Skin cycling, also known as skin fasting or skin detoxing, is all about taking a cyclical approach to your facial skincare routine to improve skin quality, texture and tone and strengthen the skin’s protective moisture barrier. It’s a term used to describe the way products are applied to the skin.
Skin cycling is a four-night skincare practice in which you rotate your skincare products to avoid irritation, and then repeat it all over again.
Skin cycling is also about strategically using skin products to achieve maximum benefits with minimal damage.
Skin cycling suggests that you should change skincare products each night while maintaining the same daytime routine.
Using specific products on different days can help regenerate the skin and improve its quality, but it’s essential to tailor the routine to suit each individual’s skin needs.
The cycle typically spans three to four nights, strategically planning out when to exfoliate, use retinol and give your skin a little break. It’s designed to help you use products exactly when your skin needs them and is ready for them, for the maximum, glow-boosting results. It involves alternating the use of a physical or chemical exfoliant, a retinol-based product, and a hydrating cream or concentrate strategically alternated for optimal impact.
The theory behind this approach is that you can optimise skin regeneration and enhance skin quality by utilising specific products on different days.
Every day of the cycle: Cleanse
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser to remove dirt, grime and makeup every morning and evening. Always remember to moisturise and use SPF in the morning.
Night 1: Exfoliate
On the first night of your skin cycling routine, first you’ll cleanse and pat dry, then exfoliate. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the surface layer of your skin and unclogs pores for a more even, smoother complexion.
Opting for a gentle exfoliating scrub for the face holds significant merit, as other products will perform more effectively because they can penetrate more deeply into the skin in a controlled and predictable way.
After the exfoliation ritual, you’ll want to moisturise to lock in hydration and promote overall skin health.
While exfoliation improves the look of their skin, over-exfoliation can disrupt your skin’s natural balance and barrier and leads to irritation, redness, breakouts, or flaky skin. Chemical exfoliants are more gentle than physical scrubs.
Physical exfoliants contain microparticles. As they are massaged gently into the skin, they help to remove dead skin cells (impurities). This type of exfoliation is more abrasive and is only suitable for non-sensitive skin types.
Chemical exfoliants contain AHAs or BHAs, which promote gradual cell renewal. In other words, they speed up the cell replacement process.
Night 2: Retinol
Retinoids are one of the powerful ingredients to include in your skin cycling routine that work to boost your skin’s renewal process. Choosing the right retinol product for your skin is key. Retinoids are a common treatment for acne as well as an anti-ageing product.
Retinol contains Vitamin A derivatives that can help treat age spots, reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and expression lines, as well as the loss of firmness and brightness.
On the second day, after removing makeup and cleansing, apply a hydrating cream to the sensitive areas of the face —under the eyes, around the corners of the nose and on the marionette lines — to act as a buffer and prevent dryness and irritation. Then, apply your retinoid over the whole face, down the neck, and across the décolletage and leave it to act on your skin overnight.
You should start with a lower percentage concentration of retinol, allowing your skin to get used to it gradually. Stronger retinoids should be used for oily or acne-prone skin. The number of moisturising nights in each cycle should be increased for a longer recovery for dry or sensitive skin.
Retinisation (the period over which your skin adapts to a retinoid) can last up to three months.
So, if you notice some sensitivity at the start, use nourishing and calming products to alleviate any negative effects, but if you notice a burning sensation/ irritation, please consult a dermatologist. Always use sunscreen during the day.
Night 3: Recovery
Day three is dedicated to giving your skin a break from exfoliation and active ingredients. This night is aimed at recovery, so apply moisturiser after thoroughly cleaning the skin.
Use gentle, nourishing products like hydrating serums, soothing masks and lightweight moisturisers. This phase helps your skin repair and maintain its natural barrier.
I will recommend cleansing, leaving the skin damp and then applying a serum that contains ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramide, glycerin, and/or niacinamide. A moisturising serum provides additional hydration to particularly dry skin.
If you suffer from dry skin, get in-depth nourishment from an intensive nourishing hydrating cream.
Hydrate for only one night if you have oily or acne-prone skin and use a lighter cream or a concentrate.
Hydrate for two or three nights if you have sensitive, dry or easily irritated skin. Hydrating more nights allows for longer repair and recovery.
Avoid products with strong active ingredients or exfoliants. Try to keep your skincare routine simple to avoid overstimulation.
Night 4: Maintenance
The fourth night in a skin cycling process is dedicated to hydration and rebalancing. The fourth night focuses on maintaining your skin’s health with balanced, non-irritating products. Use this to apply basic skincare essentials, such as cleansers, moisturisers, etc. Look for ingredients that nourish, hydrate and protect the skin barrier. It will restore the skin’s barrier, pH and microbiome, and your skin will be primed for when you cycle back into the actives. This phase helps your skin maintain its condition and prepares it for the next exfoliation cycle and active treatment.
Skin cycling is helpful for people who may be struggling to find a good regimen because they’re using too many products or not giving products adequate time to work.
