Should You Exfoliate Your Skin In The Morning?

According to dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer, the best time to exfoliate the skin depends largely on a person’s lifestyle habits. “If someone wears makeup on a daily basis, exfoliating at night would help to lift any remaining makeup particles from the skin and ensure that your products are penetrating properly,” Dr. Lancer tells Refinery29. On the other hand, if you have oily skin or your face looks dull in the morning, exfoliating early in the day might be a good shout. Echoing the sentiment, dermatologist Dr. Karyn Grossman tells Refinery29 that daybreak is the best time for exfoliation. People usually apply products formulated with strong active ingredients to the skin before bedtime, and a harsh exfoliant can further overburden and irritate the skin.

The question of when to exfoliate also has to do with the type of exfoliants you use. Contrary to popular opinion that you should stick to either chemical exfoliation or physical exfoliation, you can actually incorporate both into your am and pm skincare routine. If your skin usually feels softer and smoother after using a facial scrub formulated with finely ground grains, celebrity esthetician Renée Rouleau recommends using physical exfoliation for your morning routine and sticking with chemical exfoliation for your night-time regime (via Byuchesical ex Byuchesical ex Byurdie). Glycolic acid, polyhydroxy acid, or fruit enzymes, can loosen your dead skin cells, the morning is the ideal time to scrub them away with a physical exfoliator.