According to Parker, “there’s no need to cleanse your skin in the morning if you’re using the right actives (like lipids, hydroxy acids and vitamin A) in the right concentrations at night”. Parker further explains that the actives you apply as part of your evening routine can actually work together with antioxidant and SPF actives applied in the morning to enhance their efficacy. While your skin will still reap the rewards from your evening skin care routine if you do wash your face as soon as you wake up, Parker notes you’re likely to see better results from your nighttime products if you hold off.
But what about any sweat or impurities that have developed on your skin overnight? “Over-cleansing in the morning can harm the skin’s delicate microbiome and damage the protective skin barrier that has re-established itself overnight,” says Parker. So, instead of cleansing as you normally would, a splash of lukewarm water is all that’s needed to rid your skin of any sweat “before applying your morning immune boosters, antioxidants and sunscreen. This [splash of water] hydrates the skin’s surface and will ensure previously applied lipids or nighttime actives aren’t removed,” explains Parker.
