What IS Skin Cycling And Do You Need It?

Skin cycling is the process of rotating active skincare ingredients to maximize results while minimizing irritation. Today, we are going to dive into everything related to skin cycling, including its benefits and what to incorporate into your skincare routine, the right way. Let’s dig in!

What is Skin Cycling?

Skin cycling is a trendy term for what estheticians have been tailoring to clients for years. According to Dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, “The idea is to prevent the overuse of topical agents like retinol and alpha-hydroxy acids, and allow the skin barrier time to heal and repair itself in between their use.” You basically rotate serums out depending on the season. Some experts on social media will tell you that you should rotate your serums throughout the week; however, that is not ideal. Your skin needs to go through a full cell cycle, which is about 4-6 weeks, to properly adapt to that serum. Rotating too quickly may prevent your skin from receiving the full benefits.

Does Skin Cycling Work?

Yes! Rotating serums is important, especially if you live in spots where the weather changes from season to season. For example, my clients should avoid using retinol in the warmer months when they will be outdoors because it can cause sun sensitivity. Instead, I suggest either a bakuchiol (plant-based retinol alternative) or an alternative anti-aging serum. Skin cycling is important during hormonal changes or life events, because your skin’s needs naturally shift during these times. The key is to adapt your skincare routine to your skin’s current condition.

How Often Should You Skin Cycle?

According to the expert who created the concept of skin cycling, Dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, skin cycling is a 4-day rotation.
This is her nightly skin cycling recommendation:

Day 1: Exfoliation – Use a chemical exfoliant
Day 2: Retinol – Apply a retinol serum
Day 3 & 4: Recovery – Recover with hydrating serums and moisturizer

As an esthetician, I agree with easing into retinol, especially for beginners. However, I find that skipping hydration multiple nights a week isn’t ideal for clients with dry, sensitive, or compromised skin barriers. Instead, layering serums and rotating depending on the season is more ideal. Plus, having to remember multiple products to use on different nights seems complicated. I am all about simplicity. Instead of skin cycling, I recommend once a week exfoliation with a gentle gommage in the shower. Then apply a hydrating serum, such as Hyaluronic acid with vitamin C, in the morning and Hyaluronic acid with retinol, bakuchiol, or salmon DNA at night.

Benefits of Skin Cycling

The main benefits of skin cycling are designed to prevent skin irritation. This makes sense to me; however, if you’re working with an esthetician and have a healthy skin barrier, you won’t need to worry about skin irritation. The only time retinol or exfoliation will cause skin irritation is if your skin barrier is compromised or you apply it daily when starting. However, the real goal should be strengthening the skin barrier first, so your skin can handle active ingredients without sensitivity.

How Long Does it Take to See Results?

No matter your skincare routine, visible results take time. Your skin must go through a full cell cycle, about 4-6 weeks. With any skincare routine, consistency is key. If you’re not consistent, you won’t get results, even with the best products. 

Skincare Products to Rotate

The proper skin cycling routine is exfoliation, retinol, hydration, and repair. At Skin Deep Esthetics, we like to focus on skin barrier repair from the beginning. Fall is the perfect time to begin using retinol; however, we gradually introduce our clients and slowly increase until you’re using retinol every night. However, layering serums is a great way to prevent skin irritation and maintain a healthy skin barrier. If retinol is too strong, bakuchiol is ideal and can be used without irritation. Bakuchiol is a plant-based ingredient that works like retinol without the side effects. You can learn more about Bakuchiol by checking out our previous blog.

Ready to Get Started?

If you want to learn more about skin cycling, we recommend booking an appointment to get started. We can create a customized skincare plan just for you. Click here to visit our website today.