Enjoy everything skincare-related and stay updated with the newest social media trends. Then, it’s likely that you’ve already heard about the latest influencer beauty routine trending on Tik Tok and Instagram. Let’s examine skin cycling and see why it should be at the top of your list of 2024 beauty resolutions!
The idea behind “Skin cycling” is to approach your facial skincare regimen cyclically. How come? Skin quality is improved, and skin regeneration occurs when products are used on different days. An exfoliation, retinol-based treatment, and moisturising cream or concentrate are alternated over this four-night cycle.
European dermatologist Whitney Bowe invented the routine while her country was under lockdown. The premise behind the concept is that switching up your items can help you achieve better outcomes, much like physical training can.
Night 1: Exfoliation
Exfoliation is the focus of day one. Use a chemical exfoliator with an AHA or BHA basis or a physical one, depending on the kind and condition of your skin. AHAs and BHAs, present in chemical exfoliants, encourage progressive cell renewal. Stated differently, they speed up replacing cells. After the nighttime treatment, we advise you to protect your skin during the day using broad-spectrum sunscreen.
Select a restorative gel that purges the pores, smooths the skin’s surface, and regulates sebum production. Microparticles can be found in physical exfoliants. They aid in removing dead skin cells from the skin when they are carefully massaged into the skin (impurities). This more abrasive form of exfoliation should only be used on skin types that are not sensitive. You can also opt for an intensive, renewing, and purifying mask to aid in cleansing the pores and exfoliating the skin.
Night 2: Retinol
The best active ingredient for anti-ageing is retinol, which can treat wrinkles, age spots, expression lines, and loss of brightness and firmness. Apply a tiny quantity of your retinol lotion to your face on the second day; after washing and removing makeup, let it work overnight.
For intense regeneration and rejuvenation, select an active cream with a skilfully blended pure retinol and bakuchiol. It’s essential to select the best retinol product for your skin type. Retinol concentrations should be started at a lesser level to give your skin time to adjust. Don’t panic if you have any initial sensitivity; retinisation, or the time your skin adjusts to a retinoid, can last up to three months! To mitigate any adverse effects, we advise using nourishing and soothing products; nonetheless, please see a specialist if your skin becomes inflamed or you experience burning. In addition, during the day, you should constantly wear sunscreen.
Day 3 and 4: Just rest!
Believe it or not, on the third and fourth day, give your skin a rest. Hydration is critical at this stage after two days of intensive renewal. If you have dry skin, opt for an intensive nourishing hydrating cream. However, if you have oil skin, you might want to limit hydration to one night only and use a lighter cream. For people with sensitive skin, selecting calming effect products that hydrate the skin is advisable.
Dermatologists suggest this: The skin cycle facial skincare regimen ignores other facets of skincare in favour of concentrating only on epidermis rejuvenation. Don’t ignore them, though! You should continue to use your favourite products for regions like the lips and eye contour, as well as a face mask once a week and a facial cleanser morning and night.
Also note that if you use retinol, you should protect your skin from UV rays, so choose a protective sunscreen during the day. Skin cycling should be done for a month and a half. It is the optimal time for your skin to adapt to retinol and regenerate. Once the adaptation period has ended, you can begin a more intensive retinol approach. You can even use it daily, depending on your skin’s tolerance.
So, when is the best time to start skin cycling? Dr Whitney Bowe explains, “As long as you take the safety measures we’ve already discussed, you can begin skin cycling at any time of year if your skin has already acclimated to retinol well. However, it’s a good idea to begin your regimen at a time of year when you’re less exposed to sunshine if your skin hasn’t yet retinised.”