During the day as you're upright, the dermal fluid moves towards your legs, but overnight, when your body is horizontal during sleep, dermal fluid settles back. This swells up your facial skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, like pumping water back into a raisin or rehydrating a shriveled, dried sponge.
Why do faces look different when we wake up? When you lie down at night, fluid accumulates in your head more than usual because gravity is no longer pulling it down back into your body. This causes a little bit of swelling or puffiness in soft tissue like your face.
Why do I look good at night but not in the morning?
It's most likely due to dehydration, salt, and fatigue, a combo that can cause “shadows” in the face, more pronounced lines, shriveled lips, and swelling.
Each day we shed millions of dead skin cells, which can accumulate and pile up on top of each other like dust particles on a surface. This layer of dead skin can prevent skin from reflecting light, giving your face an ashen look.
This is because the reflection you see every day in the mirror is the one you perceive to be original and hence a better-looking version of yourself. So, when you look at a photo of yourself, your face seems to be the wrong way as it is reversed than how you are used to seeing it.
The best time to sleep for healthy skin is between 9 PM to 11 PM. If you wake up early, hit the bed by around 9-9.30 PM. If you work until late, ensure you fall asleep by 11 PM. Frequent delays can affect skin health.
Getting your “beauty sleep” may feel like an old cliché, but there is actually some truth behind it. Beauty sleep is very real and it refers to how our skin and body begins to heal itself from the day. When we enter deep sleep, our body enters recovery mode and produces growth hormones.
"You may look more toned in the morning, but as your body processes food, it retains water, and you develop gas/stool-which means a bigger/distended stomach and an overall heavier body," Sumbal explains.
Simply put, gravity is often the reason behind facial puffiness in the morning. “During the day, as most of us are sitting or standing, gravity pulls all of our fluids [down],” said Dr. Zakia Rahman, a clinical professor of dermatology at Stanford School of Medicine.
You can use toner in both your morning and evening skincare routines, depending on your skin's needs and ability to accept toner's benefits. It is ideal to incorporate toner into your skincare routine immediately following double cleansing.
A basic makeup routine each morning before school may help you look your best all day long. Use a concealer that matches your skin tone to cover up blemishes, then blend it in with a makeup sponge. Use powder makeup brushes to apply powdered blush or powdered bronzer. Use a makeup sponge for cream or liquid products.
