Influencer Ashton Hall might have the morning routine to beat all morning routines.
In his viral social media videos — some of which have garnered over 100 million views — Hall shares his full morning routine, which begins at 3:50 a.m.
Over the course of nearly six hours, Hall walks viewers through how he begins his day, which includes unique practices like wiping the inside of a banana peel on his face and using Saratoga Spring Water for a face ice bath.
Though morning and nighttime routine videos have become a staple among influencer culture, Hall's edits have notably and consistently drawn millions of eyes. Apparently, the internet is fascinated.
One X user shared a shirtless photo of himself wearing mouth tape white holding a banana and standing in front of a refrigerator filled solely with Saratoga water.
“Locked in,” the caption read.
A TikTok user posted a superimposed video of his dog doing the morning routine, with time stamps included to mimic Hall's formatting.
The pup poured water from a blue bottle into a bowl, went for a swim and participated in the facial ice bath.
The trend even made it to “Piers Morgan Uncensored” on March 24, when the British broadcaster did his rendition of Hall’s viral routine. Piers Morgan drank from a blue water bottle, ate a banana, rubbed the peel on his face and dunked his face in a bucket of ice water.
Some are finding the same determination to change their routines, with one user sharing a photo of his own ice water bowl, Saratoga water and a bunch of bananas.
“I am ready to change my life,” the user wrote.
From whether the popularity of Saratoga water has actually spiked to the efficacy of the practices in Hall's routine, here's what to know about the former D1 athlete and his videos.
Who is Ashton Hall?
Ashton Hall is a former DI running back-turned-influencer, with over 9 million followers on Instagram, over 4 million followers on TikTok and nearly 3 million YouTube subscribers.
The Florida native played for Alcorn State University in Mississippi, whose football team is part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. According to his stats, Hall appeared in a total of five games across the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
In a July 2024 Q&A video shared to his YouTube page, Hall opened up about his journey from NFL hopeful to viral content creator.
“I didn’t really do much thinking past me creating content. It was football, football, football and then I’m going to make it to the NFL. I’m going to take care of my family,” Hall recalled. “That didn’t happen and after that, I was moving furniture.
“I just knew that I wanted to make money, just being honest, and that I wanted to take care of my family," he continued in a series of edited clips.
During his job moving furniture, Hall said he fell “out of shape.” Though he didn’t know what was next, Hall said he was inspired to take his fitness seriously.
“God, I don’t know what you have for me, but let me at least get in shape,” he said of his thoughts at the time. “So, I got back in shape.”
He explained that he exceeded feeling “in shape” saying, "I was looking amazing and I was feeling even better. So I was like, 'Yo, I got to give this feeling to other people.'"
Aside from his experience playing collegiate football, Hall's first step into the fitness world was working at LA Fitness, where he said he managed the training facilities.
During the pandemic, he began sharing fitness content online, calling it his "purpose."
TODAY.com has not yet received a response from Hall for a request for comment.
What is Ashton Hall's morning routine?
A compilation video he first shared in February showcases Hall’s morning routine.
In the caption, he explained that the video shows how his routine runs from 3:50 to 9:30 a.m., writing that between 4-8 a.m. "no one’s calling or distracting your productivity.. they are (asleep).”
Ashton Hall's full morning routine
3:52 a.m. Wakes up and walks into his bathroom
3:53 a.m. Takes off his mouth tape, which is typically used for sleeping with your mouth shut
3:54 a.m. Brushes his teeth and drinks Saratoga water
3:56 a.m. Rinses his mouth
4:04 a.m. Does pushups on his balcony
4:17 a.m. Drinks more water and seemingly does breathwork
4:38 a.m. Moves book at his desk and sits down for what looks like breathwork or meditation
4:42 a.m. Appears to write in a journal
4:55 a.m. Drinks more water and seems to watch inspirational videos on his phone
5:30 a.m. Repositions his book and gets up
5:46 a.m. Pours Saratoga water over a bowl of ice and proceeds to dunk his face in the ice water
6:01 a.m. Changes into workout clothes, which feature compression socks, rings and his watch
6:17 a.m. Packs a bag to go to the gym
6:20 a.m. Leaves his apartment for the gym
6:38 Sprints on the treadmill
7:31 a.m. Arrives at the pool
7:40 a.m. Swims
7:52 a.m. Appears to relax in a hot tub
8:15 a.m. Leaves the pool to head back to his apartment
8:23 a.m. Showers
8:43 a.m. Eats a banana and rubs the peel on his face
8:55 a.m. Washes his face
9:09 a.m. Dunks his face in another ice water bath
9:15 a.m. Appears to be in a meeting
9:25 a.m. Eats breakfast
Did Saratoga water sales go up since Ashton Hall began posting?
A Saratoga Spring Water spokesperson did not confirm to TODAY.com whether sales have increased since Hall began using the water in his routine. However, the company noted that their social media has gained major traction over the past week, when his account seemed to have several popular videos.
According to Saratoga, videos shared to social media over the past seven days mentioning the water brand have experienced a 1.26 billion reach. The brand has seen a 10.9% increase in followers and over 91,000 mentions.
Since his rise in popularity, social media users have been posting themselves purchasing multiple water bottles.
"Follows Ashton Hall for a day on IG," one X user shared, alongside a photo of his water and bunch of bananas.
Another wrote, "Life changing grocery trip. Telling my kids this is what winning looks like." The user shared his own picture of the water bottles, accompanied by bananas and cucumbers.
So...does rubbing a banana peel on your face actually help your skin?
Dr. Shari Lipner, a dermatology professor at Cornell University, tells TODAY.com “there is no research to suggest that rubbing the inside of a banana peel on the skin could improve the skin.”
Lipner explained that a banana peel has nutrients like vitamin C, which has been proven beneficial for the skin, but that the peel is “unlikely to be absorbed by the skin.”
Dr. Shasa Hu, a dermatology and cutaneous surgery professor at the University of Miami, agrees that it's unlikely, explaining that any benefit from the nutrients in a banana peel would likely be washed away after use.
Lipner suggests using moisturizers and serums that contain vitamin C and retinoids, which are derived from vitamin A, in the morning. She also recommended a moisturizer with at least SPF 30. At night, she suggests washing the face with a gentle cleanser and applying a retinoid.
And are facial ice baths actually beneficial?
As for Hall's morning face ice bath, Lipner says the technique has been shown to be beneficial for those with certain inflammatory conditions, like eczema and psoriasis.
Although she notes that cold treatments “have not been extensively studied,” ice baths or using an ice roller could restrict the blood vessels and decrease swelling in the skin.
Hu explains that pores in the skin are “very sensitive” to temperature, so the sudden coldness of the ice may cause the pores to temporarily shrink and help with facial puffiness.
“Because we’re sleeping, we’re laying flat for anywhere from six to 12 hours. So, we really want to get the circulatory system working against gravity,” she says.
Hu says using a gua sha tool — especially one that's been chilled in the freezer — on the face can help move trapped fluid and blood to the lymph nodes for drainage, which can temporarily reduce inflammation.
When it comes to whether or not Saratoga water is the best option for the ice bath, Hu explains that the purity of water has not been shown to impact the skin. She notes, however, that people with eczema-prone skin can benefit from pH-balanced, or alkaline, water.
Hu reminds that the skin is constantly exposed to tap water, especially in the shower.
“I think spending money on spring water or bottled water to splurge on a facial bath is not worth it,” she says, adding that the purchase is also less environmentally conscious.
Also, Lipner notes, a hot tub — which Hall also appears to enjoy during his routine — could be “detrimental” to people with such skin conditions. “It could dry out the skin and make eczema worse.”
