Skin Cycling Is Really Not That Complicated — Here’s Why
Skin cycling is a term that went viral on TikTok. I looked into it and realized it’s something I already do with with my skincare routine — it just didn’t have a name. In this post, I want to help you understand what skin cycling is and why it’s a helpful concept for nighttime skincare routines.
Table of Contents
What Is Skin Cycling?
The most important thing to know about skin cycling is that it is related to your nighttime skincare routine. So, leave your AM routines alone 🙂
It is a four-night “cycle”, which includes using a particular skincare active or treatment such as exfoliant and retinoid for two nights followed by two nights of recovery aka using no actives. Then, you repeat the four-night cycle again.
Skin cycling is a good way to organize your nighttime skincare products and know what to use and when, so that you are not over-using any products that may cause irritation or sensitivity.
Related:
A Beginners Guide: What Is Retinol and How To It In A Skincare Routine
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Skin Cycling Routine
Here is an example of a skin cycling routine:
- Monday: Use exfoliant such as BHA, AHA, or PHA
- Tuesday: Use retinoid
- Wednesday & Thursday: Face wash + hydrating serums + moisturizer (no actives)
- Friday: Use exfoliant such as BHA, AHA, or PHA
- Saturday: Use retinoid
- Sunday & Monday: Face wash + hydrating serums + moisturizer (no actives)
Does It Work For Acne Prone Skin?
Like I mentioned, skin cycling is something I already do, I just didn’t have a name for it. I refer to it as my weekly nighttime skincare active routine: to keep it simple I have dedicated specific nights for each active and balance it out with “recovery” nights.
For acne-prone, sensitive, combo skin, here’s what my routine looks like. Just a few notes before we jump in: I’m new to tretinoin, so I’m taking it very slow and using it only once a week for now. My skin prefers recovery nights more often, so I spread out my actives on alternate nights. I use BHA more frequently because I have lots of active breakouts.
- Monday: BHA exfoliant
- Tuesday: Face wash + hydrating serums + moisturizer (no actives)
- Wednesday: Retinoid (Tretinoin)
- Thursday: Face wash + hydrating serums + moisturizer (no actives)
- Friday: BHA exfoliant
- Saturday & Sunday: Face wash + hydrating serums + moisturizer (no actives)
This routine helps to keep my acne breakouts under control and with the added night of retinoid and the recovery nights, my skin overall stays healthy and hydrated too.
Related:
Best Products For Acne Prone Skin And Acne Scars
Best Face Wash For Acne Prone Skin
Skincare Routine for Acne-Prone Skin
Final thoughts
I think it’s safe to say that skin cycling is a nice way to organize and remember when to use certain skincare products at night and to hopefully not overuse products. It’s a good road map to build from. Figure out your skincare priorities and build a routine that serves you 🙂
