Its better not to wash your face in the morning

Question

To wash or to not wash your face—that is the question. Does it just depend on the skin type and genetics or could it benefit everyone not to wash your face in the morning?

Comments

I like how you referenced multiple credible sources, and went very into detail describing what's actually going on with your skin and how washing your face in the morning is beneficial to your skin.

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This is an interesting claim, and as someone who doesn't normally wash their face in the morning, I think it depends of genetics.. Also, the referenced used above was Vouge, and often fashion brands and skin care businesses have many biases compared to health and skincare specialists.

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Your question brings up an interesting debate! The Vogue article suggests that skipping a morning cleanse can help maintain the skin’s natural oils and microbiome, but this advice isn’t one size fits all. Dermatologists generally agree that skin type plays a big role—those with oily or acne-prone skin might still need a morning wash to remove overnight buildup, while drier skin types could benefit from just rinsing with water. Did you find any scientific studies supporting this claim, or is it mostly anecdotal advice from skincare experts? It would be great to see more dermatological perspectives to get a clearer picture!

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while this could be true for some it's not for all and depends a lot on skin type.

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I like how you didn't immediately agree with the article or have a bias one way or another. this is an interesting question to have, I think it changes from person to person. it could change with how sensitive their skin is or what type of skin it is

Answer 1

The base of the fact check stems from a article stating that its better for you skin to refrain from washing your face in the morning. While its not the end of the world if you dont wash your face in the morning I found nothing to prove that its better for you, in fact I found the contrary. According to cerave a trusted skin care brand, "Washing your face in the morning is not bad for your skin. In fact, it’s an essential part of any well-rounded skincare routine.". Not only is it not bad its better to wash your face in the morning to get rid of all the stuff your skin collects over night, "Getting rid of this dirt, skin oil, and other debris in the morning reduces the likelihood of clogged pores and breakouts." says Stacey Tull, MD, MPH, from health.com. With these facts in mind its seems to be a no brainer to wash your face in the morning as long and you keep up with making sure your skin is moisturized after cleansing.

Answer 2

This article claims that skipping your morning facial cleanse can be beneficial. Dermatologists argue that over-cleansing can strip the skin of natural oil and lead to dryness and irritation. Vogue Scandinavia notes that for specific skin types, simply splashing water on your face in the morning can help preserve the skin's natural moisture barrier. Even though skipping the morning cleanse may benefit people with dry or sensitive skin, individuals with oily or acne-prone skin may find a gentle morning cleanse helps to prevent clogged pores and breakouts. Health.com emphasizes that morning face washing can help remove excess sebum and dead skin cells, which can clog pores.

Answer 3

This website claimed a French Pharmacist stated that a morning facial cleaning is bad for your face and it seems correct after further research but at face value, it seems misleading or a lie to sell you products. This website is from Vogue, a magazine company. Magazines are for promoting different products to the consumer so at first it seemed a little strange that this informational source was trying to sell me different mists and toners. This is because the article explained that overnight your skin naturally forms a protective layer of oil called sebum that protects your skin from gunk and bad stuff. This point also is backed up by many credible sources linked all over the page. After the informational segment, the article goes on to the new morning routines that you could try to help enhance the sebum on your face form. The article discourages any facial cleansers used in the morning and replaces them with mist and toner to add more vitamins and supplements to your skin without striping them and leaving your skin vulnerable. Without any further research, I would chuck the claim as a false claim that they used to promote and market other products to make more money.

This article from the Cleaveland clinic backs up the previous website by going more into depth on the Sebaceous glands. There are little pores on your face that extrude fats like cholesterol, fatty acids, glycerides, squalene, and wax. This layer keeps your skin moisturized and acts as a barrier from friction, moisture loss, and infections caused by bacteria or fungi.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24538-sebaceous-glands

Overall this is a true claim and cleaning your face in the morning is worse for your skin than not cleaning. The article is backed up with substantial evidence but seems uncreditable because it is published by a company that sells and advertises beauty products. Vogue even advertises and provides links to products that they can use instead to have a healthier face.

