AM Skincare=Protection
I know some consider a morning cleanse to be unnecessary due to concerns of over cleansing/stripping the skin. I'm not completely opposed to this theory as I'm a big advocate of aiding to your skin's primary function-protection. However, I do find a gentle cleanse in the AM to be effective + safe for the skin's protective barrier. I find it truly important to cleanse your skin in the morning primarily because products you may have used at night should be cleansed away. Heavy nighttime serums, moisturizers, and oils should be cleansed away otherwise your SPF won't penetrate properly. Also, any nighttime products you may use with certain active ingredients should definitely be cleansed off in the AM. You don't want to walk around all day with residual retinol on. At night, while your skin is in repair mode, it secretes excess sebum. Gently cleansing your skin of excess oils, dead skin, and impurities will not strip your skin of all it's natural oil, but will create an environment for your daytime products to penetrate effectively and serve their purpose.
Here is my standard outline of an AM skincare routine:
Gentle Cleanse
Optional Facial Massage or Mask...or both.
Toner
Serum + Eye Treatment
Moisturizer
SPF
I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on AM cleansing! I like to believe I'm a morning person, haha. Even if I'm not in the mood I at least TRY to be productive and stick with an overall routine in the morning. For me, it sets the tone for the whole day and I find that consistency is key. Remember, do what feels right for you.