Skin Cycling - Everything You Need to Know
By Wander Beauty | Jun 12, 2023
Skin cycling is an increasingly popular skincare technique that involves cycling active skincare ingredients, namely exfoliators and retinoid-based products, with days of rest and recovery in between. It may sound daunting, but it’s actually quite simple, and if you’re looking for a way to give your skin the boost it needs, skin cycling may be the answer.
What is skin cycling?
Developed by New York-based dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, and touted by millions on TikTok, skin cycling is the process of alternating the use of powerful active ingredients with days of recovery to get the best results from your PM skincare routine. Skincare products that contain active ingredients, such as chemical exfoliants and retinol, are incredible at increasing skin cell turnover – resulting in smooth, glowing, youthful-looking skin. This method helps you get the benefits of these ingredients without the irritation and inflammation often associated with them.
How to get started
You can read about the benefits of this technique and see others' success with it, but the only way you’ll know whether or not it works for your skin is by trying it out yourself. Here is the original four-night cycle, along with the best products for skin cycling, designed to enhance the skin's natural repair process. Start each night with a gentle cleanser and finish with a nourishing moisturizer.
Night 1: Detoxify
The first night of the cycle is all about cleansing and detoxifying the skin. The star of the night is an exfoliator of your choice – though Dr. Bowe recommends a chemical exfoliant (AHA/BHA/PHA) rather than a physical one. This will slough off any dead skin cells, refine and smooth skin texture, and unclog pores.
Night 2: Renew
Night two is dedicated to stimulating the skin's natural renewal process. Use a retinoid product to promote cellular turnover and help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Retinoids are a chemical derivative of vitamin A that encourage an increased rate of skin cell turnover and boost collagen. They can, however, cause redness and irritation, especially within the first few weeks of use, which is why you only use them once in this cycle, rather than daily.
Night 3 & 4: Replenish
On the third and fourth nights of the cycle, it's all about nourishing and helping the skin recover. Use a hydrating sheet mask or soothing serum to calm, hydrate, and boost your skin's natural glow.
The morning routine
To get the full benefits of this schedule, Dr. Bowe recommends streamlining your morning routine. This includes:
- A gentle cleanser like Drift Away™ Cleanser
- A vitamin C concentrate like Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate
- A barrier-protecting moisturizer like Dive In™ Moisturize
- An SPF like Pack Up & Glow Priming Mineral SPF 40
The benefits and risks involved
The core purpose of this practice is to reduce the negative effects often associated with active ingredients, while still getting all the benefits of them. This makes skin cycling for acne, skin cycling for oily skin, and skin cycling for sensitive skin particularly helpful.
Some of the main benefits include:
- Reduce negative side effects: This practice is designed to limit the negative side effects associated with active ingredients while still allowing you to enjoy their benefits. It's a gentle and effective introduction to these ingredients, particularly helpful to beginners and people with sensitive skin.
- Repair skin barrier: Exfoliation and skin renewing practices are some of the most powerful ways to boost your skin's radiance, tone, texture, and youthful appearance. Overusing these products, however, can harm your skin's protective barrier – which is designed to protect you from infection, environmental pollution, and allergens. Cycling recovery nights with the use of these ingredients allow your skin barrier to recover and strengthen between the uses of active ingredients.
- Protect against seasonal issues: Cold, windy, and dry climates can worsen any existing skin conditions, increasing both the need for active ingredients, as well as the risks involved in their use. Even if your skin has adjusted to the use of these ingredients, you may notice it doesn't handle them as well during the colder months. Implementing a cycle can therefore equip your skin to handle the elements better.
As a technique, this practice does not pose any additional risks in and of itself. The only risks involved are those typically associated with the use of active ingredients, such as redness, irritation, inflammation, and increased sensitivity. As mentioned, however, the very purpose of using these ingredients in a cycle is to reduce these symptoms, though it may still take time for your skin to adjust.
It is worth mentioning that this technique is particularly helpful for people new to the use of active ingredients, as well as those with sensitive skin. Once your skin gets used to AHA/BHAs and retinol, you may find that using them only once or twice a week, as in the traditional cycle, is not enough to yield the results you were looking for. As such, we recommend listening to your skin and adjusting the cycle as necessary. That can mean increasing or decreasing your recovery days according to how your skin responds.
Boost your glow with Wander Beauty
Implementing a skin cycling schedule may seem daunting at first, but it is an easy and effective way to keep your skin looking its best. Enjoy a gorgeous glow wherever you wander with our range of travel-friendly makeup and skincare.
