Skin Cycling
A structured nighttime routine that rotates your care over a four-night cycle: exfoliation, then retinoid, then two recovery nights.
Dermatologist Whitney Bowe coined "skin cycling" as a simple method to keep active ingredients from overwhelming your skin. The idea is that less can be more when it's spread out smartly.
The classic cycle runs over four nights:
- Night 1: a gentle chemical exfoliant.
- Night 2: a retinoid to renew the skin.
- Nights 3 and 4: hydration and repair only.
Then you start the cycle again. This system is ideal for sensitive skin or anyone new to retinol, because it gives your skin time to recover and gradually accept stronger ingredients without irritation.