Skin cycling – the routine for a radiant complexion

Skin Cycling is an innovative skincare routine created by dermatologist Whitney Bowe. Their aim was to develop an effective skincare option that would not overburden your skin. This gave rise to the idea behind skin cycling: to use highly effective actives only on selected evenings, while the skin is intensively cared for on the other evenings. As this process always takes place over four days, i.e. in cycles, the name skin cycling routine was born.

Important to note: only use skin cycling for evening skincare. This is because the subsequent beauty sleep also helps your skin to rest. The metabolism can work in a relaxed manner and process retinol, hyaluronic acid and more in an ideal way. During the day, you can always moisturise and use a good sunscreen. You can also use active ingredients that do not make your skin sensitive to light. These include hyaluronic acid and glycerine, for example.

If you have never dealt with skincare before, the shear volume of information, actives and products can quickly overwhelm you. That’s why pre-set routines such as skin cycling are a quick and practical introduction to skincare. You also benefit from many more advantages:

• Treat acne and blemishes: Retinol and other active ingredients are better tolerated and their effectiveness is supported by skin cycling.
• Reduce pigmentation spots: Regular exfoliation of the skin can reduce the appearance of age-related spots.
• Smooth wrinkles: Retinoids provide more elasticity and can plump up wrinkles and fine lines.
• Better tolerance: Combined with regenerative care, retinol and similar ingredients can fulfil their function without overstimulating the skin.
• Strengthened skin barrier and intact microbiome: Greater resistance to environmental influences ensures a healthy and even complexion without blemishes.

If you follow the individual steps precisely and are mindful of the way your skin reacts, you can achieve impressive results with a skin cycling routine. The complexion can appear more even after a short time – in the long term you are doing something for the elasticity of your skin and preventing premature skin ageing.

Basically, there is no such thing as THE one skincare routine. The skin itself is far too individual to allow for a “one-size-fits-all” treatment. That’s why skin cycling is just one option you can try. It can help you to alleviate your skin problems. While normal or mixed skin types tend to be more robust, sensitive skin can still be irritated by peels or retinol. Observe your skin closely and watch out for changes. Redness may occur, but should subside quickly. Burning or itching are clear signs of irritation.

First the basics: skin cycling takes place over four evenings. It always starts with cleansing with a cleanser of your choice. This is followed by the actual active ingredient, which changes every evening. The final step is always a rich night cream, which locks in the actives and supports their effects.

Start your skin cycling routine with a gentle peel to remove dead skin cells and prepare the skin for subsequent treatments. It is best to use a chemical peel. Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) is ideal for normal to dry skin, while salicylic acid (BHA) supports a radiant complexion for oily or blemished skin. Compared to mechanical peels, both actives exfoliate the skin in a gentle manner, though they can cause irritation at first. A skin cycling routine is therefore highly recommended when using chemical peels.

Retinoids, retinol, vitamin A – three terms for one and the same group of active ingredients that make their appearance on the second evening of skin cycling. They can boost the skin’s own collagen production and thus improve elasticity. Wrinkles can be smoothed out and acne can also improve. If you have never used retinoids before, please start with a very low concentration. Esters such as retinyl acetate are considered better tolerated than the pure retinol variant.

These steps are all about strengthening the skin barrier, protecting the microbiome and optimising the moisture balance. Ceramides help the skin to regenerate overnight, while hyaluronic acid or glycerine provide an extra dose of moisture. Niacinamide or panthenol are also suitable actives for these steps of the skin cycling routine. On the fifth evening, start the cycle again with the chemical peel.