This is a new term that you may hear of at the moment, so I thought I would explain what it is all about.
Skin Cycling is not a new product but rather the way you use or apply your products.
There are lots of active products including Retinol, AHA’s such as Lactic and Glycolic acids, BHA’s such as Salicylic acid, Vitamin C… as well as some other exfoliating products like scrubs. Sometimes using these products can cause irritation on the skin. Without the advice from a skincare specialist you may be buying and trying these yourself at home and not really knowing what to do.
In clinic most of the problems that we see in our clients are them using the wrong products on their skin or sometimes in the wrong way.
So if you have some actives such as some of the ones I listed above you may want to try Skin Cycling as a way of introducing them into your routine. The way to do this is to give your skin some recovery days after an application, so if you exfoliate your skin you will leave 3-4 days after for the skin to recover and repair. During these recovery days you will use hydrating products containing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramics and niacinamide which can either be in a serum or a moisturiser.
After the recovery days you may then use a Retinol, this a highly effective ingredient that will encourage cellular turnover and can help with many things such as acne scarring, fine lines & wrinkles, pigmentation and hydration. Overuse of Retinol can cause redness, sensitivity, flakiness, peeling and dryness to the surface skin layers. This happens because the skin is exposed before it is ready as it is turning over too quickly so by introducing Retinol slowly you can get the benefits without the negative side effects. Again leaving a few days after application for the skin to repair and recover whilst using your moisturiser.
The steps can be followed for other actives like your AHA’s or BHA’s. Skin Cycling will be great especially if you have a sensitive or sensitised skin. It allows you to use the actives but ensures that you are not overdoing it causing the skin to react. I always tell my clients to listen to your skin, we all have busy hectic lives and our stress levels will fluctuate depending on what we have going on. If we are more stressed our cortisol levels will be elevated this will impact how our skin responds. So if you apply your vitamin C serum one morning and it suddenly stings that could be a sign that your skin is a little sensitised, this can sometimes happen to me especially on my neck area, so I stop the Vitamin C for a few days and use a hydrating serum and moisturiser, I personally love Alumier’s Hydracalm which contains low molecular weight hyaluronic acid to super hydrate the skin and copper peptide for wound healing so I find it helps my skin to calm and repair. By listening to your skin you can help to prevent reactions and irritations on your skin giving your more good skin days rather than trying to recover from irritation.
Skin Cycling will not be suitable for everyone and is not necessary for those who have resilient skin. If you are already using your Retinol 3-4 times a week, exfoliating and using an AHA acid and you are not having any issues then it is fine for you to carry on with your current regime. Your skin is tolerating the products and you will continue to see the long term benefits.
We are always here to help and offer advice. We use AlumierMD in clinic which is a medical grade cosmeceutical line that deliver quality ingredients at clinical levels into the skin with delivery systems that mean the ingredients are going to reach the right target. They are an ethical brand that have changed ingredients if they are better for the skin condition they are trying to treat or the environment. The products do not contain sulphates, parabens, harmful chemicals or perfumes which can all irritate the skin. They believe in keeping the skins barrier healthy which leads to beautiful glowing skin.
For more information or to see how we can help you achieve your best skin then please contact us.
