The Skin Nerd: Five reasons you should wash your face in the morning as well as at night

Let’s settle a skincare debate doing the rounds on TikTok: is cleansing necessary in the morning?

Keep reading for my nerdie reasoning on why cleansing in the morning is key to skin health.

I adore cleansing and enjoy removing makeup as much as applying it, and when it comes to my morning cleanse, I am an advocate of waking up and getting my cleanse on first thing.

Yet some believe that cleansing in the morning disrupts our skin’s microbiome and damages the skin barrier that provides us with vital protection throughout the day.

Now I am a loyal member of the morning cleanse club because it washes away any dead skin cells and excess sebum that has accumulated overnight for brighter, balanced skin and improved skincare absorption. 

Still undecided? Keep reading for my nerdie reasoning on why cleansing in the morning is key to skin health.

Why you should cleanse in the morning

Removes dead skin cells

As we’re sleeping, our skin is hard at work ensuring essential skin functions are under way to protect and restore. 

While cell mitosis — the process of creating new skin cells — occurs 24-hours a day, it’s during the night that cell renewal rates and dead skin sloughing speeds up. 

This is the time when our skin has a chance to repair any daily damage, as well as free radical activity. 

The result of this being that we awaken to lots of dead skin cells to sweep away from our skin. 

That’s where our morning cleanse comes in — and one of the reasons it is so important. 

Cleansing our skin first thing removes any dead skin cells that have built up overnight that could block pores and develop into a breakout if left to sit on our skin all day.

• Nerdie fact: between 10pm and 2am is the optimal time for skin growth repair — a great excuse for an early night!

Balances sebum levels

If you wake up with morning shine, a quick splash and dash simply won’t cut it! 

Sebocytes, cells found in our sebaceous glands, secrete sebum (aka oil) and don’t rest overnight. 

When sebum reaches the surface of the skin, it oxidises and can cause inflammation in the form of blackheads and whiteheads. 

In fact, research published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology found that lipid peroxidation (an effect of sebum oxidation) was elevated in the sebum of patients with mild acne. 

So, you want to avoid oxidised sebum hanging around longer than necessary.

A morning cleanse washes away any oily build-up, so skin is balanced throughout the day. Move along spots, you’re not welcome here!

Hydrates skin

Waking up to parched, dehydrated skin? Research has found that transepidermal water loss can be higher during the night compared to the morning. 

That’s when water is lost from our body to the atmosphere through the epidermis, the outermost layer of our skin. 

So, prioritise hydration - but always cleanse first. If you apply moisturising products to an unwashed face, they’ll simply sit on top of a layer of sebum and dead skin and won’t work to their full potential. 

Those with dry skin may be cautious of cleansing in the morning in case it dries their skin out further but if you use a cream-based, nourishing cleanser, your skin will be replenished as it’s cleansed.

Preps skin for further skincare

Your morning cleanse is a reboot for your skin. This is the time when all the sweat, oil and dead skin that has accumulated whilst you’ve been sleeping is washed away to reveal a prepped canvas ready for the rest of your skincare. 

When the skin is freshly cleansed, active ingredients, such as vitamins A + C will be able to penetrate further as there’s not a restrictive barrier of sebum and dead skin cells to permeate through. 

This means that your skincare has the chance to do its job effectively and not just sit on the skin’s surface.

Regular self-care + me-time

Cleansing is just as much a vital step in my morning ritual as having a decent brekkie and getting dressed. 

Our morning cleanse preps us and our skin for the day ahead – what better way to start than with a few moments of self-care and me-time?

Choose the right cleanser + technique

For your morning cleanse, use a gentle, non-stripping cleanser that nourishes and supports your skin’s natural microbiome - your skin’s ecosystem of good and bad bacteria. 

I advise against active cleansers in the morning – keep them for an evening pamper instead. 

As you won’t have been wearing SPF or makeup overnight, there’s no need to double-cleanse in the morning. See, your morning cleanse isn’t a total chore. 

Just wake up, cleanse with a gentle cleanser, and your skin is prepped for the rest of your regime and optimal skin health.

Ideal morning cleansers

• Skingredients PreProbiotic Cleanse, (€25, skingredients.com and boots.ie)
• Avène Tolerance Extremely Gentle Cleanser (€18, theskinnerd.com and leading pharmacists)
• The Organic Pharmacy Rose Facial Cleansing Gel (€59.95, theorganicpharmacy.com, theskinnerd.com)
• Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera (€37.45, alpha-h.com, lookfantastic.ie)
• COSRX Low pH Good Morning Cleanser (€13.95, lookfantastic.ie, boots.ie)

Today versus Payday... Foot masks

• Today... Scholl Expert Care Manuka Honey Dry Skin Foot Mask (€3.99, scholl.com)

Offering 24 hours hydration, Scholl’s Expert Care Manuka Honey Dry Skin Foot Mask with Shea Butter is designed to intensely hydrate your feet and repair cracked heels.

• Payday... STARSKIN Magic Hour Exfoliating Foot Mask (€16.95, lookfantastic.ie)

Infused with lactic acid, this luxe treatment works to lift away dead skin cells and smooth any rough patches. 

Concentrated with sage and soybean, the socks aim to purify, condition and soften the feet whilst a blend of calendula and mung bean boast reparative, and anti-inflammatory properties.