Imagine: It’s 11PM and you’re lying in bed after a good old fashioned romp in the hay. You’re tired and thankful you had the foresight to wash your face before doing the sex. But then your late night worry brain kicks in, starting with the big worries: “why oh why did I tweet about politics today?” and “when will I ever have enough time to finish that passion project?” Followed by the smaller, more immediate worries, like: “wait, did all of that rolling around just mess up the skincare on my face?” and, “oh God, do I need to do my routine all over again?”

Listen, I’m just asking questions, and Valentine’s Day is a day as good as any to specifically ask this one. Logic dictates that you’ll need a skincare routine re-do post-coital to address a sweaty brow among other things, but I’m happy to hear from someone who holds a different line of thinking. Earlier this week on Twitter, aesthetician Ashley White voiced in favor of the post-sex skincare routine, and if my timeline is any over-arching indicator, most people agree. It’s a little funny to me, though. Fifty years ago the post-coital cigarette was the norm, and now, in the year of our lord 2020, it’s been replaced with a face cleanser. Or...has it? Where do you stand? Is skincare a pre- or post-coital affair?

—Ashley Weatherford

Photo via ITG