What is Skin Cycling?

March 2, 2023

3 min read

If using multiple products is leaving your skin irritated, you can try skin cycling. This new tik tok trend involves using a few products in cycles over a few days to let your skin absorb the ingredients while allowing it to breathe.

What is skin cycling?

Dr. Whitney Bowe.MD, a board-certified dermatologist from New York City, has come out with skin cycling regimen on Tik Tok. According to this trend, instead of using all skin care products in one go, you can follow a four-day regimen to allow the skin to soak up the goodness of the ingredients in the skincare products.

Skin cycling includes a four-night cycling schedule with an exfoliation night, a retinol night, and two nights of recovery when the skin is allowed to breathe.

Instead of piling up multiple skincare products in layers over your skin, following a four nightly ritual with recovery time can help your skin get used to the products and soak up the ingredients without getting irritated.

How does skin cycling work?

The entire schedule of skin cycling is performed in four nights.

Night 1 - The exfoliation night

Dr. Bowe recommends the first night as the exfoliation night. Exfoliation of the skin is done to clear the pores and remove dull, dead skin bringing out the clear newer skin cells underneath.

Cleanse your skin with a gentle face wash and pat it dry. Then, use a leave-in chemical exfoliant like a serum with alpha or beta hydroxy acids. Dr. Bowe prefers this over a physical exfoliant, like a scrub that can be harsh when scrubbed on the skin's surface. Use a gentle moisturizer to hydrate the skin before sleep.

Night 2 - The retinoid night

Skincare can never be complete without the use of retinoids. The American Academy of Dermatology defines retinoids as vitamin A-based skin products that fade hyperpigmentation, treat mild acne, and are excellent for reducing wrinkles and fine lines.

First, cleanse your face with a mild face wash and pat it dry before using retinol on your skin. To be effective, retinol must be applied on completely dry skin. Applying retinol on damp skin can boost the penetration of the product, causing skin irritation in some cases.

First-time retinol users need to moisturize the sensitive areas in their face, namely under the eyes, at the base of the nostril, at the corners of the mouth, and at the neck area before using retinol.

After applying retinol, put another layer of moisturizer to create a sandwich effect that protects your skin from peeling and excessive dryness while building retinol tolerance.

Nights 3 & 4 -The recovery nights

After treating your face with exfoliation and a retinol treatment, Dr. Bowe wants you to allow your skin to recover on nights 3 and 4.

Recovery nights will require a gentle cleansing and applying any hydrating serum or moisturizer that does not involve any active ingredients. Gentle, fragrance-free products with skin-repairing agents like hyaluronic acids, ceramides, and glycerine can be used to pamper your skin.

What are the benefits of skin cycling?

Skin cycling is effective as it allows your skin to recover from active exfoliation and retinol treatment. Both exfoliation and retinol treatment can be powerful processes beneficial for your skin. But using them too often can irritate your skin and even cause hyperpigmentation in sensitive people.

For effective skincare, less is often more. Giving your skin a break in between using active ingredients can allow it to absorb the ingredients better, leading to improved skin quality.

Are there any drawbacks of skin cycling?

Skin cycling has no significant drawbacks, however it can cause irritation in some individuals with sensitive skin. As each skin type is different, you can adjust the regimen to suit your individual needs. People with sensitive skin can take more recovery days. In contrast, those well adjusted to retinoids can skip one recovery day, making it a three nights regimen.

Like most skincare regimens, you must consult your dermatologist to get the maximum benefit from following the nightly skin cycle routine.