Answer 4

The article from Cerave doesn't support such a claim very well. It says, while some skincare influencers suggest that one should not wash the face in the morning, generally one is suggested to wash his face in the morning because the face usually collects sweat, dirt, and bacteria overnight, which could easily block pores and lead to acne; hence, it's unhygienic for applying any other skin care products like sunscreen. It also says that cleansing helps remove residual nighttime products, such as retinol or glycolic acid, which may not be appropriate to wear during the day. But it allows that those with sensitive or dry skin can skip the cleanser and use only water. The article has driven the point home that a gentle morning cleanser is important and that skipping it may not be the best for everyone, which could enable the skin to cover all skincare needs.

Should You Wash Your Face in the Morning?CeraVehttps://www.cerave.com › skincare-tips-advice › should-...

Answer 5

This claim is false, you should indeed wash your face in the morning. It claims that washing your face in the morning can remove the protective layer of sebum. Although this is true and sebum can have benefits, it can also clog your pores and cause your face to break out with acne. The best solution is to wash your face in the morning to remove the dirt or oil built up overnight, but to use a cleanser best for your skintype that isn’t too harsh to strip your skin. 

https://www.cerave.com/skin-smarts/skincare-tips-advice/should-you-wash-your-face-in-the-morning 

Answer 6

This claim, overall, is a bit exaggerated. The evidence for this is very subjective because not everyone shares the same skin type, therefore washing of the face in the morning will have varying results for every person. Looking at this source from the Cleveland Clinic, where sebaceous glands in the skin secrete sebum, a substance that keeps your skin from drying out, there is no evidence to suggest that washing your face in the morning affects the sebaceous glands or the secretion of sebum. So, while this claim may not be entirely false, it is a bit misleading.

Answer 7

The claim "Its better not to wash your face in the morning," I think can be proven both right and wrong. in the Vogue article, they take a quote from Bonjout that states, "cleansing your skin in the morning removes the delicate layer of sebum that your skin produces overnight to protect itself from external factors, like pollutants or bad bacteria," then goes on to say how that delicate layer is good for your skin and thats why it shouldnʻt be washed in the morning. Other websites claim that you should wash your face in the morning to clear any oils and dirt that your face picked up the night before or while youʻre sleeping. After reviewing different articles on this topic, Iʻve come to the conclusion that it really just depends on your skin type. Wether you have oily skin or dry skin that should be your dependent on if you should wash your face in the morning or not. 

https://www.vogue.com/article/french-pharmacy-morning-cleanse

https://www.health.com/should-you-wash-face-morning-8597820/RK=2/RS=.p42AGr1F6PWv_HQIsSYFarzI9I-

Answer 8

The article claims that not washing your face in the morning will be more beneficial than not, which can be true but does vary for each person and the claim presented is fairly subjective. In the article Natacha Bonjout¹, a French pharmacist claims that cleansing your face in the morning  “removes the delicate layer of sebum that your skin produces overnight to protect itself from external factors, like pollutants or bad bacteria.” However, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)² does recommend washing your face in the morning as they claim that, “ It washes away bacteria, sweat, and dirt that can settle on your face overnight.” So both of these points seem valid but also have semi-contradicting beliefs, Bonjout claims that washing your face removes the layer of natural sebum which she views as a negative thing, however the ADD views washing your face as a beneficial practice and it can help avoid the build-up of excess oils and impurities without disrupting the skin's moisture barrier. In addition it also ensures that your skin maintains its protective layer while keeping it clean and refreshed. Overall I think this claim cannot be viewed as either true or false because there are several external variables that factor into a claim like this such as skin types, health factors, skincare products and environmental factors. 

