Skin Cycling Is Key For Glowing Skin — Literally Everything You Need To Know

The term skin cycling was coined by board-certified dermatologist and mindbodygreen collective member Whitney Bowe, M.D., FAAD. Bowe, as she created skin cycling routines for her patients for over a year before she even shared it on social media for the first time—but what is it?

Skin cycling is the process of rolling through the actives in your routine in a 3 to 4-day cycle in order to prevent irritation. This is especially helpful for those new to ingredients like chemical exfoliants or retinol—or those who tend to overdo it on one product (we’ve all been there). 

While basic skin care can be intuitive (i.e. moisturize when you feel dry, exfoliate when you feel buildup, etc.), using the complex products on the market takes a bit more nuance. Skin cycling keeps it simple, and the best part is: It’s highly customizable. 

The following guide will show you how to rotate the “treatment,” step in your routine. On each night, cleansing and moisturizing are a must—regardless. This just changes one step in your nightly skin care routine. 

Skin cycling exfoliating products:

Next up is retinoid night—yes, that includes over-the-counter retinol products. Retinoids and exfoliants speed up cell turnover, but they do it in very different ways. “Retinoids are working on the receptors,” Bowe explains. This is why clearing away dead skin on exfoliation night is so important. 

You can opt for an OTC retinol or a prescription-grade retinoid like tretinoin or Tazorac. So which one should you choose? “I usually start people off with over-the-counter products,” Bowe notes. These forms are gentler on the skin and will cause significantly less irritation than their prescription-grade cousins. 

Bowe recommends looking for a .3% retinol product if you’re just starting out. You can bump it up as your skin tolerates, but she warns: “The 1% formulas are not for the faint of heart.” 

“For those with sensitive skin, I love to look for products that contain encapsulated retinol, which utilizes a technology that 'time releases' the retinol more slowly, so it's not hitting your skin all at once," board-certified dermatologist Courtney Rubin, M.D., FAAD once told mbg. 

While many people will get glowing results from OTC retinol, those with acne-prone skin may not only tolerate prescription-grade products with ease, but actually need them to keep stubborn acne at bay. 

All of this to say: If you have skin conditions like acne, rosacea, or eczema, it’s best to check with your derm before choosing a retinol product. Otherwise, start with a gentle retinol and work your way up. 

Skin cycling retinoid products:

On recovery nights, you’ll skip the exfoliants and retinol—instead, replace the treatment step with a barrier-repair serum. The goal here is to, “Repair the stratum corneum that may have been compromised on previous skin cycling nights,” board-certified dermatologist Nava Greenfield, M.D. tells mbg. 

This is how you’ll prevent the chance of over-exfoliating or getting a “retinol reaction,” like dermatitis or increased sensitivity. If you want to lock in your recovery serum and moisturizer, you can even go for the “slugging,” method—applying an occlusive layer as your final step. 

This could be a night mask or a face oil. Just be sure to skip this step on other nights as occlusion makes the ingredients layered below even more effective (which you certainly don’t need on nights 1 and 2). 

Skin cycling recovery night products:

“When you do exfoliation night before retinol night and then you follow up with the recovery nights, that seemed to drive the most dramatic results with the least amount of irritation,” Bowe explains. This, in essence, is the goal of skin cycling. 

Using actives like exfoliating acids and retinol once in a blue moon likely won’t deliver noticeable results. On the flip side, overusing those same products can damage the skin barrier and cause more problems than it’s worth. This is the delicate teeter-totter that skin cycling can bring balance to. 

TikTok has become a hub for skin cycling before and after videos over the past few months with varied, and generally positive reviews. From dull to radiant, congested to clear, and sensitized to healed—the results are literally glowing. 

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The classic 4-night cycle, “Gives you a blueprint,” Bowe explains. “I would say that most people respond beautifully to the 4-night cycle,” she continues. However, Bowe notes that customization is in fact, “The future of skin cycling.” Here’s what you should know. 

If you have acne-prone skin or want to focus more on firming, you can level up. “You can actually drop a recovery night and move to a 3-night cycle,” Bowe explains. “Some people tolerate multiple retinoid nights,” she continues. 

It’s important to note that many clinical studies proving retinoids' efficacy for acne treatment2 encourage patients to use them nightly, as do many dermatologists. This can be irritating to the skin for some, but on occasion, it may be well tolerated and beneficial for breakouts.  

For those with extra sensitive skin, you can build in an extra recovery night if need be. “It’s important to have a framework, but you can tweak it based on your skin’s needs and your skin goals,” Bowe reiterates. 

At the end of the day, skin cycling serves as a handy blueprint for incorporating actives into your skin care routine in a safe and effective way. The key is to customize your cycle to your skin concerns and your goals. Above all else—listen to your skin. 

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