It took
Lauren Feiler, a stay-at-home mom in
Dallas, five years to reach “skin-care
nirvana”, a state that, according to Feiler, is characterized by skin that
looks filtered or airbrushed without makeup (or a filter).
اضافة اعلان
It has been a
journey. After her son was born in 2017, 34-year-old Feiler was applying up to
12 products a day, including a placenta serum (made with biomimetic placenta,
not human or animal placenta) and a $155 mask, at the suggestion of her
facialist. All this was to feel like her pre-baby self. Two and a half years
later, the breakouts started, and the biomimetic placenta went in the trash,
along with the rest of her routine, minus cleanser and moisturizer.
Eventually, Feiler
incorporated prescription-strength retinol and exfoliating peel pads with seven
kinds of acid, rotating between the two every other night. There was some
improvement, but she still was not bowled over with the texture of her skin.
Eight weeks ago,
Feiler took up “skin cycling”, a skincare routine trending online that seemed
legitimate, at least compared with the libido gummies and collagen powders she
had purchased after seeing them on TikTok.
The concept: A
four-day cycle that alternates between the use of active ingredients and
“nights off”. On the first night, cyclers apply a chemical exfoliant; on the
second, a retinoid; and on the third and fourth, a moisturizer. Cleansing is
always the first step.
“My skin is so
soft, it’s like a baby’s butt,” Feiler said. “I haven’t been able to get that
texture in a long time.”
People are adopting
routines similar to Feiler’s, and
TikTok videos with the hashtag #skincycling
have become popular.
But dermatologists
have been recommending routines with minimal products that promote the rotation
of active ingredients for decades, albeit with their own spins and product
recommendations. What was missing was a catchy name and a viral platform.
You need a catchy name
“People were learning about an ingredient, getting excited about it, and
then just adding it to their evening routine,” said Dr Whitney Bowe, the
dermatologist in New York who coined the term “skin cycling”. For more than a
year, she has been promoting the method across her social media channels and
offering product recommendations (from her own line and other brands) and tips
based on skin types and budget, but only recently did the approach gain traction
online.
Bowe described the
philosophy as “an undoing” of sorts, or a response to the skin care excess of
the pandemic, which created “real issues” with the skin barrier for many.
The approach is
consistent with advice she gives patients not to exfoliate too many times a
week or mix too many ingredients on the same night. On any given day, cyclers
use no more than three products before bed and only one containing active
ingredients.
Bowe outlines a few
ground rules as well: The cycle must be performed at night (exfoliants and
retinoids make skin light sensitive and should be used before bed) and in a
specific order (exfoliating on the first night prepares the skin for the
retinoid to penetrate more effectively on the second).
Many dermatologists
agree that skin cycling is a good approach because it can be adapted to
different skin types, ages, lifestyles, and budgets. At its core, the rotation
and balancing of active ingredients and moisturizer help keep the skin barrier
intact. Also, anything that promotes skin care in moderation is good.
“It’s the way I
practice — it just didn’t have a name,” said Dr Rosemarie Ingleton, a
dermatologist in New York. “What we’re trying to do is not pile on every single
active product you get your hands on and do it every night. You’re never going
to get results that are worthwhile — you’re going to get irritation.”
Ingleton’s skin
care brand, Rose Ingleton MD, sells four serums that each target a specific
concern: hyperpigmentation, breakouts, hydration, and texture. She said that
patients and customers can cycle by using a different serum each night — or use
the same serum every day — but they should never be used together.
Even those who
consider themselves skinimalists (skin care minimalists) can over-exfoliate or
pile on too many active ingredients at once, leading to irritation, including
dry or inflamed skin.
This was the case
for Kelly Abbott, a 33-year-old lawyer in Seattle who used Bowe’s four-day
cycle as a framework.
Abbott started skin
cycling because her skin was irritated from retinoid use every other day, but
about one month in, her facialist told her to take just one recovery night.
Together, they created a new four-day cycle: exfoliate, night off, retinol,
night off, and repeat. Abbott said that her skin became less red and appeared
healthier.
Luisa Parra, a
25-year-old nanny in Washington, is also doing modified cycling.
For two months,
Parra has been on a three-day cycle, which Bowe recommends for acne-prone skin.
After a month of exfoliating, applying a retinoid and taking one recovery
night, Parra said that her acne “basically stopped.”
Anyone can do this
“At the essence of it — going gently on your products and alternating days
or nights — the dermatology community is all saying the same thing, but going
about it in different ways,” said Dr Adeline Kikam, a dermatologist in Florida
and owner of Skinclusive Dermatology, which plans to open in Fort Lauderdale
this year.
Kikam prefers a
five-night cycle. Hesitant about recommending back-to-back active ingredients,
she urges people to take an extra recovery night between exfoliation and
retinol nights.
Bowe said almost
everyone can skin cycle, even those who have never used a retinoid. Routines
are easy to modify for sensitive skin (add a third recovery night) or those who
are pregnant or breastfeeding (swap the retinoid for bakuchiol, peptides, or
another alternative with similar effects to a retinoid).
For anyone new to
active ingredients, Bowe recommended an exfoliation night followed by three
nights of recovery for two to three weeks before adding a retinoid. People with
really sensitive skin could make a retinoid “sandwich” on the second night by
applying a retinoid between a base and top layer of moisturizer.
Those who want to
take it to a more advanced level, Bowe said, can drop a recovery night or add a
second (or third) retinoid night, and the most advanced cyclers can bump up the
retinoid strength or switch from over-the-counter products to a prescription
version.
Still, not all
dermatologists are completely sold.
“The best thing you
can do to protect your skin barrier is not destroy it in the first place,” said
Dr Ranella Hirsch, a dermatologist in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
She supports
anything that promotes skin care in moderation, but has a more conservative
stance on active ingredients than Bowe. Hirsch tells patients not to chemically
exfoliate if they are already using a retinoid regularly.
“The approach I generally recommend is to slowly titrate one
product at a time so that you are helping your barrier adapt, without the need
to destroy it and repair on the regular,” Hirsch said, likening the skin
barrier to a door that keeps things in and out. “Barrier ‘repair’ should be the
regrettable exception, not the rule.”
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