It’s normal to turn to apps like Tiktok when you’re looking for a recipe, cleaning hack, outfit inspiration or skincare routines. Many of those bright ideas go viral and boom, there’s a new trend online. Just because you see that something has grown popular online, however, doesn’t mean you need to try it. On the beauty side of Tiktok, there is an emergence of the ‘morning shed’ trend. Here’s an explanation of what the ‘morning shed’ trend entails and the honest opinion of it from a dermatologist.
What is the ‘Morning Shed?’
Based on the videos circulating Tiktok, the morning shed trend involves applying a few different skincare products to your face, then sleeping in them. Those products can include a face mask, mouth tape, under eye patches, hair bonnet and even a jaw strap. You remove everything once you wake up the next morning. The goal apparently is to help women achieve the glass skin look. The online reviews about it are mixed. One Tiktok content creator who tried the trend gave it an immediate thumbs down.
“That was the most uncomfortable sleep I’ve ever had,” Alexis Reneé said in a video. “I wouldn’t do that again.”
She started the video by removing a jaw strap, mouth tape, face mask and hair bonnet. Her first complaint was about how uncomfortable the jaw strap was.
“It is so uncomfortable that when I had this on, I was literally clenching my jaws so tight that my teeth were rubbing together,” Reneé explained.
For the face mask, she didn’t feel like it helped her skin look glassy despite wearing it all night. Instead, it irritated her eyes. Reneé also mentioned that that mouth tape didn’t stay on and her hair bonnet, which she normally does not wear, left marks on her forehead.
Then there are some users like Brianna Sydney who didn’t share any complaints about the ‘morning shed’ trend. In one video she shared some of the products she used including a collagen mask, under eye patches, and a jaw strap. One commenter asked if she thought the jaw mask actually works.
“I feel like it does but will have to continue using it to see further results,” Sydney said.
Sydney received several compliments on her glowing skin. She did admit, however, that this wasn’t an everyday part of her skincare routine. Instead, she suggested doing it every three to four days.
A Dermatologist’s Take
Making the ‘morning shed’ a part of your skincare routine is ultimately for you to decide. For expert advice, 21Ninety asked a dermatologist to explain whether or not the trend seems beneficial. Tara Akunna is a board-certified dermatologist who doesn’t believe there are any immediate benefits of doing this.
“There’s an increased trend in overconsumption with no proven benefits to some of the trends on social media,” Akunna told 21Ninety.
One piece of advice offers is to avoid sleeping in items that can irritate your body.
“Products that contain potential allergens such as fragrances, dyes or harsh chemicals as these can exacerbate underlying skin conditions,” Akunna said.
She also points out that sleeping in a sheet mask overnight may be overdoing it.
“Most sheet masks are designed to be used for 15-20 minutes,” Akunna explained. “There isn’t any added benefit of using sheet masks for several hours at a time.”
Using the mask for too long may lead to irritation or dryness. For anti-wrinkle patches, Akunna suggests better options like using a product with retinal in it every night.