Kim Kardashian's face shapewear has popularised the Morning Shed beauty trend all over again

"Imperfection is beauty" is one of Marilyn Monroe's famous quotes. The starlet urged audiences to embrace their imperfections. Decades later however, the world often seems like it has moved further from it than ever before. The concept of accepting flaws is practically alien in 2025, where beauty standards are made to order. Present day beauty standards don't have room for smile lines and crow's feet or droopy eyes and thin lips. Instead, there now exists a set of beauty expectations sold to us by billion-dollar corporations and influencers with millions of followers, resulting in nearly everyone looking comically alike. 

What started as the 10-step skincare routine in 2021, has quickly turned into the elaborate morning shed trend. Often ridiculed on the internet, the TikTok-originated trend encouraged women to go to bed with face masks, lip stains, hair bonnets and heatless curlers. All of it to wake up, 'shed' their night away and look picture perfect before the day even starts. Now Kim Kardashian's SKIMS has added another layer of "face shapewear" to an already lengthy practice—a seamless sculpt face wrap—to sculpt and define one's jawline while they sleep. This type of self-care isn't one to stop; nope, not even while you sleep.

The now-sold out face wraps joins scores of products—from detox tea to gummy vitamins—peddled by the Kardashians which ride the coat-tails of a prevalent trend. HELLO! goes behind the trend and speaks to two dermatologists about the morning shed routine, whether it meets the mark on what it promises and their thoughts on face shapewear.

Is the Morning Shed trend beneficial? 

"While I am all for beauty, and love to try different products, doing everything all at once is the problem. It’s only for certain individuals who are ready to put in that effort every single day," says Dr. Hina Mukaddam, dermatologist at the Luna Clinic in Mumbai, when asked about the trend. The morning shed isn't all bad though, points out Dr. Mukaddam. "A deep cleansing routine with a sheet mask and a lip mask along with no-heat curlers for your hair is great, and really works. But using multiple products together at once doesn’t solve the purpose." 

According to Dr. Geetika Srivastava, Dermatologist and Founder of Influennz Clinic, the morning shed trend depends on one's expectations. "If you’re expecting a sculpted jawline, lifted face, and to shed 10 years overnight—then it’s too good to be true, and you know that. However, if your goal is plump, hydrated, soft, dewy skin, then yes, morning shed can work wonderfully."

Potential risks of morning shed 

The likes of chin straps and lip tape are the most concerning areas of this trend. According to Dr Mukaddam, lip tapes are an unnecessary step. They were intended to help people breathe through their noses, rather than their mouths, but also carries the potential risk of choking. It can also be risky for people with sleep apnea and nasal congestion. 

Heatless curlers and collagen masks can be uncomfortable to wear while sleeping, but can actually do significant damage. "Leaving a sheet mask on overnight can actually dry out your skin due to the reverse osmosis effect," adds Dr. Srivastava. Many people are also using retinol under the mask; which according to her, can cause occlusion and lead to retinoid dermatitis.

(Also Read: What's hot and what's not in the beauty landscape?)

Alternatives to the morning shed trend

According to Dr. Srivasatav, it's best to ditch the complicated procedure: "A night-time routine with just a cleanser, moisturiser, and night serum is more than enough." 

Another effective alternative is to start your mornings with lymphatic drainage for your face, use tools like gua sha and jade rollers along the pressure points, followed by deep cleansing and hydration. Certain safe clinical treatments done by experts can also help one achieve a more sculpted and sleeker look. Using products with high levels of collagen is a key to keeping the skin youthful and fresh. 

Speaking on the SKIMS face shapewear release, Dr Mukkadam says, "A face wrap worn after certain procedures, like a surgical fat reduction, works wonders for tightening of the skin and reduction in sagging. But an everyday face wrap would do little to improve the chiselled look." 

"It can promote some lymphatic drainage and may temporarily tuck things in—but it won't help you lose submental fat i.e. double chin, or develop a sharper jawline from collagen stimulation. It’s a short-term illusion, not a long-term solution," adds Dr. Srivastava. 

(Also Read: Reap the benefits of face yoga for flawless skin)

Edited by Dayle Pereira-Alemao