New Rules For Morning Skincare Routine

Is your skincare routine helping your skin face the daily challenges, pollution and sun damage or exposing it to it?
I have learned, often the hard way, during my years of acne struggles, and reading as much scientific literature as I can (I am a molecular biologist and an active scientist), what really works when it comes to the morning skincare routine.
And I have one word for you: PROTECTION.
I am not talking just about sunscreen. There is way more than that.
I am talking about working with your skin’s natural protective mechanisms given to you by the generous mother nature!
So before I dive into the details of my skincare routine, and how YOU can easily replicate it for great results, I have some explaining to do.
The ultimate goal here is to strengthen the protective mechanisms of the skin and also add some new ones for healthy, clear and radiant looking skin.
Hang in there, because we’re about to bust some long-lived beauty myths.
PROTECTIVE MECHANISM NR.1: A HEALTHY SKIN BARRIER
The skin barrier is hugely important for healthy and clear skin.
It is the top layer of your skin, consisting of dead skin cells (corneocytes), held together by a matrix of lipids. This matrix is essentially a ‘glue’ that holds the cells together.
This robust structure, called stratum corneum, is what makes the skin so impermeable to many substances and microorganisms, reduces the loss of water from your skin and so much more.
The ‘glue’ gets disrupted to a certain degree with cleansing and exfoliating, for example. This is due to the action of surfactants in cleansers, especially the harsh ones, like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).
During cleansing, surfactants remove components from the stratum corneum — particularly cholesterol, proteins and Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) molecules. These precious molecules do exactly what the name suggests: moisturize your skin by holding onto water.
And you should aim to have as many as possible for a naturally moisturized skin!
Exfoliating removes the top layer of your skin, removing your natural defense mechanism. This literally means your skin is naked and much more exposed to the daily pollution and oxidative damage.
In other words, slathering sunscreen on a freshly exfoliated skin in the morning might not protect you from the sun spots and hyperpigmentation!
I know none of us want that, so check all your moisturizers and toners for exfoliating ingredients (such as glycolic acid), although they are not the only offenders.
Reserve exfoliation for evening routine only.
If you are unsure which ingredients are exfoliants, you can check the ingredients at EWG SkinDeep, you will see that at the ‘Function(s)’ if it says, ‘exfoliant’.
PROTECTIVE MECHANISM NR. 2: MAINTAINING THE OPTIMAL SKIN PH
Another reason I am not a fan of cleansing with a foaming cleanser in the mornings is that it disrupts the skin’s pH (the acid mantle) to a certain degree, which is absolutely essential for healthy skin.
The amount of time it takes for your skin to re-establish the correct pH depends on how healthy your skin is, and other products you are using. This can be anywhere from half an hour to 24 hours, according to various reports, so it’s better to be on the safe side.
Here are some of the reasons why maintaining the optimal pH at (nearly) all times is so important:
1. The acid mantle boosts the immune system of the skin. It does so by creating an acidic environment in which foreign microorganisms cannot survive. If the acid mantle is disrupted, the skin becomes more permeable to the pathogens and other irritants, which can result in a skin infection or irritation (and acne!).
2. The acid mantle protects the skin cells underneath, promoting a strong skin barrier. By keeping those dead skin cells nice and flat, it strengthens the barrier function. Taken together, the acid mantle and skin barrier offer an everyday protection from damaging environmental influences.
4. The acid mantle keeps the skin soft and supple by preventing water loss, keeping your skin naturally moisturized.
5. Certain enzymes responsible for important skin processes, including natural exfoliation, are active only at pH ~ 5,5. Changes of skin’s pH affect their activity, and consequently, interfere with (at least) the following important processes:
- Skin’s normal exfoliation process (called desquamation). Natural exfoliation process is very important because it keeps your skin not only clear but also naturally smooth and glowing, not just right after you exfoliate!
- Breaking down the excess sebum in the skin (YAY!)
- Activation of enzymes responsible for the synthesis of epidermal lipids (hello supple skin!)
- Restoration of the skin after a mechanical or chemical damage
SOME BAD REASONS TO CLEANSE WITH A FOAMING CLEANSER IN THE MORNING
Take home message here is that cleansing the skin (especially acne-prone skin) first thing in the morning is just so yesterday. It is simply old skin care info that we have been brainwashed with for decades.
If you have cleansed your skin the night before, there is absolutely NO need to do that again in the morning.
I don’t want to offend anyone, but I also don’t want you to hurt your skin in any way. And believe me, I take your skin very very seriously.
