Introducing Skin Cycling…
By writer Allie White.
Confession: I do not understand how TikTok works and yet, I cannot get enough of the platform. It took me years to even consider braving the seemingly never-ending black hole of video content it offer but once I dipped a toe in….oooooh boy you better believe there was no going back, especially since within 24 hours of being on the app, I was already getting served exactly the type of stuff I didn’t know I needed.
My “For You Page” was (and continues to be) primarily three topics: food, books, and, unsurprisingly, skincare. It was that last one that provided my new approach to skin, the ethos by which I will be living my best skin life forever and ever: skin cycling.
First off, no. Skin cycling is not some “Face Off”-esque medical procedure. Rather, it’s a catchy name (coined by New York-based dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe) for the practice of moving through specific skin products that are dedicated to different outcomes over the course of four days before you start the whole thing over again. While skin cycling can be tailored to the individual and their skin (some people prefer a three-day cycle, others like a five-day version that adds an extra night of moisture between the two active nights), the basic concept is:
Night 1: Exfoliate
Night 2: Retinoid
Night 3: Moisturize
Night 4: Moisturize
The reasons for following a scheduled like this are threefold:
While I am typically all for listening to your body and giving it what it needs (skincare is included here), in my months of skin cycling, I’ve found that my skin is “asking” for specific things less frequently as it settles in and comes to expect certain things on certain nights. Also, it’s just generally in a better state because the order of the routine makes sense: Exfoliating on night one preps the skin for the retinoid you'll use on night two, making it more effective, and nights three and four are meant to be recovery periods without any active ingredients before you start again.
To get started in your own skin cycling journey, here’s what you’ll need:
Night 1: Exfoliate
Regardless of what night you’re on, you’ll always need a good cleanser in your corner. I’m partial to the double cleanse, starting with an oil like MARA’s Algae Enzyme Cleansing Oil and following it up with something gentle like Koa’s Yuzu Facial Cleanser or Pai Skincare’s Middlemist Seven Gentle Cream Cleanser.
When your skin is cleansed and ready, it’s time to exfoliate. While you could use a physical exfoliant here, I’m partial to a chemical version with ingredients like AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs since they tend to be more effective and gentler on the skin barrier. The Acid Potion from Moon Juice is a lovely, potent blend of glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acid that work to resurface skin, or consider Youth To The People’s Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant, which features the exfoliating powers of AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs.
Night 2: Retinoid
Now that your skin is primed, exfoliated and ready to receive the magical benefits of retinoids. If you’re not quite ready to go the prescription route, might I suggest the gentle but oh-so-effective A+ Retinoid Serum from Sunday Riley? With its innovative formula of retinoids and botanicals, it’s the ideal first foray into the world of retinoids. If you want a little more oomph from an over-the-counter option, consider Maya Chia’s The Straight A Advanced Gentle Retinol Treatment.
Pro tip: If you’re new to retinoids, apply a lightweight oil or moisturizer (like Maya Chia’s Regenerating Hydration Face & Neck Cream) to particularly sensitive parts of your face to act as a buffer and prevent redness and dryness as your skin acclimates.
Nights 3 + 4: Moisturize
Your skin has done a lot of hard work over the last two nights and now it’s time to rest, relax, and reset. On nights three and four, you really want to focus on moisturizing and making sure the skin barrier is properly looked after. After cleansing, reach for a serum with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and/or niacinamide to plump and hydrate, then follow with a moisturizer to lock it all in and leave skin beyond nourished. Some personal faves include Moon Juice’s Plump Jelly Hyaluronic Acid Serum and Summary’s Stress Less Antioxidant Primer for serums, and Sunday Riley’s ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream.
Confession: I do not understand how TikTok works and yet, I cannot get enough of the platform. It took me years to even consider braving the seemingly never-ending black hole of video content it offer but once I dipped a toe in….oooooh boy you better believe there was no going back, especially since within 24 hours of being on the app, I was already getting served exactly the type of stuff I didn’t know I needed.
My “For You Page” was (and continues to be) primarily three topics: food, books, and, unsurprisingly, skincare. It was that last one that provided my new approach to skin, the ethos by which I will be living my best skin life forever and ever: skin cycling.
First off, no. Skin cycling is not some “Face Off”-esque medical procedure. Rather, it’s a catchy name (coined by New York-based dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe) for the practice of moving through specific skin products that are dedicated to different outcomes over the course of four days before you start the whole thing over again. While skin cycling can be tailored to the individual and their skin (some people prefer a three-day cycle, others like a five-day version that adds an extra night of moisture between the two active nights), the basic concept is:
Night 1: Exfoliate
Night 2: Retinoid
Night 3: Moisturize
Night 4: Moisturize
The reasons for following a scheduled like this are threefold:
- To simplify
- To give your skin time to recover
- To give your skin what it needs, when it needs it
While I am typically all for listening to your body and giving it what it needs (skincare is included here), in my months of skin cycling, I’ve found that my skin is “asking” for specific things less frequently as it settles in and comes to expect certain things on certain nights. Also, it’s just generally in a better state because the order of the routine makes sense: Exfoliating on night one preps the skin for the retinoid you'll use on night two, making it more effective, and nights three and four are meant to be recovery periods without any active ingredients before you start again.
To get started in your own skin cycling journey, here’s what you’ll need:
Night 1: Exfoliate
Regardless of what night you’re on, you’ll always need a good cleanser in your corner. I’m partial to the double cleanse, starting with an oil like MARA’s Algae Enzyme Cleansing Oil and following it up with something gentle like Koa’s Yuzu Facial Cleanser or Pai Skincare’s Middlemist Seven Gentle Cream Cleanser.
When your skin is cleansed and ready, it’s time to exfoliate. While you could use a physical exfoliant here, I’m partial to a chemical version with ingredients like AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs since they tend to be more effective and gentler on the skin barrier. The Acid Potion from Moon Juice is a lovely, potent blend of glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acid that work to resurface skin, or consider Youth To The People’s Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant, which features the exfoliating powers of AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs.
Night 2: Retinoid
Now that your skin is primed, exfoliated and ready to receive the magical benefits of retinoids. If you’re not quite ready to go the prescription route, might I suggest the gentle but oh-so-effective A+ Retinoid Serum from Sunday Riley? With its innovative formula of retinoids and botanicals, it’s the ideal first foray into the world of retinoids. If you want a little more oomph from an over-the-counter option, consider Maya Chia’s The Straight A Advanced Gentle Retinol Treatment.
Pro tip: If you’re new to retinoids, apply a lightweight oil or moisturizer (like Maya Chia’s Regenerating Hydration Face & Neck Cream) to particularly sensitive parts of your face to act as a buffer and prevent redness and dryness as your skin acclimates.
Nights 3 + 4: Moisturize
Your skin has done a lot of hard work over the last two nights and now it’s time to rest, relax, and reset. On nights three and four, you really want to focus on moisturizing and making sure the skin barrier is properly looked after. After cleansing, reach for a serum with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and/or niacinamide to plump and hydrate, then follow with a moisturizer to lock it all in and leave skin beyond nourished. Some personal faves include Moon Juice’s Plump Jelly Hyaluronic Acid Serum and Summary’s Stress Less Antioxidant Primer for serums, and Sunday Riley’s ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream.
Your Skin Cycling Routine Begins Here
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