Skin Cycling
Beauty
February 17, 2023
Author: Doré
Beauty
February 17, 2023
Skin Cycling
Author: Doré
While you won’t see us telling you to jump on the latest skincare trends, there are some things that catch fire on social that we can get behind. Not because they’re new and buzzy, but because they just make sense. Skin cycling, coined by dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, is one of those skincare suggestions.While we aren’t huge proponents of aggressive actives, everyone’s skin is different. If you are using exfoliants and retinols, then skin cycling might be helpful for those of us with sensitive skin.So what is skin cycling and what are its benefits?What Is Skin Cycling?A skin cycling routine is a method of rotating your skincare routine regularly. This involves using different products with different active ingredients on different days, and allowing your skin “rest days.” This helps to prevent irritation that can be caused by regular use of strong actives. By alternating between different products, your skin can get the benefits of different active ingredients, and also get a break.How does Skin Cycling work?There aren’t specific skin cycling products, it's more about how and when you use the products you have. Skin cycling is a four day night time routine. It works like this:Night 1: ExfoliateNight 2: RetinoidNight 3: RecoveryNight 4: RecoveryLet us elaborate:Night 1: Exfoliate - On this first night, it’s recommended you exfoliate. Many dermatologists recommend using a chemical exfoliant (something containing an exfoliating acid like an AHA, BHA, Lactic Acid, etc.). If you prefer to use a physical exfoliant, just make sure you don’t have an active breakout as this can spread bacteria on the skin and exacerbate the acne.Night 2: Retinoid - If you’re using a retinoid, then tonight is the night to use it. Retinoids can be irritating when used too frequently, or if paired with exfoliants, so skin cycling has it used on its own. Make sure you apply retinoids with cleansed skin (we recommend Le Cleanser).Nights 3 and 4: Recovery - On these two nights, the focus is on hydration. We recommend using a rich moisturizer like La Crème on perfectly cleansed skin, and touching up with Le Baume for any added surges of hydration.From there, you just repeat the routine. Voilà! Not too complicated, and not too trendy - just some skincare common sense.How Can Skin Cycling Benefit Your Skin?Skin cycling devotees and dermatologists suggest the practice can have a number of benefits — here are a few.It may help to repair the skin barrierThe health of the skin barrier is essential for hydrated, healthy skin. In addition to protect the skin from water loss and maintain homeostasis, the skin barrier also protects us from external threats such as infections, allergens, chemicals and systemic toxicity. A compromised skin barrier can play a role in a range of skin conditions, from acne to eczema and even atopic dermatitis. Over exfoliating the skin, chemically or physically, may harm the skin barrier and lead to redness and irritation. Incorporating rest days can help aid in the recovery of the skin barrier to keep it functioning properly.It can help to reduce the side effects of certain productsThe main goal of skin cycling is to help decrease the side effects of many of the active ingredients you may be using. If you have a weekly retinol routine, it’s important to make sure that rather than using it every day, you incorporate rest days to give your skin a chance to recover and also get used to your products. When starting any acids or chemical exfoliators it’s always best to use them less frequently and increase frequency based on what your skin can tolerate, so using a skin cycling routine can help avoid irritation and unwanted side effects from over-use.It may help to protect the skin against seasonal issuesThose recovery nights can come in very useful as the seasons change and fall and winter air gets cooler and less humid. Cold, windy and dry climates can cause dry skin to worsen and certain skin conditions to flare up, like eczema. Skin cycling may help prevent your skin from getting dry in the first place, so that it can acclimate more easily to the changes in weather.How long should you continue Skin Cycling?When it comes to how long to follow a skin cycling routine, it can change. Depending on your skin, you can use a skin cycling routine as a starting point to introducing chemical exfoliators like retinol, it can be a reset for skin that might be compromised, or it can just be your regular routine. The one thing to keep in mind is that when it comes to your skincare routine - skin cycling or not - the most important thing is consistency, rather than frequency. Products are much more effective when you’re using them regularly, even if you’re not using them daily.
