The latest skincare trend to hit TikTok feeds around the world has people layering masks, tapes, and chinstraps across their faces.
Dubbed the ‘morning shed’ trend, the practice draws its name from a snake shedding its skin, or an onion peeling back its layers.
The multi-step routine comprises the use of various skincare techniques and beauty contraptions overnight to achieve the highest of beauty standards.
@eringetty7 I wish i could tell you this was a joke x #morningshed #nightimeroutine #mouthtapesleeping #scottish #scottishtiktok #fyp #foryou
♬ original sound - Brianna LaPaglia
What products are good for a morning shed?
There is no formula for a morning shed; as long as you are layering in the evening and peeling back in the morning, it qualifies as a shed.
One of the most favoured contraptions is a chin strap. This is used to reduce snoring but users claim it also slims down your jaw. Many people also use mouth tape which has claims in reducing snoring, enhancing oxygen uptake and improving sleep quality.
Apparatus aside, the process requires the slopping and slathering of eye masks, lip stains, serums, face masks, and other facial treatments and elixirs.
A morning shed can also include using and removing hair wraps to protect your hairstyle and/or reduce friction, hair masks, or overnight heatless curl headbands.
The most extreme morning shed enthusiasts have even turned to using cling film to liberally apply castor oil to their stomachs in an effort to reduce bloating.
Does the morning shed work?
The kicker here is that for the majority of people, the morning shed will be entirely futile.
Drs Dan Marsh and Mo Akhavani, founders of the Plastic Surgery Group told The Independent: “Good quality sleep is vital for skin health, as it’s the time when our skin regenerates, with increased blood flow, improved collagen production and cell renewal.”
“If you’re going to bed with all these things on your face, you’re unlikely to be getting as good a night’s sleep as you would normally, which would arguably have more of a positive impact on your skin health and cell regeneration.”
What’s more, while some skincare products will undoubtedly benefit your skin, too many products can be a recipe for disaster.
“Transepidermal water loss is greater overnight, and so an occlusive overnight mask can help to reduce the water loss, helping skin to stay hydrated,” add Marsh and Akhavani. “However, slathering on thick layers of a product that isn’t designed to be worn in this way can make skin more prone to clogged pores, breakouts and irritation.”
That’s before factoring in the impact of so many products on your bank account. Using copious amounts of La Mer is bound to add up.
Chin straps are as unproven as they are unglamorous. Dr Leah Totton, founder of Dr Leah Skin Clinics said they may temporarily reduce puffiness and compress facial tissue, but the effects will only survive a few hours.
Aesthetics doctor Dr Vincent Wong said: “The idea that more effort and more products automatically mean better skin sets impossible standards. Healthy skin develops gradually with simple, evidence-based care tailored to individual needs, not through complexity or extremes.”