Sources:

Sources 1: https://www.vogue.com/article/french-pharmacy-morning-cleanse

Sources 2: https://www.cerave.com/skin-smarts/skincare-tips-advice/should-you-wash-your-face-in-the-morning#:~:text=The%20American%20Academy%20of%20Dermatology%20(AAD)%20recommends,and%20after%20sweating%2D%2Dregardless%20of%20your%20skin%20type.

Answer 9

The crux of this argument rests on the notion that Sebum is always beneficial to leave on your face in the morning. It should be said that there is some truth to this. It's a natural lubricant that helps retain skin moisture and acts as a protective skin coating which is made of fat molecules like glycerides and cholesterol. It also prevents infection from bacteria/fungi, and even contributes to body odor (Cleveland Clinic). However, it's irresponsible to argue that not cleansing in the morning is the best practice for everyone. There are a wide range of skin types and individual skin needs that may not conform to this “hack”. It is possible for your body to over secrete sebum as it can vary in response to age related hormones, certain medications, and lifestyle factors. Overproduction leads to greasy skin, which combined with dead skin cells and external dirt/dust forms pore plugs which leads to blackheads and pimples. This also traps bacteria within pores causing inflammation (MedicalNewsToday). The reason teenagers experience this notably more often is because your body transitions from secreting minimal amounts of sebum to excessively making it- eventually leveling out in adulthood. The article also seems to allude to the idea that your body only secretes sebum at night. This is false. Your skin operates on an oscillating production cycle with the most sebum production actually occurring during the day (National Library of Medicine). Even the American Academy of Dermatology preaches to wash your face in the morning (AAD). However, because skin types are a spectrum, it does mean that underproduction of sebum also imposes problems. These include symptoms like itchy and flaky skin. Essentially, there is no right or wrong answer for this claim. You just need to find what works best for your skin. If you find your face uncomfortably oily or waxy in the morning, you would probably benefit from a morning wash. If you find your skin is a little dry when you wake up, skip the cleanse. It's that simple. I'm not particularly convinced of the impartiality of this article being that it includes multiple links to specific skincare products, and tries to paint this method as an old French technique in an attempt to exoticise and accredit the practice for American audiences. And of course being that this is a Vogue article I wouldn't treat it as a holy sanctum of scientific knowledge. But overall, some good points were made. Just do what's best for you.  

Answer 10

This claim includes a Link to https://www.vogue.com/article/french-pharmacy-morning-cleanse

Which is a magazine that features news, fashion, beauty, celebrities and culture, based out of NYC since 1892. I researched the credibility of this company using https://app.adfontesmedia.com/chart/interactive?utm_source=SourcePage&utm_medium=OnPageLink, a website that consists of academics, journalism’s, lawyers, civil service professionals, and military veterans that all posses high levels of rhetorical and analytical skills. Each article is rated by 3 professionals that are politically balanced out. Vouge was rated 39.13 for reliability which means that they report with a mix of facts and analysis. For bias they were rated -10.91. Comparable to PBS news hour which classifies as. A skewed left bias. 

In the vouge article the author Kianna Murden relies on a French pharmacist Natasha Bonjout’s recent tips about skin care routines. Natasha has been researching skin care for 15 years and just launched a beauty brand in which she created her own formula. This could lend towards a bias because she is trying to promote her own product, but she has a medical background to support her bias. She says that washing your face in the morning removes a delicate layer of begum that protects your skin from bad bacteria. 

The article is also supported by https://www.health.com/should-you-wash-face-morning-8597820 a website that is rate by Newsgaurd.com as a reliable source with a slight left centered bias with factual reporting. The article is written by dermatologist that are professions on skincare. It was written by Alyssa Huianderson and fact checked by Rick Blackner. They conclude that its not a cut and dry answer, and it depends on your skin type. For oily or scene prone skin it would be beneficial to to wash your face twice a day but for those who have sensitive skin that could make it dry of strip essential oils from your face. They say that generally washing your face only at night could show results but it really depends on your skin type.