We're always in the market for some celebrity skincare advice. Kim Kardashian says you should pat, not rub products into your skin, JLo keeps things streamlined with a four-step routine, and Salma Hayek? Well, she doesn't wash her face in the morning. Salma dropped this revelation recently, during her press tour for Magic Mike's Last Dance and it's sparked conversation. Many swear by cleansing twice-a-day, AM and PM.
In the GQ interview posted to YouTube, Salma revisits a Tweet posted last year which reads, 'What is Salma Hayek's skincare routine? That woman is in her 50s and looks amazing.' True to form, she responds with the facts.
'My grandmother taught me never to wash my face in the morning. It's not disgusting, guys. What happens at night is that your skin produces all the oils that your skin needs to look youthful. It regenerates.' Wash your skin really well at night, she explains, 'but don't wash the hard work of your skin in the morning.'
Many of us have been hardwired to cleanse as soon as we wake in an effort to remove any build up from the night before, especially those actives like retinol that aren't suitable for daywear. Salma's advice paints a whole new picture and given her bombshell beauty standards, we're all ears.
But chartered chemist and founder of SOS Serum Skincare, Bruce Green, isn't on board. 'I love Salma Hayek, but I don’t agree with her grandmother’s or her views on skin cleansing. Cleansing is one of the single most important things you can do for your skin. Everyone’s skin gets dirty from dust, sweat, make-up, sebum and atmospheric impurities, at all times of the day. If you do not cleanse your skin twice a day, your pores will become clogged, and your skin will start to look dull.'
'You should cleanse your face in the evening just before bed then again in the morning before you start your day. Cleansing your skin makes it more receptive to active ingredients in your treatment products,' he adds.
On the flip side cosmetic biochemist Nausheen Qureshihas long been a single cleanse a day advocate. 'Washing at night makes sense as cleansing’s main activity is to transport away dirt, decomposed actives and pollution particles which is usually trapped in the oily sebum of your face. There is not usually any need for this in the morning (if you’re maintaining proper hygiene of your bed sheets and pillows of course). If you cleanse twice a day, you’re more at risk of a disrupted skin barrier which can lead to sensitivity and dryness.'
So which side of the morning cleanse fence do you sit on?