What Is Skin Cycling and How To Skin Cycle

4 minute read

If you’re following the trends on SkinTok, you’ve likely heard of ‘Skin Cycling’. Created by a Dermatologist, Skin Cycling was designed first for skin that suffers from sensitivity, before going viral and being adopted by the masses to help “cycle through” the plethora of products they’d purchased – often without guidance or prescription from a Skin Expert.

What Is Skin Cycling?

Skin Cycling is based on the concept of a workout, where you give your body time to rest and recover between sessions. A four-night skin cycling routine includes one night of exfoliation, another of Vitamin A skincare products and two of hydration and recovery. At O Cosmedics, for over a decade now, we have referred to this as ‘drip feeding’ the skin actives… Shake it up, add lime, a bunch of products you bought on a whim after falling for the latest skin trend and a TikTok twist and you’ve got ‘Skin Cycling’.

Our key takeaway from this: no skin should be exposed to products intense enough to mimic a strenuous workout or be treated with a cookie-cutter approach. Every skin type is different, and skin conditions are all unique and should be prescribed a product routine based on quality and correct ingredients that will work for your skin specifically. For example, Skin Cycling suggests Vitamin A should only be used once a week, but we know that the correct Vitamin A for your skin actually gets better and better the more you use it, and the skin rejuvenation and anti-aging results mirror this upward trajectory.

How To Skin Cycle The Proper Way

Ultimately, it comes back to the Skin Expert. Purchasing products without their guidance and knowledge, and then feeling like you have to cycle through them all means you are guaranteed an overflowing cupboard of products and run the risk of over-exfoliating and stripping the skin, leading to damage and sensitivity. Not to mention all the skin benefits you miss out on, like skipping antioxidants and pigment blockers in the morning (a regular skin cycling routine suggests no serums in the AM).

Here's how to skin cycle with the help of a Skin Expert:

01 Skin Analysis: Work with your Skin Expert to understand your skin type and identify any specific concerns you want to address. This knowledge will guide you in selecting appropriate products for each phase of your skin cycling routine.

02 Establish a Timeframe: A better understanding of your skin’s needs will help determine how long each phase of your skin cycling routine will last.

03 Select Products: The Skin Expert will help you choose skincare products that cater to your skin type and the specific concerns you wish to address during each phase. Look for ingredients that target those concerns, such as hyaluronic acid for hydration or vitamin C for brightening.

04 Gradual Transition: Introduce new products gradually, allowing your skin time to adjust. Start by drip feeding new products into your routine once or twice a week or as recommended by your Skin Expert, gradually increasing usage as your skin acclimates.

05 Monitor Results: Observe how your skin responds to each phase of your skin cycling routine. Take note of any improvements or changes enabling you to refine your routine in the future.

06 Adjust as Needed: Based on your observations, work with your Skin Expert to make adjustments to your routine to optimise results. This may involve extending or shortening the duration of each phase, changing products, or incorporating additional steps as needed.

To help with your skin cycling journey, we 've also written a comprehensive guide on how to layer skincare products, which will help you understand which active ingredients can be used together and which should be cycled through different days!

We love TikTok as much as the next person who’s just dedicated (not wasted) an entire hour watching animal videos, but at the end of the day, nothing – not even SkinTok – beats a personalised routine from a skin savvy Expert who helps you to drip feed the right actives into your skin for ultimate skin health results.