Aside from my Starbucks iced latte, one of my greatest joys is trying new skincare products (as evidenced by my bathroom skincare cart that houses products from 111skin to TULA.
So, when skin cycling took TikTok by storm, I instantly found myself in a rabbit hole of yet another skin care regimen — except this time, the repeated four-day process is effective for all skin types.
“Skin cycling takes the stress out of skincare. It’s a deliberate, strategic approach to getting the most out of your skincare — driving and maximizing results and minimizing irritation,” Whitney Bowe, MD, board-certified dermatologist who coined the skin-cycling regimen, told the New York Post.
Most importantly, before diving into the ins and outs of skin cycling, we must recognize that no skincare routine is one-size-fits-all.
“Whatever skincare routine you use should be streamlined and simple but should also be a flexible framework that’ll change with hormone fluctuations,” Bowe explains. “Skincare is really about learning to listen to your own skin’s needs and what’s going to work for someone else is not going to work for you.”
Not only did Bowe give us the 411 on skin cycling — including how to get started — but I highlight some products I have been testing for upwards of a year that I think can fit seamlessly into just about anyone’s skin cycling routine.
Click to jump to the best skin cycling products:
What is skin cycling?
Skin cycling is a four-day regimen (consisting of two ‘push’ days and two ‘recovery’ days) that will help your skin reap the most benefits by focusing on exfoliation, retinoid incorporation, and deep hydration.
“It takes a ‘less is more,’ streamlined approach to skincare and make your products work smarter and harder for you,” Bowe adds. “It’s a flexible framework that was designed to be leveled up or leveled down based on your skin’s needs.”
The ‘more is better’ approach — mixing, matching and layering different ingredients that “don’t work together and play nicely together in the sandbox,” as Bowe puts it — is how people typically run into trouble. “If you’re finding that your skincare routine is six, seven or 10 steps long in the morning, you may want to think twice.”
While Bowe talks about the classic four-night cycle, she spends much time on her social media channels and website discussing how to make skin cycling either more advanced skincare or gentler, depending on your needs. Generally speaking, the classic four-day method will work for everyone.
Does skin cycling work?
Because skin cycling is a framework meant to be amended — depending on the seasons and your skin type over time — it should work for you.
“If you’re struggling with a skin condition, like acne, a skin cycling routine is never going to replace your relationship with a dermatologist,” Bowe notes. “Nowadays, most dermatologists are not only aware of skin cycling but also recommend custom skin cycling routines for a personalized plan that incorporates their prescriptions, and we’re seeing amazing results.”
As we head into winter, the air will get drier, and that’s because the air outside is colder, and you’re starting to experience whipping winds. But also indoors, we turn on our heat, which tends to be very drying.
“In the winter, we tend to have to focus more on our barrier and our hydration,” Bowe explains. “If you can get away with more gel products and lightweight serums during the summer, you may find you need to gravitate toward richer, more hydrating and creamier products in the winter.”
Layering is something that we start to do more often in the winter. “In the fall, when you start layering your clothing, you also want to start thinking about layering your skincare.”
How to start a skin cycling routine
Bowe outlines skin cycling in a few simple steps:
‘Push’ Night 1: Exfoliation Night
Bowe recommends reaching for a blend of exfoliating acids instead of gritty scrubs. After cleansing, make sure your skin is completely dry before applying your exfoliation products.
“Ideally, you want to apply it to your face, neck and chest,” she explains. “I always treat the face, neck and chest as one cosmetic unit — the earlier you tend to these areas, the better off your skin will be.” Pro tip: rub any extra product into the oft-forgotten back of your hands.
On top of your exfoliating product, you want to be careful. “You don’t want to ‘slug’ on exfoliation night, meaning you don’t want to use anything that’s too occlusive,” Bowe notes. “If you use a product that is very rich in petroleum (also called petroleum jelly) or mineral or coconut oils, that occlusive product will end up driving the acids in unpredictable ways into the skin, increasing your risk of irritation.”
After exfoliation night, you’ll wake up the following day with brighter skin because the product dissolves the upper layer of dead cells and unclogs the pores. “It preps you to get the most out of night two — retinoid night — because it’ll help with the advanced penetration of your retinoid,” Bowe adds.
You don’t want to combine the exfoliating acids and the retinoid on the same night because that can be a recipe for irritation. Exfoliation, followed by the next day’s step — retinoid — tends to work beautifully for most people, according to Bowe.
‘Push’ Night 2: Retinoid Night
“Retinoids are some of my favorite ingredients in the world of skincare because they have a mountain of evidence [proving that they] bring benefits to the skin,” Bowe boasts. “Retinoid” is an umbrella term that includes prescription retinoids (like tretinoin, Tazorac, and Retin-A) and also includes over-the-counter retinoids (like retinol creams and serums, retinal and adapalene found in Differin products).
The idea with retinoids is ‘less is more.’ Apply it on clean, dry skin; you don’t want to apply acids or retinoids onto damp skin because that will increase irritation. “A pea-sized amount of retinoid will cover the face, a second pea-sized amount will cover the neck, and two pea-sized amounts will cover the chest,” she recommends.
