If you often search for skincare on Tiktok, you must have heard of skin cycling. Do you need to include this step in your skincare routine? Let’s check. It is about simplifying the routine.
This means you should only have three products – an exfoliant, a retinoid, and a moisturizer. According to experts, this will be quite enough for your skin.
Exfoliates will deeply clean it, retinoids will improve your texture and penetrate deep wrinkles, and a suitable moisturizer will hydrate your face. Did you save a ton of money and time?
Find out below, where I will reveal how to set up skin cycling for glowing skin.
What Is Skin Cycling?
A skin cycling routine is a four-day plan for the evening. This method is a strategic way to protect the skin barrier. A three-product routine can seem like a failure for someone who uses Korean techniques. In fact, skin cycling is a great way to take your nightly skincare routine to the next level.
Dermatologists around the world have agreed that the method works for everyone, even those with acne prone skin. To eliminate all the myths surrounding skincare, they created a simple process that repeats itself repeatedly. The first night you exfoliate, the next night you use a retinoid, followed by two consecutive recovery nights.
During the last two nights, your skin will fully recover and be ready to start the process all over again. In this way, you avoid potential damage and irritation that can occur from the use of active ingredients.
How Skin Cycling Works?
Each routine begins with a thorough cleansing of the face. That is exactly the first step in this process. If you want your skin to look flawless and achieve a healthy glow, you must first cleanse it well.
You will remove bacteria, dead skin cells and dirt with a powerful cleanser that contains non-drying ingredients. However, if you’ve had makeup or SPF on your face before, use the DC method. After a thorough cleansing, apply an AHA or BHA acid.
How to choose? You can opt for glycolic acid or salicylic acid, depending on your skin type and condition. If you are still determining which group you belong to, choose azelaic acid. It has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and keratolytic effects, prevents the appearance of comedones and contains antioxidants.
So it acts as an exfoliant. Finally, apply a moisturizer. It must not contain perfumes and other irritants, it is preferable to choose as simple a composition as possible.
How Can It Benefit Your Skin?
The biggest benefit is the time your skin gets. Thanks to the breaks, the active ingredients will work much better. Such a routine allows you to have healthy-looking skin. Evenings with acid breaks are just as beneficial as retinol evenings.
Remember to consider the value of moisturizers. Hydration is a key part of a skincare routine. The next benefit is the habit you create in your nightly routine. You’ve seen a lot of skin texture transformations on social media or big brand websites.
The key to achieving such results is consistency in skin care. By developing a healthy habit, you won’t have to think much about the last time you applied retinol or another ingredient. This time, everything is simpler.
Products with acids and retinol are very powerful. Therefore, they should be handled with care. With this arrangement, you will reduce the possibility of potential irritations to a minimum. With too frequent use, they can destroy the skin’s natural barrier, which becomes susceptible to external influences.
A bonus is that the skin cycling method is also safe for people with sensitive skin. Finally, you can adjust the schedule to your needs. For example, skip one recovery night if the skin is used to the active ingredients.
Potential Side Effects
The four night cycle trend started when a dermatologist wondered why people use so many facial skin products. Finally, someone did the right thing for the skincare regime.
However, you need to focus on more than just the number of steps. More important than that is their composition. This means that seven layers of good ingredients are still a healthier approach than three poor-quality products.
Therefore, the side effects arise precisely for this reason. You’ll get irritations if you haven’t read the ingredient list carefully.
This is especially true for sensitive skin prone to inflammation and pimples. However, if you perform the skin cycling method correctly, you will only feel its benefits and minimize irritation.
Side effects can also occur due to using a high percentage of retinol. It is only recommended if you are not a beginner. If you feel your face is dry or notice any irritation, increase the number of nights for skin recovery or apply a cream before the retinol.
What Do Dermatologists Think About Skin Cycling?
The originator of the trend is female dermatologist Bowe. After she shared her knowledge with other users of the TikTok platform, people started posting fantastic results on a daily basis.
People suddenly started to see the benefits of this method as well as to understand how their skin works. However, experts claim that the trend is probably not for you if you want instant and significant results.
In that case, they recommend treatments such as chemical peeling and similar procedures. This will be a discovery for most people because they will finally have a stable night routine without dryness and discomfort.
Who Should Try (and Who Should Avoid) the Skin Cycling Trend?
Before you start this trend, ask yourself if you want it. For example, if you have already planned to introduce retinol into your evening routine, skin cycling is an ideal opportunity to do so.
Who else benefits from it? These are people with sensitive skin. Next on the list are those with acne or rosacea, but if you have a skin condition, check with your doctor before taking any action.
Dermatologists also recommend skin cycling if you already use these products. All you need to do is create a new schedule.
Conclusion:
With so many products on the market, choosing the active ingredients and preparations that will do the right thing for your skin care routine can be challenging. Thanks to the cycling method, your skin will benefit from all the active ingredients without applying many products. Choose quality products with the right percentage of ingredients, monitor your skin and regularly apply SPF products throughout the day.
