We’re on a roll with these skincare trends! This one totally sounds like an option on my washing machine. Skin cycling (I learn so much while writing these) is one of the latest to pop up and makes you wonder why no one ever thought of it before because it makes so much sense (insert face palm).
What is Skin Cycling?
Skin cycling is essentially a 4 night cycle of skincare where you use different types of products every night. You hear all the time about amazing skincare ingredients and products that contain a big old “but” attached to them because there is a sweet spot when it comes to how often you should use them. Sometimes with some active ingredients using too much can cause even more problems, while using too little will result in no real benefits. The great thing about skin cycling is it allows for those particular products (retinol, exfoliating cleansers, etc.) to be used in a perfectly balanced way. Cycling can also be tailored to your skin type to help correct whatever issues you might have.
How does it work?
The OG skin cycling routine is broken up into 2 active nights followed by 2 recovery nights. All nights will still involve cleansing and moisturizing just with some additional steps on the first two nights of the cycle.
Night 1
The first night of the cycle includes an exfoliation product. The reason all (even if you tailor it differently) skin cycles begin with exfoliation is because it helps your skin start with a clean slate for the following nights. When you exfoliate the dead skin layers away, other products have the chance to penetrate into the deeper areas of the skin. Exfoliation also helps boost collagen production which we know is the holy grail of anti-aging.
614 Beauty suggests GlyMed Youth Firm Age Defying Peel
Night 2
After the skin has been prepped from the previous night, it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce retinol. This is one of those ingredients that might take your skin a bit of time to get used to and can cause irritation. There are many different ways to take retinol (take it like a big girl!) and any of them are viable options for night 2 whether it be over the counter or prescription grade retinol. It’s important to do a little research on retinol to decide the best products for you, but we’ll give you a quick little run down. If you’re new to retinol, starting with retinol alternatives is a good place to start as they are gentler on the skin. If you have sensitive skin, look for products that have encapsulated retinol, which allows a slower release of the product into the skin. For those with skincare issues such as acne, eczema, or rosacea you might want to check with your dermatologist to see what sort of retinol they recommend, but as a general rule, a mild retinol is a good place to start.
614 Beauty suggests GlyMed Retinol Rejuvenation Serum or Epionce Lytic Tx
Night 3-4
“And on the 7th day…” just kidding. Day 3 and 4 are rest days for your skin, giving it a chance to recover from the first two days. It’s good to use barrier repair products for these two days and you can even add slugging into the mix to get the most out of those healing products.
614 Beauty suggests Epionce Renewal Facial Cream for recovery. Epionce Intensive Nourishing Cream, Neocutis Hyalis + or Neocutis Bio Serum Firm for hydration
Of course, this is just the basic blueprint for skin cycling and will work for many skin types, but it can be tailored to help with whatever skin type you have. For those with acne prone skin or those who are looking to firm up their skin, building in another retinol night might work best for you. If you have more sensitive skin, adding an extra recovery day could be best.
With any new skincare routine, it can take a bit for your skin to adjust to the changes, but after about two cycles, you should start to see the benefits of healthier, radiant skin, which is all we really want, right?.
By Sadie Young