Your Skin Has a Circadian Rhythm Too: How to Build a Smart AM/PM Routine

A thoughtful morning and evening ritual is less about chasing trends and more about giving skin what biology and clinical research say it needs at different times of day. In the morning, the goal is to defend: cleanse away overnight sweat and product residue if needed, hydrate strategically, add antioxidants, then seal and shield with moisturizer and sunscreen. Observational and interventional studies show that consistent routines built around these simple pillars improve texture, clarity, and adherence over time. At night, the focus flips from protection to repair—thorough cleansing, replenishing hydration, targeted actives such as retinoids, and barrier-supportive moisturizers that help skin recover from the day’s assaults.

In the AM, cleansing can be minimal but intentional. For normal to dry or sensitized skin, a splash of lukewarm water or a very gentle cleanser may be enough, while oilier or acne-prone types often benefit from a mild morning cleanse to remove sebum and sweat that can contribute to clogged pores. If the skin feels tight or you live in a dry climate, layering a hydrating essence or lotion with humectants can help restore water content before you apply more steps; clinical work on moisturizers shows that improving hydration early in the routine supports barrier function throughout the day. For someone using a Maya Chia cleanser at night, the morning might be as simple as a brief rinse, followed by a fine mist or essence if skin feels dehydrated rather than oily.

Next comes your daytime “insurance policy”: vitamin C, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Topical vitamin C—whether classic L‑ascorbic acid or gentler derivatives—has been shown in clinical studies to support collagen synthesis, reduce oxidative damage from UV and pollution, and improve uneven tone, especially when used in the morning before SPF. 

Dermatology literature repeatedly affirms that daily broad‑spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30 materially reduces photoaging and skin cancer risk; SPF 30 filters about 97% of UVB, while SPF 50 blocks about 98%. A lightweight face oil or emulsion moisturizer can then be used to lock in hydration and buffer any potential irritation from actives, with ceramide- and lipid-rich formulas shown to improve barrier function, transepidermal water loss, and even fine lines in controlled trials.

Evening is when the non-negotiable cleanse happens. Makeup, sunscreen, pollution particles, and oxidized sebum all accumulate on the skin’s surface by night; expert guidelines and clinical routines alike emphasize thorough cleansing in the PM to avoid clogged pores and chronic low-grade irritation. For many, this means a gentle first cleanse to dissolve makeup and SPF, followed by a water-based cleanser if needed to remove residual film, leaving skin clean but not stripped. An essence or hydrating mist is again optional but especially useful if you use stronger actives at night, as pre-hydrating the stratum corneum helps maintain comfort and barrier resilience

Night is also prime time for retinoids—the “gold standard” for visible photoaging in dermatology literature. Randomized controlled trials show that topical retinol and prescription retinoids increase collagen production, improve fine wrinkles, and enhance texture and tone over weeks to months of consistent nighttime use. 

Whether you reach for a retinol, retinal, or bio-retinol-inspired formula, framing your PM routine as cleanse → (optional essence) → retinoid → nourishing moisturizer lets you plug in your favorite Maya Chia products while staying grounded in what decades of peer-reviewed research say your skin actually wants at sunrise and sunset.