For both push nights, you want to use a gentle cleanser and a fragrance-free moisturizer. Look for ingredients with hyaluronic acid, squalane, ceramides, prebiotics, or postbiotics. Even essential oils, typically found in some moisturizers, are worth avoiding.
“If your nose loves a product, your skin probably won’t,” Bowe says. “If you have sensitive skin, mature skin, rosacea or dry patches, you want to avoid things with fragrances — be it natural or synthetic.”
For those pregnant or nursing, you can’t use retinol (more on that in our pregnancy safe skincare guide). Bowe recommends repeating exfoliation night or replacing the retinoid ingredient with glycolic acid.
“Glycolic acid, when in a product at 8% or higher (‘the sweet spot’), has been shown with consistent use to stimulate collagen production,” she says. “It can help firm and tighten the skin in the same way a retinol can.” Another great alternative Bowe recommends is Matrixyl 3000, which acts as a signal telling your skin there has been a wound (in short, breaking your collagen into segments). This ingredient automatically signals the skin to go into repair mode.
Bakuchiol is another retinoid alternative, though there isn’t extensive evidence that it’s on the same level as retinoids.
Recovery Nights 3 & 4: Cleanser and Moisturizer
On the third and fourth nights of skin cycling, “you want to avoid potentially irritating acids and just focus on hydration, moisturize and repairing the skin’s barrier and re-balance the skin’s microbiome,” Bowe lists.
Cleanse, moisturize, and you’re done.
“On push nights, you’re kind of pushing the skin out of its comfort zone. Think about going to the gym and working out really hard — if you use heavy leg weights and doing squats and presses one day, you can have some micro-tears. You can’t go to the gym the next day and do the same routine. You need to build in time for recovery to allow those micro-tears to repair to get stronger over time. It’s the same thing with the skin.”
Whitney Bowe, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of the skin cycling regimen
For moisturizers, look for ingredients with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, squalane, and prebiotics.
Best products for skin cycling
1. Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser, $37
The Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser is one of the gentlest cleansers I’ve ever tried. Not only is it infused with aloe vera (an ingredient known for its calming properties), but it’s also foaming and great for sensitive skin types.
2. CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser, $16 to $18
With nearly 68,000 positive reviews on Amazon, it’s no surprise the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser is top-notch. If you want something that’ll help control oily skin, this formula is dermatologist-approved and is a no-frills option formulated not to inflame skin.
3. Youth To The People Kombucha + 10% AHA Liquid Exfoliant with Lactic Acid & Glycolic Acid, $38
The Kombucha + 10% AHA Liquid Exfoliant from Youth To The People is excellent because it contains glycolic acid to help stimulate collagen production and is liquid-based. It won’t feel nitty-gritty on the skin. Plus, you’ll adore its fragrance-free make.
4. Tatcha The Deep Cleanse Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, $39
Tatcha’s The Deep Cleanse Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser checks off all the boxes Bowe recommends. It’s not a harsh and gritty scrub, it’s an oil-free gel that lathers into a creamy foam and it’ll leave your skin softer and brighter the next day — right before retinoid night. For less than $40, it’s worth the spot on your skincare shelf.
Not to mention, it’s a Clean at Sephora product, so there aren’t synthetic micro-beads in this particular exfoliating product.
5. Farmacy 1% Vitamin A Retinol Serum, $60
The Farmacy 1% Vitamin A Retinol Serum is one of my favorite products to use, namely because it’s lightweight, contains a small amount of retinol that’s safe to use (especially for beginner skincare users) and is 100% clean.
6. Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum, $68
What’s great about the Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum is that it contains squalane, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin — three hydrating ingredients Bowe recommends. Plus, it’s packed with a plumping finish that’s perfect to use after your cleanser.
7. First Aid Beauty Hydrating Serum with Hyaluronic Acid, $40
First Aid Beauty is the queen of sensitive skin-minded Ingredients, and its hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid is no different. For best results, we recommend using it on one of the ‘push’ days during your skin cycling routine.
8. Alpyn Beauty Wild Nettle & Niacinamide Instant Firming Serum, $58
Another ‘push’ day product to use, the Alpyn Beauty Wild Nettle and Niacinamide Instant Firming Serum, is one of the most luscious ones my skin has ever witnessed. It has an easy-to-use, elegant applicator and is one of the best clean beauty products I’ve tried.
9. Kiehl’s Since 1851 Ultra Facial Moisturizing Cream with Squalane, $34
Richly packed, the Kiehl’s Since 1851 Ultra Facial Moisturizing Cream contains squalane (per Bowe’s recommendation) and is fragrance-free, which is recommended during skin cycling recovery days. For the winter months, especially, this one’s a winner I can’t live without.
10. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+, $33
Ah, if it wasn’t for Clinique’s best-selling Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ to save the day. It’s fragrance-free, contains hyaluronic acid and is widely recommended for dry skin. I’ve used it for years, and it’s a staple I constantly turn back to.
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