Is The Morning Shed A Sustainable Beauty Ritual?

This year has been a year of butter yellow, milky nails, Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’ and the morning shed. ICYMI, the morning shed is a beauty trend that has taken the Internet by storm as it takes self-care a notch higher. We should have guessed that this was coming. Everything about the beauty and wellness community’s approach to bedtime was leading up to this momentous occasion. From the everything shower to an ever-expanding night-time routine, it was only a matter of time before we reached this new beauty apex. And as wedding season has swiftly decended upon us as well, it seems like the perfect time of the year to consider whether or not brides-to-be should be indulging in the morning shed leading upto their big day.

What Is The Morning Shed?

The morning shed is a process of applying overnight beauty products to wake up to a more refined appearance. These products can include collagen sheet masks (often applied with great care and with a preceding red light therapy treatment at bedtime), mouth tape (to assist better sleep quality), a jawline strap and mask (to curb the morning puffiness around the neck), and silicone tapes as well.

The idea is to go to sleep cocooned and looking a little strange and to wake up emerging as a fabulous version of yourself from all the products that have worked their magic. "The uglier you go to sleep, the hotter you wake up," is the motto that the Iinternet, specifically influencers such as Ella Mae Rennison have assigned to the phenomenon.

Beauty influencers such asElla Mae RennisonandAshley Westhave shown their thousands of followers on Instagram the entire process of following through with the morning shed. From taking off their collagen sheet masks, before an early morning flight to losing the heatless curling rods they’d left in their hair overnight, both Ashley and Ella have given us some real inspiration about the idea of optimising time (even as you sleep) for better skin health and appearance.

While we appreciate just how detail and solution-oriented this trend is (you know, what with making maintenance an overnight game, rather than being weekly, monthly drudgery), it has been receiving a fair amount of criticism. We are all familiar with just how toxic beauty standards can be for women, and the morning shed is yet another example of our desperation to look flawless - even at times it’s not truly required. Writers and influencers everywhere are questioning whether we’ve taken beauty too far with this. Beauty influencerHeidi Beckershared a video of herself reciting a poem about the need for perfection in this day and age, and writer Alexandra Hildrethexpressedher concerns over the intense nature of this beauty trend, we’re encouraged to really think about the sustainability of such practices.

Is The Morning Shed Effective?

The effectiveness of the trend cannot be decided on a macro level. Each and every extensive step has to be taken into consideration. Take, for instance, the practice of mouth taping, an important part of the trend. Though it may have a few success stories, sleep specialists have differing opinions. “Sleep apnea is characterised by intermittent breaks in breathing because of the collapsibility of the upper airway. The fundamental treatment of sleep apnea lies in making lifestyle changes, weight reduction and limiting alcohol intake and smoking,” says Delhi-based sleep specialist Manoj K Goel, “But mouth taping is honestly not as effective of a treatment for it. In mild cases of the condition, it may work, but not otherwise. ”So, even when it comes down to an aspect of the regime that is unrelated to beauty, at least directly, we’re unsure of the impacts it has.

As for the products that one uses for the skin, it’s arguably a temporary fix, rather than a holistic and long-term solution. “Silicon tapes are usually applied on the forehead to make the wrinkles and lines in that area disappear. The idea is to stop your face from being impressed upon while you sleep so that you do not develop wrinkles as a result of it,” says cosmetic dermatologist Jaishree Sharad,.adding, “This may help, but temporarily or in short-term situations. For instance, if you have an event to go to the next day, you can follow the process the night before. But the effects will last for eight to ten hours. But the morning shed cannot permanently change your jawline or other aspects of your facial structure or how the skin changes as we age. ”She goes on to explain that products such as these can cause allergic reactions, “If you’re allergic to the adhesive, you can experience rashes, acne, or folliculitis."

So, it seems while the trend has tapped into a level of self-care that can really make one feel fulfilled, it’s also important to indulge in it with caution and authenticity. Follow steps and rituals that resonate with you fully, rather than taking on a to-do list of all the things you MUST do before bedtime, there may not be any care in that self-care.