What Is Skin Cycling, And How Does It Work? Step-By-Step Guide For Beginners
After seeing a trending hashtag on TikTok that said #skincycle, you might wonder what it is all about. Well, we heard of skin care and skincare routine, but when it comes to skin cycle, it’s a term that is not so commonly used.
So what is it? What is a skin cycle? We are going to talk about that here in this article. Now if you wanna know everything about it, this is the place to be; keep on scrolling through the article to know more about it.
What Is Skin Cycling?
According to Doctor Debra Wattenberg, MDs said, “Despite it’s name. Skin cycle is not a spin workout for your epidermis. Instead, it’s a term used to describe the way products are applied to the skin.”
She further explained, “Rather than applying the same products every day, when skin sysling, products are applied with rest day.” Dr. Whitney Bowe, MD, coined the term skin cycle.
According to her, “Particularly during the pandemic, people were adding layer after layer onto their skin-care routines and experimenting with ingredient cocktails that were irritating and damaging the skin.
She then added There’s been so much confusion surrounding how to later active ingredients – Particularly on social media, the answers are all over the place, and we see angry, irritated skin as a result.”
To start your skin cycle, do the following steps:
- An exfoliator (salicylic acid or glycolic acid)
- A retinoid (retinaldehyde or retinol)
- A moisturizer (fragrance-free cream or ointment)
As Dr. Bowe explained, “The classic skin cycling regimen is a four-night cycle – the first is the exfoliation night, the second is a retinoid night, and the third and fourth are recovery nights, then you repeat the cycle.”
How Does Skin Cycling Work?
So now that you are somewhat aware of what skin cycling is and what the benefits of such skin cycles are. Now it’s time to know the skin cycling steps you need to follow.
Night 1: Exfoliation
On the first night of the cycle, you need to do the following things: cleanse, pat the skin dry, and do an exfoliation. This will remove all the dead skin from the upper layer of your skin.
Dr. Bowe said, “Your other products will perform more effectively because they are able to penetrate more deeply into the skin in a controlled, predictable way.” After you exfoliate your skin, you would like to moisturize your skin.
Although it is important, you must exfoliate your skin, but if done in the wrong way, your skin can have irritation and redness. So it is advised to get a chemical exfoliator than a natural one as they are gentler.
Night 2: Retinoids
Now it’s time to get to night two. On the second night, you need to focus on retinoids. They are actually Vitamin A supplements that are really helpful in reducing wrinkles and fine lines. According to Bowe, “Retinoids are one of the powerful ingredients to inclukde in your skin cycling routine.”
She further added, “They can be irritating when you first introduce them, or if you have sensitive, reactive skin.” Now before you apply the retinoids, be aware to cleanse your skin and pat dry it properly.
Night 3 & 4: Recovery
The last stage of skin cycling is the recovery stage, which usually happens on the cycle’s 3rd and 4th night.
On this night, you are not gonna do a thorough exfoliation and, at the same time, hold off on the retinoids. This is the night when you give your skin a chance to heal and recover.
According to Bowe, “You’ll want to focus on nourishing your skin microbiome and repairing your skin barrier, so think: hydration and moisture, and avoid any irritating ingredients.”
She then added, “Cleanse your skin before applying a moisturizer, and for these nights, you don’t have to pat dry- it’s fine to leave your skin a little damp.”
How Can Skin Cycling Benefit Your Skin?
Over the years, dermatologists have seen a lot of benefits of maintaining a proper skin cycle. So here are a few benefits of a skin cycle that might be beneficial for your skin.
It Repairs Your Skin Barrier.
It is essential to have a healthy skin barrier, not only from a makeup point of view or cosmetic but on a health point of view. According to Dr. Bowe, “Recovery nights, which focus on nourishing the skin barrier, have been a game changer for so many of my patients.”
As per the Indian Journal of Medical Research, “the skin barrier protects you from infection, harsh chemicals, and allergies. A compromised skin barrier can play a role in symptoms of a range of skin conditions, from acne to eczema, or atopic dermatitis.”
Reduces The Negative Side Effects Of Products.
According to Dr. Wattenberg, “The point of skin cycling is to decrease the side effects of many of the active ingredients – the less often you use a product, the less chance for a side effect.”
If you feel like then, you can also apply the retinol in between two layers of moisturizer in order to help your skin avoid any irritation.
It helps Skin From Seasonal Damage & Issues.
Dr. Bowe says, “Recovery nights especially beneficial in fall as the air becomes increasingly dry and cool.”
On the subject of seasonal change, the Mayo Clinic also chimed in, saying, “Cold, windy, and dry climate can cause dry skin and worsen certain skin fro getting dry in the first place, so that your skin can potentially handle the element better.”
Wrapping Up!
Now with such a detailed explanation, you know what skin cycling is. And you understand properly why it is so important to have a proper skin cycling routine.
So it is now important for you to understand why a proper skin cycling routine is important for you to have.
Now, if you feel like this is something you can try out for the sake of your skin, give this article a like and comment below.
Also read
written by
Nabamita Sinha
Nabamita Sinha loves to write about lifestyle and pop-culture. In her free time, she loves to watch movies and TV series and experiment with food. Her favorite niche topics are fashion, lifestyle, travel, and gossip content. Her style of writing is creative and quirky.
