What Is a Morning Shed Routine—And Is It Just a TikTok Gimmick?

What Is a Morning Shed Routine?

With the word “shed” attached to it, you can imagine the routine involves some elimination.

“It usually includes a mix of products and tools designed to sit on the skin or hair overnight,” Harper explains. “The intention is to lock everything in and maximize results while you sleep, then ‘shed’ it all in the morning, revealing glowing skin and perfect hair.” 

Is the Morning Shed Routine Actually Effective?

Is this groundbreaking wellness, a fun social media opp, or a bit of both? Harper says it can be fun and effective, but apply with caution. While she believes there is some truth to “the uglier you go to bed, the prettier you wake up” theory, she thinks a lot of what you see online is to garner views (and hey, we’re just as guilty as the next person for tuning in). 

“At its core, the intention is about maximizing your routine overnight,” she says. “But thankfully, you don’t need a 10-step morning shed to see results.”

There’s definitely a gray area, as Harper says a few of these steps are indeed beneficial. Based on her recommendations, a few of these types of products can be worth trying—like LOOPS Mouth Tape, THE INKEY LIST Hydrocolloid Invisible Pimple Patches, and the SKIN GYM Hydra Slugging Gel.

Harper says the aforementioned types of products can be useful, “But layering multiple heavy products or wearing tight accessories for hours can backfire. Occlusives can trap heat, sweat, and bacteria, which may lead to clogged pores or irritation, especially if you’re acne-prone.”

The Core of the Morning Shed

Despite what you see online (and we’ll admit, all those layers do feel counterproductive), “your skincare doesn’t need to be ‘sealed’ to work overnight,” Harper explains. “It just needs a clean, balanced environment with the right active ingredients and barrier support.”

The goal of the routine is to “lock in” your products overnight. And Harper said that can be done on a much smaller scale by way of slugging, which you may recall hearing about on and off in 2021.

“Slugging is using an oil as a last step in your skincare routine to create a protective seal,” Harper shares. “This helps prevent transepidermal water loss, which is water evaporating into the air. At night, your skin naturally loses more moisture while it repairs itself, which can leave it feeling dry, tight, or irritated by morning.”

For strong slugging abilities, we’re big on the MUTHA Face Oil which offers a multitude of restorative and protective benefits all in one droplet.

Does the Morning Shed Routine Contradict the Objective of Wellness?

Wellness can be defined as, “The active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.” But part of holistic health is having a healthy mindset when it comes to self-care. Feeling compelled to maximize something as seemingly simple as a nighttime routine can come off obsessive and overconsumptive—at least according to Charlotte Palermino. The DIEUX founder’s critique aligns with earlier criticism that the practice is potentially irritating to the skin and rooted in perfectionism. 

Harper agrees “100%,” stating that “These complicated routines are what scare people away from practicing skincare and wellness habits. It makes you think that you need to be doing the most, or do nothing at all.”

Harper says she’s a big proponent of the “less, but better” mentality, adding, “It’s about focusing on a few effective, high-quality steps and staying consistent with them. At the end of the day, simple habits like using a nightly retinoid and actually getting sufficient sleep will always outperform an occasional, over-the-top morning shed routine.”

But, as she points out, effective-yet-boring isn’t what gets views online.  

“They’re not ‘fun’ to watch on social media, which is why they don’t get the attention they deserve,” she explains. “For me, wellness is about supporting your body and skin in a way that feels good long term. When a routine starts to feel excessive, uncomfortable, or like you’re doing it just to keep up with a trend, it defeats that purpose.”

Sleep, she notes, “is when your skin does the bulk of its repair. Instead of 30 minutes spent applying additional products, you’ll probably see more results from just going to sleep and getting an extra 30 minutes of shut-eye.”

Final Thoughts

The morning shed routine can be all fun and games (with skin benefits) when practiced in moderation. We personally imagine much of what you see online (like with anything online) is performative and not actually executed all the way through. Sleeping in excessive layers can’t possibly make the sleeping experience enjoyable, and can actually have adverse effects, depending on what exactly is applied to the skin. A simple nighttime routine (general overnight skincare and patches or strips as needed) plus adequate sleep is really all you need to look fresh in the morning.