Dr. Farber says that it's fine for those with oily or normal skin to moisturize once a day—though your skin will be, well, drier—but it's not wise to skip this step if you have dry skin. "Let your skin serve as your own barometer to tell you what it needs," agrees Dr. Zeichner.
All of this wears at your skin cells and your skin's collagen." The answer: You need to cleanse and moisturize properly every morning with products that will protect your skin from these harmful external factors. Then at bedtime, the focus shifts. "At night, your skin repairs and recuperates.
According to her, it's okay to skip moisturizer when you don't need it, such as when you're in a humid environment that's already full of moisture. "You don't always have to use a moisturizer, especially if you have oily-prone skin or if you've just used an HA serum that helps moisturize," Dr. Cindy explains.
Skipping a thorough morning cleanse might be okay if your skin type allows it (aim for a quick water cleanse at minimum), but cleansing at night—especially if you've worn makeup or sunscreen, worked out, or spent time in a busy, polluted city—is essential to keep skin healthy.
"As long as you know how your skin works and how it responds to products, skipping your makeup and skin-care products for a few days is absolutely okay," says Dr.
DON'T Skip Your Moisturizer
According to famed esthetician Renee Rouleau, skipping moisturizer can cause breakouts, rather than the reverse. Go for something light and oil free if you're worried about aggravating your pores, but it's not something you should let fall to the wayside.
In short, yes. "A daily moisturizer is necessary to maintain your skin's moisture barrier and to prevent environmental damage to your skin," Weinstein explains.
Without skincare products on, more oxygen will be able to get to your skin, which will help it regenerate elastin and collagen. Our skin also produces a substance called sebum. And while it might make your skin look oily, there are also some positive aspects to it.
“For people with oily skin on their face, there's no need to moisturize. You can if you want to, as long as you choose a lightweight moisturizer that won't clog your pores, but it's not necessary.”
While nighttime skincare is incredibly important, morning skincare is just as crucial. Between pollution, sweat, and sun exposure, our skin goes through a lot each day—and it's important to take the time to prep and protect it for what's ahead.
The skin is the largest organ we have, and works as a unified system. If you're neglecting a large part of it, you're requiring it to compensate, which can rob you of your best-looking skin. Apply moisturizer over the entire body after every shower or bath.
While you can certainly use two different moisturizers for day and night, it's all up to personal preference. If you prefer to have fewer steps in your routine, you may want a cream that does double duty. However, if you're already using separate SPF and serums, one moisturizer might be all you need.
Your morning skincare routine enables you to prepare your skin for the day ahead and helps to remove any leftover products which you applied the night before that may have an impact on your makeup application.
The rest of the product then sits atop your face and forms a thin layer of oil, bacteria, and other ingredients. This layer will then clog the pores and whenever cores get clogged, pimples and zits form. So, yes, moisturizer can cause acne but it only typically happens whenever you over-moisturize your skin.
1. You could develop more wrinkles. That's right: Leaving moisturizer out of your routine today could lead to deeper wrinkles later on. "When the skin barrier is compromised, which is what we see when it becomes dry, there's actually a low-grade chronic inflammation that occurs in the skin," warns dermatologist Dr.
Moisturising prevents the skin's natural exfoliation by smoothing the skin cells and stopping them from sloughing off. So by stopping moisturising, this actually stimulates cell turnover and encourages natural desquamation (that's the shedding of the outer layers of the skin).
According to Baxt, if your skin is flakey, itchy, or developing a rash you should stop using your products immediately and reassess before you do some permanent damage. A rash could be the first sign of an allergic reaction to a product, which can cause permanent skin damage over time.
They make skin feel moist and relieve itchiness and tightness. But, says Dr Eckel, in reality, moisturisers make the skin 'lazy', so it becomes less able to hydrate itself. This means we need more moisturiser to relieve dryness, creating an expensive, demoralising cycle.
Night is an essential time to renew your mind—and your skin. Adding a lotion before bed creates softer, more hydrated, and better-looking skin the next day. It also helps seal in moisture and repairs the skin barrier that's compromised by dry air and harsh cleansers.
Aesthetic dermatologists have observed that habitual, daily moisturising over a prolonged period can actually age the skin. This induced ageing occurs because the same fibroblast cells which produce GAGs (the skin's moisturiser) also produce collagen and elastin, which help maintain the skin's elasticity.
Goldenberg's go-to recommendation for timing between serums and moisturizers is about one minute. This wait has the same reasoning: Sixty seconds — give or take — gives each product a moment to delve into your pores.
Most skincare professionals suggest moisturizing twice a day: once in the morning and once at night. This ensures your skin's moisture will remain constant both throughout the day and while you sleep, so you can always look forward to supple, healthy skin.
The most important times to use moisturizer are after a bath, shave or exfoliation. For some, this might be twice a day. Moisturizing after a shower is very important because hot water strips all the moisture and oils out of your skin, leaving it parched and dry.
To get the most out of your skin, especially as you hit your 30s and beyond, your best bet is to choose both a day moisturiser and a night cream, each with different key functions. For your daily moisturiser, opt for something packed with SPF and other protectants that will shield against daily life.