What Is Skin Cycling, and Should You Try It?

Skin cycling is a popular skin-care approach with potentially powerful benefits. The term describes how you apply products to the skin, says Debra Wattenberg, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. Rather than applying the same products every day, when you are skin cycling, you apply products with rest days in between, she says.

Whitney Bowe, MD, a New York City–based board-certified dermatologist, coined the term, but the concept has been around for a while. Dermatologists have been recommending intermittent or alternating use of active ingredients for a long time, says Joshua Zeichner, MD, the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Dr. Wattenberg has noticed the same thing in her practice: “We’ve been recommending a slow start to most of our topical skin products for years.”

Instead of piling more products on top of one another, skin cycling encourages people to use products strategically so they complement one another, says Dr. Bowe.

Read on for everything you need to know about this skin-care practice.

Skin cycling is a skin-care routine that includes rest days to allow your skin to repair itself after using certain products. This can help prevent irritation and inflammation, says Wattenberg.

To get started with skin cycling, you’ll need these items:

• An exfoliator like glycolic acid or salicylic acid
• A retinoid (retinol or retinaldehyde)
• A moisturizer (opt for a fragrance-free ointment or cream)

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With those products in hand, it’s all a matter of timing. “The classic skin cycling regimen is a four-night cycle. The first is the exfoliation night, the second is a retinoid night, and the third and fourth are recovery nights, then you repeat the cycle,” says Bowe. Your dermatologist might suggest variations on the method, depending on how your skin responds.

Here’s a night-by-night how-to.

Night 1: Exfoliation

There’s a good reason for this step at the start. “Products will perform more effectively because they are able to penetrate more deeply into the skin in a controlled, predictable way,” says Bowe.

Another tip: Bowe prefers chemical exfoliants, which she says are more gentle than physical scrubs.

Night 2: Retinoids

“Retinoids are one of the powerful ingredients to include in your skin-cycling routine,” says Bowe. But they come with a disclaimer: “They can be very irritating when you first introduce them or if you have sensitive, reactive skin,” she says.

Nights 3 and 4: Recovery

The recovery period is the final step. “On recovery nights, you hold off on the exfoliating acids and retinoids and give your skin a chance to recover,” says Bowe. “You’ll want to focus on nourishing your skin's microbiome and repairing your skin barrier, so hydration and moisture, and avoid any irritating ingredients.”

Cleanse your skin before applying a moisturizer, and for these nights you don’t have to pat dry — it’s fine to leave your skin a little damp, Bowe says. You can also apply a hydrating serum before your moisturizer, she says.

In practice, your skin-cycle timing may depend on your skin type, and your dermatologist may recommend further personalization. “If you are experiencing sensitivity and irritation, you can increase your recovery nights,” says Bowe. “Or if you are seasoned and well adjusted to your retinoid and want to dial up, you can omit one recovery night for a three-night cycle.”

How Often Do You Need to Continue Skin Cycling?

As for how long you need to continue the practice, Bowe says that you can repeat and modify your skin-cycle regimen over time.

“It can be a reset, but it can be used continuously, depending on how your skin responds to the active ingredients you are applying,” says Wattenberg.

Skin cycling devotees and dermatologists suggest that the practice can have a number of benefits — here are a few.

Skin Cycling Can Help Repair Your Skin Barrier

Overexfoliating and using powerful retinoids may harm this barrier, leading to redness and irritation, but that’s where rest days come in handy. “Recovery nights, which focus on nourishing the skin barrier, have been a game changer for so many of my patients,” says Bowe.

Skin Cycling May Reduce Negative Product Side Effects

“The point of skin cycling is to decrease the side effects of many of the active ingredients — the less often you use a product, the less chance for a side effect,” says Wattenberg. She recommends applying retinol between two layers of moisturizer to help avoid irritation.

Skin Cycling Can Help Protect Skin Against Seasonal Issues

Skin cycling may help prevent your skin from drying in the first place, so it can potentially better handle the elements.

Skin cycling can help prevent potential side effects from ingredients like exfoliants and retinoids by giving your skin a chance to repair itself, says Wattenberg.

For people with sensitive skin, Bowe suggests using moisturizer first to buffer against the potential effect of retinoids, especially in sensitive areas like around the eyes and the corners of the nose, mouth, and neck.

Once your skin is used to the retinoid, she advises reversing the order and applying the retinoid first, then the moisturizer. “Again, you want to apply a hydrating barrier-repair cream that doesn’t irritate the skin or drive the retinoid too deeply into the skin to trigger unnecessary inflammation,” says Bowe.

For Bowe, the feedback on skin cycling has been overwhelmingly positive. “After sharing my skin-cycling videos on social media, I've had so many people reach out to me to tell me that this is the first time they feel like they understand how their skin care is working to benefit their skin as part of a bigger picture,” says Bowe.

Still, skin cycling may not be right for people who want big results. “Most of the data that we have on the effectiveness of these types of ingredients is based on daily use, so you can think of skin cycling as your warm-up routine,” says Dr. Zeichner.

Watterberg agrees, noting that “the cycle shortens as your skin becomes tolerant. There are a lot of people for whom one or two nights of a product per week is not enough to see results.” That said, products are much more effective when used regularly (for example, on a cycle) than when used sporadically.

Bowe acknowledges that if people can adjust their skin to a stable, powerful retinoid (and don’t experience irritation, blotchy patches, or sensitivity), skin cycling won’t offer many additional benefits.

The issue, she says, is that many people can’t get to that point in the first place. “Most people, especially those with dry skin or sensitive skin, find it impossible to use a powerful, stable retinoid every night without experiencing dryness, irritation, and discomfort,” says Bowe.

Ultimately, she adds, the point of skin cycling is to reap the benefits of your skin-care routine while dialing down the irritation that can happen when you overuse powerhouse products like exfoliating acids or retinol.

If you’re looking to add retinol, an exfoliant, or another potentially irritating product to your beauty routine, skin cycling could be worth considering, says Wattenberg.

Another group it may benefit? People with sensitive skin, says Zeichner. “When combining multiple active ingredients, you run the risk of causing skin irritation, so rotating the products can make them more tolerable,” he says.

If you have a skin condition like acne or rosacea, Bowe suggests that you talk to your dermatologist to personalize your skin-cycling regimen, especially if you’re taking a prescription medication for your skin.

As noted, if you’re already applying a retinoid every night and your skin tolerates it well, skin cycling may not offer as many benefits. “For those true exceptions who can handle a powerful retinoid every night, power to you!” says Bowe. For these people, Bowe suggests sticking with their nightly retinoid routine.

“Some people may not be able to advance past intermittent use, so you need to tailor your regimen to your personal skin needs,” says Zeichner.

The typical skin-cycling routine may also not be ideal for someone who already uses an exfoliating product every day without experiencing irritation (which might be the case for someone with oily or acne-prone skin, says Bowe). In this case, she suggests tweaking the skin-cycling routine to incorporate a salicylic acid toner every morning and a more powerful blend of exfoliating acids on exfoliating days.

Not sure if a skin-cycling routine is right for you? When in doubt, ask your dermatologist for your best course of action.

• Skin cycling is a four-night routine that rotates active products like exfoliants and retinoids with recovery nights to help prevent irritation and inflammation.
• This regimen can help repair your skin barrier and reduce common side effects, such as dryness and irritation, that often occur when introducing powerful active ingredients.
• If you are new to retinoids, be aware that they can cause initial dryness, irritation, and increased sun sensitivity.
• It’s best to consult a dermatologist if you’re looking to tailor your skin-cycling regimen to your skin’s needs, particularly if you have a skin condition or use prescription medication.