Skin Cycling - Everything You Need to Know
Skin cycling is an increasingly popular skincare technique that involves cycling active skincare ingredients, namely exfoliators and retinoid-based products, with days of rest and recovery in between. It may sound daunting, but it’s actually quite simple, and if you’re looking for a way to give your skin the boost it needs, skin cycling may be the answer.
What is skin cycling?
Developed by New York-based dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, and touted by millions on TikTok, skin cycling is the process of alternating the use of powerful active ingredients with days of recovery to get the best results from your PM skincare routine. Skincare products that contain active ingredients, such as chemical exfoliants and retinol, are incredible at increasing skin cell turnover – resulting in smooth, glowing, youthful-looking skin. This method helps you get the benefits of these ingredients without the irritation and inflammation often associated with them.
How to get started
You can read about the benefits of this technique and see others' success with it, but the only way you’ll know whether or not it works for your skin is by trying it out yourself. Here is the original four-night cycle, along with the best products for skin cycling, designed to enhance the skin's natural repair process. Start each night with a gentle cleanser and finish with a nourishing moisturizer.
Night 1: Detoxify
The first night of the cycle is all about cleansing and detoxifying the skin. The star of the night is an exfoliator of your choice – though Dr. Bowe recommends a chemical exfoliant (AHA/BHA/PHA) rather than a physical one. This will slough off any dead skin cells, refine and smooth skin texture, and unclog pores.
Night 2: Renew
Night two is dedicated to stimulating the skin's natural renewal process. Use a retinoid product to promote cellular turnover and help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Retinoids are a chemical derivative of vitamin A that encourage an increased rate of skin cell turnover and boost collagen. They can, however, cause redness and irritation, especially within the first few weeks of use, which is why you only use them once in this cycle, rather than daily.
Night 3 & 4: Replenish
On the third and fourth nights of the cycle, it's all about nourishing and helping the skin recover. Use a hydrating sheet mask or soothing serum to calm, hydrate, and boost your skin's natural glow.
The morning routine
To get the full benefits of this schedule, Dr. Bowe recommends streamlining your morning routine. This includes:
- A gentle cleanser like Drift Away™ Cleanser
- A vitamin C concentrate like Sight C-er Vitamin C Concentrate
- A barrier-protecting moisturizer like Dive In™ Moisturize
- An SPF like Pack Up & Glow Priming Mineral SPF 40
The benefits and risks involved
The core purpose of this practice is to reduce the negative effects often associated with active ingredients, while still getting all the benefits of them. This makes skin cycling for acne, skin cycling for oily skin, and skin cycling for sensitive skin particularly helpful.
Some of the main benefits include:
- Reduce negative side effects: This practice is designed to limit the negative side effects associated with active ingredients while still allowing you to enjoy their benefits. It's a gentle and effective introduction to these ingredients, particularly helpful to beginners and people with sensitive skin.
- Repair skin barrier: Exfoliation and skin renewing practices are some of the most powerful ways to boost your skin's radiance, tone, texture, and youthful appearance. Overusing these products, however, can harm your skin's protective barrier – which is designed to protect you from infection, environmental pollution, and allergens. Cycling recovery nights with the use of these ingredients allow your skin barrier to recover and strengthen between the uses of active ingredients.
- Protect against seasonal issues: Cold, windy, and dry climates can worsen any existing skin conditions, increasing both the need for active ingredients, as well as the risks involved in their use. Even if your skin has adjusted to the use of these ingredients, you may notice it doesn't handle them as well during the colder months. Implementing a cycle can therefore equip your skin to handle the elements better.
As a technique, this practice does not pose any additional risks in and of itself. The only risks involved are those typically associated with the use of active ingredients, such as redness, irritation, inflammation, and increased sensitivity. As mentioned, however, the very purpose of using these ingredients in a cycle is to reduce these symptoms, though it may still take time for your skin to adjust.
It is worth mentioning that this technique is particularly helpful for people new to the use of active ingredients, as well as those with sensitive skin. Once your skin gets used to AHA/BHAs and retinol, you may find that using them only once or twice a week, as in the traditional cycle, is not enough to yield the results you were looking for. As such, we recommend listening to your skin and adjusting the cycle as necessary. That can mean increasing or decreasing your recovery days according to how your skin responds.
Boost your glow with Wander Beauty
Implementing a skin cycling schedule may seem daunting at first, but it is an easy and effective way to keep your skin looking its best. Enjoy a gorgeous glow wherever you wander with our range of travel-friendly makeup and skincare.
