Photographer: Ellyse Anderson

Should you wash your face in the morning? The experts weigh in

This is how to cleanse properly.

Dominic Cadogan, Sophie Cockett and Fiona Embleton

7 min read

August 10, 2026 - 4:18PM

Glamour Australia

How do you wash your face? Humour me: most of do it every day, twice a day. Morning and night. But experts are suggesting there might be a very wrong way to be doing it – which most of us have been adopting for years.

Let's start with the obvious. Face wipes are about as good for our skin as they are for the environment. We knew that much already. So, we've been prioritising our micellar waters and our creamy cleansing balms (the new Liz Earle Cleanse & Glow Brightening Cleansing Balm is my favourite right now). Great.

But even those of us wedded to our so-called winning twice-daily cleansing routine could actually be causing unnecessary damage and stress to our skin. In fact, Hailey Bieber admits to skipping her morning cleanse for that very reason.

Should we be doing the same? Should you ever wash your face in the morning? Those and other questions are answered below, alongside tips that everyone needs to know for their daily face-washing routine.

How often should you wash your face?

Two important questions to ask yourself before starting: when and how often should I wash my face? Twice a day – once in the morning and once at night – has been the accepted advice for years when it comes to maintaining clean and healthy skin. And many experts do still agree.

As well as cleansing in the evening, “personally, I always advocate for a morning cleanse to sweep away overnight sweat, sebum, and dead skin cells, prepping your canvas beautifully for your daytime skincare or makeup routine," Expert Facialist Sarah Carr told us. “That said, it should never feel stripping, so opting for the best cleanser for your skin is important. I would suggest using a gentle, cream or gel-based cleanser to keep your skin clean and fresh, without damaging your skin barrier.”

On the contrary, a growing number of experts now believe that there are benefits to skipping the morning cleanse altogether. Celebrity facialist Angela Caglia is a big advocate of the no-AM-cleanse rule, even going so far as to take to her Instagram stories to advise people to stop doing it. Her argument was that our skin produces natural beneficial lipids overnight. These keep it hydrated and supple and our skin barrier strong – so why remove these good-for-skin oils as soon as you wake up?

In many ways, it makes sense – especially if you have dry skin that already has a weak skin barrier or sensitive skin that is easily riled by any products that touch its surface. "If you have extremely dry or compromised skin, a simple sweep of a gentle alcohol free and hydrating toner on a cotton pad can suffice," Sarah added.

"But for more, a mindful morning cleanse is a beautiful way to wake up the skin.” If you have oily or acne-prone skin, it's definitely best to cleanse morning and night with a targeted cleanser to prevent blockages in your pores and a build up of bacteria. Also, if you've used retinol serum or strong acids overnight, you'll want to gently cleanse away the residue in the morning to avoid irritation. In addition, as per Sarah's advice, if you like to wear makeup, cleansing in the morning as well as the evening can ensure your skin is well primed for foundation or other complexion products you want to wear atop it.

What type of cleanser is best for my skin type?

There are lots of different types of cleansers, which can make knowing how to wash your face confusing: oil-based, gel cleansers, cleansing balms; cream cleansers being the main options.

An oil-based cleanser can be your best friend when it comes to melting off your makeup, but if you have oily skin you may want to avoid them and opt for a cream cleanser instead. Cream cleansers are great for oily skin types, as well as dry and dehydrated skin types.

As are cleansing balms! “Cleansing balms are rich and nourishing, making them absolute heaven for dry, mature, or dehydrated skins,” Sarah said – "as well as being the ultimate first step to dissolve heavy makeup.

Elsewhere, "gel cleansers offer a lightweight, refreshing clarity that oilier or blemish-prone complexions adore. Using both is actually a brilliant double-cleansing strategy – start with a luxurious balm to melt away the day and follow with a gentle gel to deeply refresh the skin."

Whatever cleanser type you choose, we'd recommend that you avoid cleansers that are heavily perfumed, scented or foaming, especially if you have sensitive skin – as this can cause further irritation.

Should you always double cleanse?

