Skin Cycling Is the New Secret to Glowing Skin

Today’s beauty consumers are savvier than ever when it comes to supercharged skin-care products, effective skin-care routines, and transformative active ingredients. The crème de la crème of products fills their bathroom vanities, yet, not everyone uses the heavy hitters of skin care correctly. Although dermatologists love the benefits of exfoliating acids (glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids) and retinol, overusing them does more harm than good. Taking a break from certain ones every few nights can make all the difference between good and great skin.

If you’re a fan of retinol and exfoliating acids, here’s the low-down on skin cycling, a more effective way to use these ingredients while limiting unwanted side effects.

What is Skin Cycling?

New York dermatologist Whitney Bowe, MD, calls skin cycling a strategic way to take your nighttime skin-care routine to the next level by optimizing the benefits of powerful actives while minimizing irritations and sensitivities. The idea behind the #skincycling movement follows a similar concept to allowing the muscles to recover post-workout. Giving the skin a two-day rest from retinol and exfoliating acids reduces skin irritation and inflammation. However, depriving the skin of some reprieve can cause free-radical damage, oxidative stress, accelerated aging, acne, and hyperpigmentation.

While it may seem like a good idea to overload the skin with heavy-duty actives for better, faster results, that’s not the case. “Rotating certain nighttime products can help reduce irritation and improve results,” says Rochester, NY dermatologist Lesley Loss, MD. “The redness, peeling, and irritation that sometimes happens with retinol is not the intended goal. But over time, your skin’s texture and tone will improve,” she adds. Dr. Loss also starts patients off with a lower percentage, which increases if they can tolerate it. “But the trade-off is skin irritation, so ‘cycling’ may come into play,” she says.

So how do you know if it is time to take a break from nightly use of retinol or acids? If your results have plateaued or your skin is red, inflamed, peeling, irritated, burns, or feels tight, cut down on the frequency.

How It Works

The skin can tolerate the daily use of nourishing moisturizers and serums, but it’s a different story with potent actives. “When you increase the usage of acids and retinoids, you can damage the skin barrier,” Dr. Bowe explains. Giving the skin a break from nightly use of these ingredients allows the skin barrier to repair itself, inflammation to subside, and the skin to readjust to normal. Likewise, rotating ‘usage’ days enables the skin to make the most of these ingredients.

Retinol and exfoliating acids are the most commonly cycled ingredients, but other ingredients fit the bill. Greenwich, CT dermatologist Lynne Haven, MD adds that acne ingredients, like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, are often used on alternating nights. “Patients with sensitive skin may need to start gradually with vitamin C.”

A Skin-Cycling Schedule

If you want to reap the benefits of supercharged active ingredients without dryness and irritation, try adopting a skin-cycling schedule like this one.

Night 1: Exfoliate. Prep (freshly washed) skin by exfoliating with a chemical exfoliator, which allows the skin to make the most of the retinol.

Night 2: Apply retinol or a retinoid. Dr. Bowe calls retinoids one of the most powerful ingredients in a cycling routine. “But if you use them too frequently or layer them with other irritating ingredients, you can end up with inflammation.”

Nights 3 and 4: Recovery. On these nights, skip retinol and reach for products containing nourishing and skin barrier-rebuilding ingredients, like squalene, shea, ceramides, and probiotics.

On night 5, start all over again with night one.

What to Expect

Decreasing your application of retinol and acids gives the skin the sigh of relief it may need. “The skin often looks more hydrated and less red and irritated,” Dr. Loss adds. And unlike other skin-care practices, skin cycling doesn’t take months to see a difference. “In two cycles, your skin will start to have a healthy glow and overall radiance. Any redness, blotchiness, stinging, or burning should improve,” Dr. Bowe shares. “After two months, fine lines and wrinkles will be less noticeable, and the skin should be firmer, brighter, and more even in tone.”

