Skin Cycling: The Savior of the Routine Averse
Image Courtesy: Pexels
Skin cycling, the four-night skin regimen created by dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, is TikTok’s newest skincare trend and the only way I can wrap my head around using something other than CeraVe PM on my face.
As someone who is simultaneously intrigued and mystified by skincare—and people’s ability to follow multi-step routines every single day—when Dr. Bowe came across my FYP, it felt like all of my questions had been answered. What kind of products should I prioritize in the evening? In what order should I use my products? Is this active ingredient going to ruin my skin barrier? Although I’ve tried to seek out answers to these questions in the past, all of the conflicting answers and complicated recommended routines made me retreat to my skincare safety zone: my beloved moisturizer.
My current skincare routine, if it can even be called that, might scare you. I often sleep in my makeup, I don’t wash my face twice a day; sometimes not even once a day, and I am terrible at remembering to wear sunscreen. The only product I routinely use is CeraVe, which is coincidentally the only thing I can list in the “keep” column of my list of skincare habits. Clearly, a change is long overdue. Dr. Whitney Bowe’s skin cycling routine is only four simple steps that even a mild disaster like me would be compelled to follow. It takes place over four nights, so I only have to worry about one step at a time and two of the nights are focused on the one skill I’ve already mastered: moisturizing.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Night one is all about exfoliating. Wash your face, pat your skin dry, and use a chemical exfoliant to shed those dead skin cells. Dr. Bowe recommends a leave-on product over a wash-off product because they’re more effective. I prefer The Ordinary’s glycolic acid because I already own it.
Image Courtesy: The Ordinary
Night two is where things get slightly more complicated. Start by cleansing your face and patting it dry yet again and then moisturize around your eyes, mouth, and nose to serve as a barrier to your retinoid. According to Dr. Bowe’s TikTok, one pea-sized amount of product should cover the entire face, one pea should cover the neck, and two peas should cover the collarbone area. Then, put more moisturizer on top to sandwich in the active ingredients.
Nights three and four are the ones where I excel: recovery. You still start with a cleanser, but you can layer a hydrating serum on top of damp skin and then follow it up with your moisturizer to protect the skin barrier. Adding oil on top or slugging, using an occlusive like Vaseline or Aquafor to lock in moisture, can also be beneficial to those with dry skin. The final piece of the puzzle is wearing sunscreen the morning after. Active ingredients in chemical exfoliants and retinoids can cause the skin to be more susceptible to sun damage if it’s not properly protected.
I am in the midst of my second cycle and once I master these simple steps, I might just throw in some more beneficial ingredients like Niacinamide or Vitamin C—Dr. Bowe has a ton of information on different ways to tailor the skin cycling routine to your own skincare goals on her TikTok. And maybe one day, I’ll take pride in my ability to complete a multi-step skincare routine, but I doubt that will be anytime soon.
Strike Out,
Katherine Rhodes
Editor: Sophie McLeod
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