As part of my early-2012 skincare overhaul, nearly one year ago, I changed the way I wash my face in the morning. I used to wash with a foaming gel cleanser in the shower. But the cleanser was discontinued, and then a skincare expert warned me that my skin was dehydrated and advised me to stop washing in the morning altogether.
I’ve given up the morning lather, and my skin really does feel smoother and look healthier now that it’s not stripped dry and tight at 7 a.m. every day. Instead, I a) spritz my face with some rosewater and wipe it with a cotton ball, or b) if I’m feeling a bit oily or grimy, I use a little LUSH 9 t0 5 in the shower.
9 to 5 is a lightweight, creamy fluid that contains sweet almond oil and orchid extract. I squirt a nickel- to quarter-size dab into the palm of my hand, massage it gently into my face for a minute, and rinse it away with warm water. While I’m working it into my skin, I enjoy its clean, powdery-floral scent—part ylang-ylang, part something that reminds me of a lotion or sunblock that I used then I was a child.
This is a gentle product and it does leave my face feeling refreshed but calm. I still need something stronger for evening, when I’m removing my makeup—my trusty bar of Victoria Lanolin-Ägg-Tvål Eggwhite Facial Soap is still my favorite cleanser for that purpose—but if you don’t wear makeup or live in a dirty city like I do, 9 to 5 might suit your a.m. and p.m. needs.
Plus, there’s just something irresistible about a product that gets me singing the “9 to 5” theme song in my morning shower. There are worse ways to start the day.
LUSH 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion is available in 3.4 oz. ($10.95) and 8.5 oz ($21.95) bottles at the LUSH website.
TINSEL CREATION 
I’ve been hearing this a lot lately, that you shouldn’t wash in the AM. I have slightly oily skin and the thought of not washing seems wrong, but a cream cleanser may be the way to go. I need to go to Lush again and really try explore a bit. We got one here relatively recently and it’s very small and the 1 time I went, there were so many extra helpful employees, I just wanted to get out of there! After sniffing the perfumes, of course.
I completely agree about the overly helpful employees—they must be trained to act like that, but it can be a little annoying if you’re just in the mood to browse and make your own selections!
My skin is a weird oily-dry combination, but it gets easily dehydrated. I was worried about feeling “dirty” without a morning facial sudsing, but it really hasn’t been a problem. In the hottest weeks of the summer I may have cheated by using a *teensy* bit of foam cleanser in the shower, but otherwise, the pre-shower rosewater spritz and a little 9 to 5 does the trick!