Overnight beauty products are not a modern trend. Hair rollers, undereye patches, and pimple stickers have been around for a long time. But influencers on TikTok are taking them to a new extreme with the new morning shed trend. It involves a rigorous nighttime routine where they apply beauty and wellness items from heatless curlers and face masks to mouth tape and chin straps. Then they take them all off the following morning, literally “shedding” all of their products, to show off the results.
What’s the point of the morning shed?
People seeing these morning-shed videos may feel like their current skincare routine is lacking by comparison. After all, these clips are often accompanied with the motto: The uglier you go to bed, the prettier you wake up. This gives the impression that the morning shed will not only maintain skin health and facial features but can drastically improve them. After all, the products come off one by one to reveal a beautiful person ready to start their day. Wouldn’t everyone love to wake up looking perfect? However, many common products are not proven to work as claimed. In fact, some could have a negative effect. And some don’t do anything at all.
Is this really necessary?
Sophie Momen, PhD, a consultant dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic criticized the trend. “Preparing to sleep with all these agents is very time-consuming and largely unnecessary. Drenching the skin in heavy serums and products may block pores and lead to breakouts, while around the delicate eye area, it may cause the formation of milia.”
Additionally, wearing ingredients overnight when they should be used for only a short period of time could cause skin irritation, dryness, and discoloration. Even products that don’t cause any negative effects shouldn’t be worn longer than their intended use duration since there won’t be additional benefits or absorption.
The effect on sleep
Skincare aside, the morning shed may worsen sleep quality. Many people may find it uncomfortable to wear so many products to bed, especially ones that restrict movement such as chinstraps or hair rollers. People may find eye masks or mouth guards may help them sleep; however, that tends to apply when light or teeth grinding is disrupting rest. However, these tools may not be helpful to others, especially those who dislike sleeping with these kinds of appliances.
Products to avoid
With that in mind, here are more products to avoid if you choose to create your own version of the morning shed:
Mouth tape. Influencers claim it can stop snoring and better define your jawline (although there’s little evidence to prove that) but don’t use mouth tape without a doctor’s recommendation. “The main issue is that some people have difficulty or simply cannot breathe through their nose when sleeping such as individuals with sleep apnea and mouth taping would be dangerous here,” says licensed dermatologist Dr. Mary Alice Mina. Additionally, tape can irritate the skin.
Chin and jaw straps. Studies show that these items won’t do much to improve sleep quality. Plus, there is little to no evidence they can tighten skin overnight.
Anti-wrinkle patches. Although these items are generally safe, they may not do much. Their purpose is to retain the skin’s moisture; however, the skin naturally loses moisture throughout the day anyway so they are not a helpful long-term solution
Overnight sheet masks. Now, these products are often full of hydrating ingredients that can nourish the skin. However, there’s little proof that these masks are more potent than creams, lotions, and other better-priced products.
Any items with fragrances and essential oils. They might smell amazing but they can irritate the skin and cause a reaction.
In favor of the morning shed
However, the trend does offer some helpful techniques. According to Momen: “For instance, the lips may benefit from an intense overnight hydration with a lip mask, and sleeping in silk turbans is also beneficial to reduce friction, frizziness, and hair breakage.”
But the morning shed can be more than just a laborious beauty routine. For some, it’s a form of self-care, a ritual which they can catch their breath, reflect, and focus on themselves before bed. Additionally, it can save them precious morning time since their hair is already styled and their skin is cleaned. Of course, there are those who benefit from mouth tape and chin straps for health reasons (although they should be used under the guidance of a medical professional.)
Simplicity is best
“The best skincare and nighttime routine is simple because consistency wins out over all these trends!” says Dr. Mina. Therefore, she believes the simpler the routine the better. “Wash your face with a gentle cleanser (this is a non-negotiable!) then apply a vitamin A cream and lock in moisture with a hydrating cream or lotion. For extra dry areas, apply petroleum-based products as needed.” Additionally, you should avoid layering on too many active ingredients since they may interact.
The fact is that influencers can attribute their features to beauty products, such as their flawless skin and defined jaw, but they are more likely a result of genes and lifestyle. Unfortunately, traits can’t be as easily replicated as people may hope. So save your money and time and incorporate only scientifically proven methods into your routine instead of following trends that will be ousted sooner or later. And reserve nighttime for tried-and-true beauty sleep.