To think about the skin cycle, let’s use an analogy of your hair-washing routine. Think of it this way, you probably don’t wash your hair every day. Because if you did, your hair would most likely become parched and weak. Instead, you probably wash your hair every few days and probably only use certain products on certain days. For example, you’re not going to do a super thick hair mask on your first day of clean hair unless you wash your hair every day, and if you do, you do, but for people who wait at least a day or two between washes, you know you’re going to make a mask instead. Capillary on the day you choose to wash your mane. This way your hair soaks up the extra moisture, but the mask doesn’t stay in your hair for days waiting to be washed out. The same goes for a clarifying shampoo. You’re probably not going to use one every day.
Similar to your hair-washing routine, the skin cycle follows a similar idea. You only use certain products on certain nights of the week. This way you avoid layering skincare products that you should never mix and your skin has time to reap the full benefits and by doing so, your skin will be glowing, clear and in great shape.
What should a typical skin cycle routine look like? Well, there’s not just one answer, because everyone’s skin is different, but generally it follows this four-day schedule, exfoliate, retinoid, recover, then repeat, according to Dr. Whitney Bowe, dermatologist with over 397,000 TikTok followers. While your daytime routine may stay the same, changes to your nighttime products are crucial.
The exfoliation night comes first. As usual, first cleanse your face. Once dry, use a chemical exfoliant, not a physical facial exfoliator. Follow this, along with your favorite moisturizer, and you’re ready to sleep.
On the second day, start by cleansing your face. Depending on how sensitive your skin is or if you have used a retinoid before, such as tretinoin or retinol, you can apply a small amount directly to your face or, if you have sensitivity, you can apply a thin layer moisturizer on those sensitive areas beforehand, like under your eyes or on your smile lines. After that stay hydrated.
The third and fourth days, also called recovery nights, are the final stages of the skin cycle (aka Skin Cycling). As usual, first you wash your face. Then follow up with a hyaluronic acid serum, but to reap the full benefits, be sure to apply the product to damp skin. Then moisturize the face and finish with oil on top, according to Dr. Whitney Bowe.
This article was originally published on L’Officiel
