Following the skincare boom in the last few years, the ever-expanding industry saturated the market with more product launches than we can keep up with. This is making beauty routines even more complicated than they needed to be. The most effective skincare routine is a targeted one. When you use too many products without a clear regimen, it could lead to inflammation and irritation. This is exactly why Dr. Whitney Bowe, a New York-based dermatologist, developed a new plan for her patients: skin cycling. After recommending the skincare approach to her patients and seeing excellent results, she took to TikTok to share skin cycling with the rest of the world. Before you decide to implement a new routine, it’s important to know all the facts. Below, we curated everything you need to know about skin cycling.
@drwhitneybowe Skin cycling for beginners: how to get started. And how to layer with Bowe Glowe #skincycling #thatboweglow #dermatologist #skintok
What is skin cycling?
According to Dr. Bowe, similar to your muscles, your skin needs recovery days too. So, if you want the most out of your skincare routine, it’s important to strike a balance between active nights and recovery. This will help you to reap all of the benefits from the active ingredients while minimizing irritation. Skin cycling is composed of a four-night schedule. The first night is an exfoliation night, followed by a retinoid night, and two final nights of recovery.
Skin cycling is focused on your evening skincare routine, not your AM one. According to Dr. Bowe, your morning routine should remain pretty consistent: use a gentle cleanser, a serum, a moisturizer, and SPF.
What are the steps in skin cycling?
Night One: Exfoliation Night
Dr. Bowe recommends using chemical exfoliants over physical ones (aka gritty scrubs) like AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids including glycolic and lactic acids) and BHAs (beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid). Incorporating chemical exfoliants into your routine helps your other skincare products work better. These ingredients work to dissolve dead skin (that can block skincare formulas from truly sinking in), and even out the skin’s texture and tone over time.
Night Two: Retinoid Night
Retinoids—the term for all forms of vitamin A, including retinol—are an all-star ingredient for a reason. They increase cell turnover and boost collagen production for a brighter complexion and more plump and smooth skin. While some people can tolerate using a retinoid more often than others, the ingredient can be irritating if they’re paired with other strong active ingredients or used too often.
Nights Three and Four: Recovery
The last two nights in the cycle are focused on repairing the skin barrier, hydrating, and moisturizing to give your skin a chance to recover from the active ingredients used on the previous evenings.
According to Dr. Bowe, after doing the four-night cycle two times, you should notice improvements in your skin like less irritation, more glow, and a softer texture. Stick with skin cycling for a few months, and you’ll notice an improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, fewer breakouts, and less dark spots.
