What is Skin Cycling and why should you try it?
If you are a fan of TikTok, you probably have heard the term “skin cycling" floating around recently. It is a new skincare trend that is taking all the attention from the beauty community, and is actually approved by dermatologists. Let's learn more about it!
What is Skin Cycling?
Skin Cycling was innitiated by Dr. Whitney Bowe - a dermatologist from New York through her TikTok video. The video got a lot of positive reactions from the audience, and became very popular. The hashtag #skincycling is associated with 122.3M views on TikTok, and overall, posts that mention skin cycling have got 3.5B views.
Skin Cycling is a skincare principle that shows how you should arrange your skincare routine. The idea is to use active skincare products only on some certain days of the week, and let your skin “rest” on the other days. Therefore, you will establish a skincare cycle with 4 nights and repeat.
To start a Skin Cycling routine, you need:
- An exfoliator: you can use chemical exfoliators such as AHA, BHA, or gentle physical ones made by mixing cleansing balm with brown sugar, coffee grounds, or ground oats.
- A retinoid: vitamin A derivatives that can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- A moisturizer: opt for fragrance-free ointment or cream
How to do Skin Cycling
Night 1: Exfoliate
On the first night of the cycle, use an exfoliator. The purpose of this step is to prepare a clean skin base so that active ingredients could penetrate better on the next night. If you have sensitive skin, our Superfruit Cleansing Balm would make a perfect gentle exfoliator.
Night 2: Retinoids
If you are familiar with skin treatment, feel free to use active ingredients such as Retinol, Retinal, or Tretinoin. However, if your skin is sensitive or you are new to treatment, Bakuchiol would be a perfect choice. It is a plant-based Retinol alternative that is gentle and safe for even pregnant women. Our Bakuchiol Super Cream is formulated with Sacha Inchi oil and Squalane oil that add hydration and promote natural radiance. The product is free of alcohol, paraben, and fragrance to ensure no irritation.
Night 3 and 4: repair and recovery
The next two nights of the cycle is for letting your skin “rest". It's time to use moisturizers that contain Hyaluronic acid, Glycerin, or Niacinamide. In this way, the microflora on the skin is nourished and the skin barrier is strengthened.
According to Dr. Whitney Bowe, you should start to see results in just 8 days – the equivalent of 2 cycles. Skin will be softer and brighter, and you will notice more noticeable changes over time. So, be persistent with your skin care and don't forget to protect yourself during the day with sunscreen. Consider Okame UV Shield Sunscreen for your day routine. It's a broad spectrum sunscreen with Tinosorb S filter for full protection and tone-up texture with cyclopentasiloxane that smooths out and evens skin tone.