GlobalSpa
24-Dec-2022
What if I told you that we all our guilty of layering our skin with actives and ingredients that can do more damage than good? Dr Aseem Sharma, Medical Advisor (Dermatology), Re’equil: Effective Cosmeceutical highlights why structuring your skincare routine is necessary.
Don’t get too high on the actives!
You must think, why do we say that? Active ingredients are, of course, the best thing that has happened to the skincare industry and its fraternity. But lately, to relate to all that skincare hype, people are layering too many ingredients that are not even designed to match together. Unaware of the best suitable concentration according to their skin type and concerns, many feeds their skin with highly concentrated active ingredients daily. Such practices ultimately harm the skin barrier which is a protective and the topmost layer of the skin and the end result is inflammation and purging on the face.
This is why structuring your skincare routine without complicating it is quite necessary. How? Let’s ‘Skin Cycle’!
What is skin cycling?
Skin Cycling is a viral skincare routine that has been designed, tried, and tested by Whitney Bowe, a New York-based dermatologist. It allows the skin to take a break from the overwhelming heavy layerings of active ingredients. The cycle is essential for four nights to provide a ‘structure’ and simplicity to the unnecessarily complex skincare routine. It goes like this :
Night 1: Cleanse + exfoliate + moisturise
Here, after cleansing your face with a mild soap-free cleanser, use an exfoliant. Now, what type of exfoliant works best in skin cycling?
It is recommended to opt for mild chemical exfoliants with AHAs like glycolic acid or a mixture of AHAs and BHAs like ACTIZYME. You can begin with 10% or less than 10% concentration. Physical exfoliants or scrubs can be relatively harsh on your skin and may cause rashes. So try to go for mild chemical exfoliants.
Later, follow it up with a hydrating and non-comedogenic moisturiser. Not too heavy, not too mild. Prefer ingredients like ceramide, hyaluronic acid, madecassoside, oatmeal extract, and alpha-bisabolol.
Night 2: Cleanse + apply retinol + moisturise
On the second night, cleanse and apply beginner-friendly retinol. Now, what type of retinol goes best in skin cycling?
If you are just a beginner and introducing retinol to your skin, then begin with a very low concentration like 0.1% in your night regimen. Starting straight up with a higher concentration harms the skin barrier and causes irritation. Do not mix retinol with other active ingredients like vitamin C as it might end up in dry, flaky, or peeling skin.
NOTE- After using retinol at night, always and always apply sunscreen the next morning.
Night 3 and 4 (recovery nights): Cleanse + moisturise
Now it is time for your skin to take a rest. It is the reset time with just two steps- cleansing and moisturising. Moisturising deeply nourishes the skin and helps keep the skin barrier healthy. Also, just moisturise and do not slug or you would end up with breakouts!
Morning Routine while skin cycling
Do not disturb your morning skincare routine while skin cycling. Keep it simple. Dr Bowe suggests the use of a mild and soap-free cleanser followed by a vitamin C serum (or any other healing active ingredient like niacinamide or hyaluronic acid) and layering a hydrating moisturiser or a barrier-protecting cream, and sealing it with a good broad-spectrum sunscreen.
NOTE- It is quite important to understand your skin type before buying skincare products.
What are the benefits of skin cycling?
Skin Cycling helps you to regularise and build tolerance for the active ingredients in your skin. The step-by-step approach is also quite beginner-friendly; for the ones who are just starting with skincare or the ones who want to experience active ingredients like chemical exfoliants, and retinol. Here are more of these :
Skin Cycling helps to repair the damaged skin barrier
Excessive use of highly concentrated active ingredients like retinoids regularly can rip off the protective barrier of the skin, leading to irritation and inflammation. But skin cycling can save your skin! The regular moisturising of the skin and scheduled use of exfoliants and actives help your skin to recover and get better. Daily hydration (recovery nights) with ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid lets the skin be and repairs the skin barrier.
Skin Cycling prevents the (negative) side effects of the products
The whole purpose of skin cycling is to peter out the side effects of many of the active ingredients. Here, less is more. The less you indulge in the products the better your skin will be. The framework of this approach lets your skin breathe and adds life to your skin with more recovery and fewer actives.
Is skin cycling good for all skin types?
Even when it comes to skin cycling, it should be tailored to your skin type.
For sensitive and oily skin types, get a chemical exfoliant with BHAs that improve skin cell turnover and help fight acne. And retinol is always supposed to work best for oily and acne-prone skin types. But yes, be mindful of concentration.
The above-explained routine is perfect for normal to dry skin type people. However, if you are dealing with eczema, begin with moisturising as the skin barrier is already compromised. So, calm down and repair the barrier first since active ingredients like AHAs, BHAs, and retinol can dearly irritate your skin. Once you feel the skin is calm, choose a non-foaming cleanser. And if you want to exfoliate, go for a vitamin C of not more than 10%, or you may even skip this step. Then, for retinol, do not go beyond 0.1% concentration. And follow up with a creamy moisturiser loaded with hydrating and anti-inflammatory ingredients.
Now, if you have rosacea, under-exfoliate your skin. And keep the skin hydrated to a fault.
There is no need to overwhelm your skin with so many products. And of course, if you are already a pro with active ingredients, and your skin is driving good results, do not disturb the existing routine. Skin cycling is essentially for the ones who want to drive better results. But yes, consistency is the key.