It's Personal

At NewBeauty, we get the most trusted information from the beauty authority delivered right to your inbox

hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "8806970", formId: "a8aef9b2-6178-4dad-9e2a-98b7661febc2" }); Find a Doctor

Find a NewBeauty "Top Beauty Doctor" Near you

Select a state State AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC FL GA HI IA IL IN KY LA MA MD MI MN MO NC NE NJ NV NY OH OR PA SC TN TX UT VA WA WI Select a state Specialty Cosmetic Dentist Dermatologist Facial Plastic Surgeon Hair Restoration Specialist Oculoplastic Surgeon Periodontist Plastic Surgeon Prosthodontist Vein Specialist Select a state Treatment Abdominal thread lifts Accent your Body Acne Treatments Alexandrite Laser Arm Lift Asclera Bellafill Belotero Blue Light Body Body Lift Botox Botox Browlift Brachioplasty Brazilian Butt Lift Breast Augmentation Breast Augmentation with Fat Grafting Breast Implants Breast Implants with Saline Breast Implants with Silicone Breast Lift Breast Lift with Implants Breast Reconstruction Breast Reduction Browlift Butt Enhancement Carboxytherapy Cellulite Treatment Cheek Augmentation Cheek Augmentation with Fat Grafting Cheek Implants Cheek Lift Chemical Peels Chin Augmentation CO2 lasers Cool Lipo CoolSculpting CoolTone Crowns Dental Bonding Dental Implants Dimpleplasty Diode Laser Dysport embrace Active Scar Defense Emsculpt Endermologie Endoscopic Browlift Endoscopic Facelift Endoscopic Tummy Tuck Erbium Lasers Exilis Ultra 360 Eyelift Eyelift with Fat Grafting Face Facelift Facelift with Fat Grafting FaceTite Fat Melters and Fat Reducers Fat Transfer Forma Fractional CO2 lasers Fractional Resurfacing Lasers Fractora Glycolic Peels Glytone Enhanced Brightening Cream Gum Dermabrasion Gum Lift Hair Hair Removal Hair Transplant Hair-Loss Treatment Injectables & Fillers for Cheek Augmentation Injectables & Fillers for Eyelift Injectables & Fillers for Lip Enhancement Injectables And Fillers Injectables and Fillers with Fat Grafting Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Invisalign Isolaz Juvéderm Juvéderm Volbella Juvéderm Voluma Kybella Lactic Acid Peels Laser Liposuction Lasers Lateral Tension Tummy Tuck Limited Incision Facelift Lip Enhancement Lip Enhancement with Fat Grafting Lip Implant Lip Lift Liposculpture Liposuction Liquid Facelift Long Pulsed N: Yag laser Lower Blepharoplasty Lower Body Lift Lower eyelid surgery Lower Facelift MACS Lift Mandelic Peels Microdermabrasion Microinjection Microneedling Microwave Laser Treatment Mini Tummy Tuck Mini-Facelift Mommy Makeover Nd: Yag Neck Liposuction Necklift Nonsurgical Facelift Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty Obagi Blue Peel Otoplasty Perlane Phenol Peels Photobiomodulation Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) Photofacial PiQo4 Plasma Resurfacing Lasers Power Assisted Liposuction Prevelle Pulsed Dye Radiesse Radio Frequency with Microneedling Radio Frequency-Assisted Lipolysis Red Light Restylane Restylane Defyne Restylane Lyft Restylane Refyne Restylane Silk Revision Rhinoplasty Rhinoplasty Salicylic Peels SculpSure Sculptra Aesthetic Selphyl Silhouette Instalift Skin Skin Tighteners Skin Treatments Slim Lipo Smart Lipo SMAS facelift Smile Smile Makeover Smoothshapes Straightening Stretch Mark Treatments TCA Chemical Peels Teeth Whitening Thermage ThermiTight Thigh Lift Titan Tooth Contouring Traditional Facelift Tumescent Liposuction Tummy Tuck Ulthera Ultherapy Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction Umbilicoplasty Upper Blepharoplasty Upper eyelid surgery Vanquish ME VASER Lipo Vein Treatments Velashape Velasmooth Veneers Xeomin Search