Here are some of the often heard reasons to wash the skin in the morning, and my thoughts on each:
1. Removing the excess oil (sebum)
Excess oil can be easily removed with a gentle toner like rose water on a cotton pad, which is a much gentler way of removing it than using a cleanser. In addition, using a foaming cleanser means you have to wash it off using water, which is also drying for the skin.
Remember, you do want to keep some natural oil on your skin because it keeps your skin naturally moisturized and healthy.
Drying out and dehydrating your skin with too frequent washing, regardless of your skin type, is bad. If your skin is oily but dehydrated, it will then try to produce even more oil to compensate.
2. Removing the ‘accumulated’ dead skin cells
You do not want to remove these accumulated dead skin cells (either with exfoliation or harsh cleansing) because they make up the skin barrier. They are there to protect the skin underneath. Exfoliation is great when done a few times a week in the evening because the skin gets enough time to recover overnight.
3. Removing dirt
There is no dirt whatsoever on your face from sleeping, unless you are using commercial laundry softeners. They leave a waxy residue on your pillowcases, which can clog your skin while you sleep, and washing the skin in the morning might be too late to fix that.
Switch to using a natural softener instead, or skip it altogether for your sheets and pillowcases. Instead of a commercial softener, I love using white vinegar with a few essential oil drops of choice. It works great and smells fantastic.
4. Freshening up
Again, rose water to the rescue! It really makes you feel fresh and awake! Not to mention it naturally balances your skin’s pH.
5. It is vital for the products afterward to penetrate the skin
When you cleanse your skin, you enhance the penetration of ingredients applied afterward, along with other things, as shown below.
So ingredients in the products you are using will probably penetrate somewhat better, although this is heavily dependant on how big they are (molecular mass, measured in daltons — Da). Usually, anything bigger than 500 Da has a hard time passing through.
More importantly, when you enhance the penetration, remember that you also make your skin more penetrable to other harmful substances, as there is no selection. Unfortunately, we don’t get to decide that the good ingredients penetrate, and the bad ones stay away.
The good news is, if you keep a simple skincare routine as explained below, you won’t need to worry about disrupting any of the above, and your skin will glow!
MY FOUR STEP MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE
Step 1. Spray on rose water.
I do this 2–3 times in a row if I have time, letting it fully absorb before the next step. It really brings a boost of moisture to my skin, as water can quite easily penetrate through the skin barrier.
If you want to get rid of excess oil, simply use some rose water on a cotton pad and wipe it away.
For this step, you can use as many essences or other water-based products as you want that don’t contain any exfoliating agents. Just apply one after the other, letting each absorb fully.
Step 2. Apply a vitamin C/E serum or other antioxidant-rich, water-based serum suited for acne-prone skin.
Antioxidants are exactly what fights the oxidative damage, aka early aging but also whiteheads, blackheads, and acne. Oxidative damage of the sebum component called squalene results in a very comedogenic substance — squalene peroxide, which clogs your pores and leads to acne. This is especially problematic for oily skin, due to the excess sebum.
Hence, I love to use the combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid, as this is very powerful. Vitamin C and E work much better together than each of them alone. Ferulic acid is another great antioxidant, and adding some hyaluronic acid in the mix ensure great hydration, too!
Products with vitamin A should not be used in the morning, as vitamin A (retinol) has exfoliating properties, and it makes your skin more sensitive to sun. Also, if you have red, painful acne, even vitamin C might be irritating your skin if applied in the morning. Watch your skin closely.
Step 3. Press a small amount of the oil onto the skin (or massage it in).
This step locks in the moisture I provided with the rose water and/or serum. I apply 2–3drops and let absorb for 5 min before the next step. I use Nutiva hemp seed oil, or jojoba oil, depending on the state of my skin at the moment. They both absorb pretty quickly, leaving just a little bit of shine, which I love.
If you have oily skin, I still recommend doing this step, with just a tiny bit of non-comedogenic, high-linoleic acid oil, to prevent skin dehydration.
The most important this is to apply the water-based products first, let them absorb, then a thin layer of oil.
Step 4. Finish off with a daily SPF.
We all know the importance of wearing the daily SPF, so I won’t waste too many words on that. What I really like is when they contain extra antioxidants to protect the skin. I am currently in love with Everyday Coverage Tinted Sunscreen SPF 30 from Marie Veronique, and it is one of the few that doesn’t clog my pores at all. It also packed with green tea extract, which has scientifically proven anti-acne activity and prevents oxidative damage!
This entire routine takes me about 5min, but only a couple of min hands-on time. In between running after my son, trying to change his clothes, wipe off the remains of breakfast on his chin, and make him ready for kindergarten. Real life, y’all.
Hope you found this helpful and got some inspiration to spice up your skin care routine!
Originally published at www.healthyskinglows.com on July 27, 2017.