“While you don't need to double cleanse in the morning, doing so in the evening is a great way to achieve radiant, healthy-looking skin. The first cleanse acts as your makeup and SPF remover, melting away the day's surface impurities, while the second cleanse can actually get to work on treating the skin,” Sarah told me.

“The second cleanse it also where I like to incorporate some massage techniques to help stimulate blood flow, drain excess liquid and give yourself a really grounding moment to yourself,” – but more on that later.

Always, always remove all of your makeup

We've nodded to it above – but what skin experts and dermatologists can agree on is the importance of your night time cleanse to wash away your makeup. You should never go to sleep without doing so.

Double cleansing – first with a micellar water followed by an oil- or cream-based cleanser – is necessary for those wearing full coverage foundation or long-lasting mascara. “If you’re wearing heavy eye makeup, I love to pre-treat the delicate eye area with a dedicated, gentle remover so you aren't pulling or dragging the skin during your main cleanse,” Sarah told me.

For your second cleanse, use your hands or a clean, damp cloth to apply the cleanser of choice and gently remove any further residual makeup and debris. A Q-tip is a handy tool for cleaning around the lashline. Make sure you never ignore your neck or hairline; leaving out these parts can cause bacteria build-up and a break out of acne. (Read also, my guide to the best face washes for acne).

Can you cleanse your face with really hot water?

You’ll be forgiven for not knowing this as it’s a common misconception, but washing your face with really hot water should be avoided. No matter how nice it feels.

“Water should always be comfortably warm or tepid, never hot,” Sarah told me. “Piping hot water strips the skin of its precious, natural protective oils, leaving your barrier compromised, dry, and prone to redness or irritation. During the warmer months, try a cooler cleanse which can feel really refreshing and a great way to cool you and your skin.”

How long should I spend cleansing?

Most people are not cleansing thoroughly enough to properly remove all makeup and debris. “I recommend spending at least 30 to 60 seconds massaging your balm into the skin,” Sarah told me. “This not only gives the oils time to break down stubborn makeup and SPF, but it also stimulates lymphatic drainage and boosts microcirculation for a gorgeous, natural flush. Treat it as a mini-facial moment at the end of a long day – breathe in the calming fragrance and let the tension melt away.”

Once you're done, "always gently pat your face dry with a clean, soft towel rather than rubbing or dragging, which can cause irritation to the skin barrier. Ideally, I love to use a fresh cotton cloth for each wash to keep things Leave your skin just a tiny bit damp, too, as this helps your subsequent tonics, serums and moisturisers lock in maximum hydration."

Add an exfoliator into the mix

Exfoliating is great for removing any dead skin cells and helps your skin to better absorb topical products. 2-3 times a week is recommended, but this may be more or less depending on how sensitive your skin is. If you’re noticing tightness, redness, irritation, or stinging during your routine, you are likely exfoliating too often.

Try to avoid exfoliants with large beads or harsh scrubbing textures as these can cause micro tears in the skin and cause permanent. Chemical exfoliants (AHAs or BHAs) will do the same job in a non-abrasive manner, but check that your cleanser doesn’t already contain them first.

Don’t forget a serum

To be used after an exfoliant and before your moisturiser, facial serums help to restore the acidic pH of the skin (to help balance the bacterial flora on the skin surface), and to deliver acid-pH antioxidants (such as vitamin C) to the skin surface.

With many options to choose from – from vitamin C serums to peptide serums – the simple choice is a hydrating serum, your best friend for giving your skin extra moisture. Best applied to damp skin to reap the rewards, hyaluronic acid is the most popular choice for its soothing, plumping, and fine line-reducing properties.

Lock it all in with a moisturiser

You’re almost there! Now that you’ve done all the hard work properly cleaning your face, be sure to top it all off with a moisturiser or night cream to keep your skin healthy and hydrated. If you’ve got sensitive skin or find that it needs a break, you might want to skip the serum step and go straight to moisturising once you’re done with cleansing.

How to choose? A combination of both personal preference for skin texture and skin types, those with oily skin will prefer a lightweight moisturiser while drier skin benefits from a thicker, richer formula. Overnight creams, which usually fall into the latter category, can be a great way of soothing and healing your skin while you sleep.

This story originally appeared in glamourmagazine.co.uk