Dermatologists’ views on popular ‘skin cycling’ craze
SOME basic beauty guidelines are now almost common knowledge; for example, everyone is aware of how crucial it is to moisturise and clean their skin frequently, and to always use sunscreen.
However, it becomes a bit more challenging when you start using other treatments, like anti-ageing serums or exfoliants. You might be wondering how frequently you should use each one. And in what sequence should they be used? We occasionally wish there was just a straightforward beauty formula to follow.
Recently, a TikTok fad that appears to be addressing that has been going around. To streamline your routine and maybe lessen irritation caused by active ingredients, skin cycling is simply a four-night skin care programme that you cycle through regularly.
On the app, videos with the hashtag #skincycling have received 224 million views. Skin cycling “changed” one person’s “sensitive acne-prone skin”, and according to another, “made their skin look the best it ever has”.
So what is it exactly? The term “skin cycling” is ascribed to TikToker and dermatologist Dr Whitney Bowe of New York. Bowe claims that the traditional skin cycling cycle consisted of a four-night period. Exfoliation occurs the first night, retinoids are used the second night, and recovery occurs the third and fourth nights, during which you concentrate on hydration and barrier restoration. You repeat the cycle once it is complete.
The concept is not entirely new. According to Dr Shari Lipner, a TikTok physician and associate professor of clinical dermatology at the Weill Cornell Medical Centre in New York, “skin cycling is a well-known therapeutic strategy in dermatology”.
According to Dr Mary L Stevenson, an associate professor at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, retinoids in particular have frequently been cycled, since many patients find it difficult to endure using them every night.