“Bacteria can accumulate throughout the night and, also, you should prime your skin by cleansing it for your morning skincare routine, not to mention to remove your nighttime creams and serums used the night before.”
"There's really no reason to wash your face in the morning, especially if you thoroughly cleansed the night before," says Hirsch. (Ah ha! I win!) "But, at the same time, there's nothing wrong with cleansing the face every morning, as long as you're not overstripping the skin with harsh, drying cleansers.
Baker thinks these skin types “may only require a splash of water followed by a daytime moisturiser or SPF in the morning”. However, if you have particularly oily, acne-prone or problematic skin, this might not be for you. You will likely “require a cleanser in the morning”, Baker explains.
In general, you should be cleansing your face at least twice a day. “You should wash your face both morning and night because the skin creates sebum and oil throughout the day,” says Saya Obayah, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist located in Austin, Texas.
Rouleau says the best time to use a scrub is in the morning. Overnight you've loosened up dead skin cells with your glycolic acid or retinol products, making the morning a perfect time to brush them off.
You should avoid washing the skin treated with tretinoin for at least 1 hour after applying it. Avoid using any topical medicine on the same area within 1 hour before or after using tretinoin. Otherwise, tretinoin may not work properly or skin irritation might occur.
Cleansing is the first step of any skin care routine, and that holds true if you have a cleanser formulated with retinol. Wet your face and hands, then massage the cleanser over your skin.
"Most dermatologists recommend face-washing twice daily, once in the morning and once before bed," says Zeichner. "In reality, this doesn't always happen. If you're going to skip [a wash], then it's better to skip the morning one than the evening one.
You do not need to wait until right before bed to wash your face. Starting your nighttime skincare routine at 7pm or 8pm will make you less likely to skip it. Even if you do not wear makeup every day, you might have touched your face all day long and that makes it the dirtiest part of your body.
“If you're using the right products for your skin at night, there is really no need to cleanse in the morning. Simply splash the face with water to freshen up, and go straight in with your morning serums, moisturiser and SPF,” she said.
You may want to consider washing in the morning with a gentle cleanser. No matter what, just keep in mind that over-washing actually leads to irritation and breakouts. So if you feel like your skin is being overloaded with touch and products, stick to a simple rinse in the morning.
You could, theoretically, use a night cream during the day. However, if you're planning on leaving the house, it' essential that you use a moisturizer with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Night creams are also formulated to help hydrate the skin while you sleep.
“Bacteria builds up on your skin when you sleep at night, so you need to wash it off in the morning,” says Debra Jaliman, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist.
Recap. Acne is caused by factors like bacteria and hormones—not a dirty face. Still, you should remove dirt and oil by washing your face morning and night with a gentle cleanser.
Dermatologists suggest that you apply night creams after cleansing your skin (and not just before you hit the bed) to ensure that the skincare ingredients sink in well. In fact, cell regeneration is supposed to be at its maximum during 10pm and 2am, so applying night cream before this is ideal.
“It's especially important to wash your face before bed if you have oily skin, because a buildup of oil and sloughed-off skin cells on the skin's surface can contribute to whiteheads and blackheads,” Katta explains.
Retinol is best applied at night since it can increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun. When you do go outside, be sure to use sunscreen to protect your face. It's worth noting that you don't need to use retinol on a daily basis for it to effectively treat your acne. Even two to three times per week might be enough.
Should you use retinol under your eyes? Yes, definitely. While it is true that retinol – a form of vitamin A – is a powerful ingredient and the skin under your eyes is delicate, there's no reason why you should miss out on the amazing benefits of retinol.
And now another rule to keep in mind: Many prescription-strength retinoids suggest users wait upwards of 20 minutes post-cleansing before putting retinol on their skin and 20 more minutes before putting anything else on, according to Reddit.
In the morning, wash your face with a mild facial scrub or rough washcloth. This will help reduce the noticeable flaking. After washing, apply a good water-based moisturizer. The moisturizer will make the drying effect of the medicine more tolerable.
If it accidentally gets on these areas, wash with water at once. Before applying tretinoin, wash the skin with a mild soap or cleanser and warm water by using the tips of your fingers. Then gently pat dry. Do not scrub your face with a sponge or washcloth.
Apply Tretinoin Cream or Gel at Night
The recommended time to apply tretinoin cream or gel to your face is at night, shortly before you go to bed. This allows the tretinoin to be fully absorbed by your facial skin without any risk of sunlight affecting your skin.
During the day as you're upright, the dermal fluid moves towards your legs, but overnight, when your body is horizontal during sleep, dermal fluid settles back. This swells up your facial skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, like pumping water back into a raisin or rehydrating a shriveled, dried sponge.