Skin cycling: now trending

The latest trend in skincare may actually be one worth trying.

Skin cycling is skin expert Dr. Whitney Bowe’s method of keeping over-exfoliation from damaging the skin and promoting skin recovery. Too much of a good thing can be harmful, and the same goes for active, powerful ingredients on your skin.

Using too many harsh products such as chemical exfoliants and retinol can weaken the skin over time, making the skin more prone to irritation. “You can use a nourishing moisturiser twice a day, but when you try to push the workhorses (the acids, the retinoids) you can actually do more harm than good — including damaging the skin barrier, experiencing low-grade chronic inflammation, increasing free radical damage, accelerating the aging process and worsening hyperpigmentation,” says Bowe.

So how does skin cycling actually work?

Night one
Night one is exfoliation night, specifically a chemical exfoliator. This helps dissolve pore-clogging debris and dead skin cells.

Night two
Night two is for retinoids. Retinoids are effective at increasing cell turnover in the skin, increasing collagen production, fading age spots, and treating acne.

Night three and four
Night three and four are recovery nights. Focus on nourishing and repairing your skin barrier, using hydrating and moisturising products including peptides and hyaluronic acid.