If you find it challenging to keep up with skincare trends on social media, you’re not alone. While there’s a fair share of bad information, sometimes helpful trends (or new life for forgotten trends) appear.
One of the latest skincare trends is known as skin cycling.
Read on to learn what it is, what it does, and if it’s worth trying for better at-home skin care.
A term introduced by Whitney Bowe, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, “skin cycling” is the balance between exfoliation and resting the skin for both enhancement and protection of its outer-most layer.
The process is more about the frequency of applying skincare products and then giving skin time to breathe and bounce back on rest days.
Skin cycling works by using an easy-to-follow schedule each week for maximum benefit.
The goal of skin cycling is to exfoliate and use retinoids to remove the dulling and damaging effects that come from dead skin cells, irritants, and pollution it’s exposed to everyday. After that, the rest period allows skin to heal from the products, allow the products to complement each other, and help retain moisture.
By using products intermittently instead of applying layers of products on skin every day, the products’ active ingredients work better together. Adding rest days also helps reduce the risk of irritation, inflammation, and potential damage to the skin.
As you may know, daily exfoliation may be too heavy-handed for even normal skin types that don’t suffer from acne or other chronic conditions. Too much exfoliation tends to strip skin of the natural oils it needs to look fresh and healthy versus dry and flaky.
Benefits of skin cycling include:
Skin cycling is a pared-down, easy process. If you’re looking for a “less is more,” approach, skin cycling might just be what you’re looking for.
For skin cycling, you use only three products; an exfoliator, retinoid, and moisturizer.
Note that the basic skin cycling routine can be tweaked to fit in with your specific skin care needs, and how well your skin tolerates retinoids.
Skin recycling is an excellent starting point for those just dipping their toe in the skincare routine waters. It’s also great for those with sensitive or dry skin, or those unable to tolerate retinoids well.
For those who want faster or need bigger results or can tolerate retinoids without damaging skin, skin cycling may not be enough for noticeable results.
Wrap Up
As with any skincare routine, consistency is key. Cleaning and moisturizing skin each day in addition to wearing sunscreen goes a long way toward keeping skin healthy at home.
For treating stubborn or chronic skincare issues, schedule an appointment with the experts at Laura Skincare in downtown Petaluma.