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You may have heard the term “skin cycling” come up on your FYP page or social media. The skincare trend has been extremely popular online, but what is it? And should redheads give it a try? Here’s everything you need to know about skin cycling:
What is skin cycling?
The term skin cycling refers to the way you apply your products to your face and the steps in your routine you perform them in. Instead of applying the same products every day you work on a cycle with rest days in-between applications. As a trend, skin cycling has become increasingly popular as of late, but the concept has been around for much longer. It’s actually a routine recommended by many dermatologists and skin professionals.
How redheads should skin cycle:
Skin cycling can be customized to the person, but the basics are pretty universal. For skin cycling you will need:
- An exfoliant
- A retinol or retinol alternative
- A heavy moisturizer
- Skin barrier building/protecting products
The standard skin cycling routine has you focusing on cycling at night.
Night 1: Do your normal routine and incorporate your exfoliant after cleansing. You can lightly moisturize to hydrate the skin and avoid heavy moisturizers or any with strong active ingredients..
Night 2: Do your normal routine, don’t use the exfoliant and instead, use your retinol (or alternative) after moisturizing.
Night 3: Do your normal routine, don’t use the exfoliant or retinol and instead, use a heavier moisturizer.
Then you repeat the cycle.
For your morning skincare, it’s recommended you stick to a simple wash and moisturize routine and apply SPF, but avoid any heavy products or anything you’re using in the night routine like retinol and exfoliants.
The benefits of skin cycling for redheads
Instead of layering on product after product, the idea behind skin cycling is to apply the products more purposefully and allow the active ingredients time and space to do what they are supposed to do. It’s also a way to avoid active ingredients from combatting each other. This can lead to improving the skin’s overall look and feel, improving the skin barrier, and making the most out of the products you’re using.
For those with sensitive skin, skin cycling may look a little different. If you’re new to retinol you will want to start slow and mix a tiny bit in with a moisturizer, opt for a premixed retinol, or use a retinol alternative. You may also need to ease into exfoliating if your skin is getting irritated. As with every skincare trend you have to do what’s right for your skin, so customize your routine as needed or seek help from a dermatologist.
Rock it like a Redhead!
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