groomed and aesthetically beautiful. Skin microbiome is composed of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms that cover the surface of the skin and protect it from adverse external influences. But this is possible only when it is in balance. Using harsh cleansers too often can lead to microbiome damage and cause skin dehydration, as well as irritation and increased sensitivity. And this is something you should pay special attention to if your skin is naturally sensitive.

 

You know how they say that less is more? Well, this is another good example of how doing less can bring much more benefits for your skin in the long run.

 

Also, keep in mind that during the winter, the skin is exposed to cold air and wind, which easily violate the integrity of the skin barrier and causes dehydration. Doing less is particularly important when the artificial environment in heated homes mixed with the naturally stripping cold outside wreaks havoc on the skin.

 

In these environmental conditions it is good to listen to your skin and provide it with what it needs, or rather avoid what it doesn’t need. 

 

If you try out this approach, you will probably notice that your skin is not asking for a morning cleanse at all and that a thorough double cleansing in the evening is quite enough. 

 

Benefits of thorough cleansing in the night

 

So, lastly, in order to thoroughly cleanse the skin, we recommend you leave your cleanser for the nighttime skincare routine. And then use not just one, but two of them! What are we trying to say here?

 

We recommend you try out the double cleansing method because this is the best way to effectively  remove all impurities from your skin: both oil and water-soluble ones. We suggest that you start your night cleansing by using an oil product, such as our Step 1. It helps reduce inflammation following UV exposure and protects skin against sun damage. Start with massaging a small amount onto the skin to dissolve makeup and/or excess oil. Then proceed with a small amount of foaming cleanser right on top of the oil.

Our lightly foaming cleanser is gentle. It contains soapbark flower extract - calming, gently foaming natural cleaning agent that will remove the impurities from your face, but won’t be stripping. There is cilantro extract that absorbs excess oils from your skin and purifies pores thanks to its antiseptic and disinfectant properties. It also contains antioxidants in the forms of vitamins B1, B2, A, C and E that help the skin fight free radicals. 

Massage it until it creates a light foam and then wash it off with warm water. Your skin is now ready to applying serum, toner or any other product of your choice, and then for rich hydration afterwards.

 

Final word

 

Thorough skin cleansing is important, but that does not mean that you should do it twice a day. More and more studies are showing the benefits of skipping morning cleanses. If you thoroughly clean your skin the night before using double cleansing method, there is simply no need to repeat the process in the morning. Instead, use rinsing with lukewarm or warm water as a part of your first skincare routine of the day. Listen carefully to your skin and give it what it truly needs. Sometimes less is really more.