While you won’t see us telling you to jump on the latest skincare trends, there are some things that catch fire on social that we can get behind. Not because they’re new and buzzy, but because they just make sense. Skin cycling, coined by dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, is one of those skincare suggestions.While we aren’t huge proponents of aggressive actives, everyone’s skin is different. If you are using exfoliants and retinols, then skin cycling might be helpful for those of us with sensitive skin.So what is skin cycling and what are its benefits?What Is Skin Cycling?A skin cycling routine is a method of rotating your skincare routine regularly. This involves using different products with different active ingredients on different days, and allowing your skin “rest days.” This helps to prevent irritation that can be caused by regular use of strong actives. By alternating between different products, your skin can get the benefits of different active ingredients, and also get a break.How does Skin Cycling work?There aren’t specific skin cycling products, it's more about how and when you use the products you have. Skin cycling is a four day night time routine. It works like this:Night 1: ExfoliateNight 2: RetinoidNight 3: RecoveryNight 4: RecoveryLet us elaborate:Night 1: Exfoliate - On this first night, it’s recommended you exfoliate. Many dermatologists recommend using a chemical exfoliant (something containing an exfoliating acid like an AHA, BHA, Lactic Acid, etc.). If you prefer to use a physical exfoliant, just make sure you don’t have an active breakout as this can spread bacteria on the skin and exacerbate the acne.Night 2: Retinoid - If you’re using a retinoid, then tonight is the night to use it. Retinoids can be irritating when used too frequently, or if paired with exfoliants, so skin cycling has it used on its own. Make sure you apply retinoids with cleansed skin (we recommend Le Cleanser).Nights 3 and 4: Recovery - On these two nights, the focus is on hydration. We recommend using a rich moisturizer like La Crème on perfectly cleansed skin, and touching up with Le Baume for any added surges of hydration.From there, you just repeat the routine. Voilà! Not too complicated, and not too trendy - just some skincare common sense.How Can Skin Cycling Benefit Your Skin?Skin cycling devotees and dermatologists suggest the practice can have a number of benefits — here are a few.It may help to repair the skin barrierThe health of the skin barrier is essential for hydrated, healthy skin. In addition to protect the skin from water loss and maintain homeostasis, the skin barrier also protects us from external threats such as infections, allergens, chemicals and systemic toxicity. A compromised skin barrier can play a role in a range of skin conditions, from acne to eczema and even atopic dermatitis. Over exfoliating the skin, chemically or physically, may harm the skin barrier and lead to redness and irritation. Incorporating rest days can help aid in the recovery of the skin barrier to keep it functioning properly.It can help to reduce the side effects of certain productsThe main goal of skin cycling is to help decrease the side effects of many of the active ingredients you may be using. If you have a weekly retinol routine, it’s important to make sure that rather than using it every day, you incorporate rest days to give your skin a chance to recover and also get used to your products. When starting any acids or chemical exfoliators it’s always best to use them less frequently and increase frequency based on what your skin can tolerate, so using a skin cycling routine can help avoid irritation and unwanted side effects from over-use.It may help to protect the skin against seasonal issuesThose recovery nights can come in very useful as the seasons change and fall and winter air gets cooler and less humid. Cold, windy and dry climates can cause dry skin to worsen and certain skin conditions to flare up, like eczema. Skin cycling may help prevent your skin from getting dry in the first place, so that it can acclimate more easily to the changes in weather.How long should you continue Skin Cycling?When it comes to how long to follow a skin cycling routine, it can change. Depending on your skin, you can use a skin cycling routine as a starting point to introducing chemical exfoliators like retinol, it can be a reset for skin that might be compromised, or it can just be your regular routine. The one thing to keep in mind is that when it comes to your skincare routine - skin cycling or not - the most important thing is consistency, rather than frequency. Products are much more effective when you’re using them regularly, even if you’re not using them daily.