How to skin cycle

How to organise your routine

1. 1Start with the daily basics. Each morning, gently cleanse, apply moisturizer, then use broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Use lukewarm water and your hands rather than scrubbing. In the evening, remove makeup if needed and gently wash your face.
2. 2Choose your exfoliation evenings. A chemical exfoliant containing glycolic acid can remove dead skin and help even skin tone. Limit exfoliation to a couple of times a week rather than making it a nightly requirement. Avoid abrasive brushes, salt scrubs and sugar scrubs. An exfoliating cleanser can be your cleansing step; you do not need both.
3. 3Use retinol on a separate evening. Apply retinol before bed, after cleansing and before moisturizer. A pea sized amount is enough. If retinol tends to irritate your skin, wait 30 minutes after washing before applying it. Do not add more just to make the routine feel more effective.
4. 4Leave the other evenings for gentle cleansing and moisturizer. Moisturizer helps reduce water loss and belongs in the routine morning and evening, not just on nights without treatment products.

Toner and antioxidant serum are optional steps, even if the bathroom shelf has other ambitions. Introducing fewer products makes it easier to avoid overdoing a routine that already includes exfoliation and retinol.12

Who should take extra care?

Introduce new products one at a time rather than starting an exfoliant and retinol together. For sensitive skin, test a pea sized dot behind your ear along your jawline, then wait a day or two before applying it across your face. Avoid heavily fragranced products. A test is a first step, not a reason to ignore a later reaction.12

Stop the product and make an appointment with a dermatologist if you develop skin irritation or contact dermatitis, an inflamed skin reaction. Do not use retinol or retinyl palmitate while pregnant or breastfeeding.13

What should you expect?

Retinol can help with fine lines, acne and dark spots, but can also dry out skin. Exfoliation can help even skin tone; doing more is not a useful response to irritation. Choose products for their ingredients and your goals.12

How long is a skin cycle?

A skincare rotation is a product schedule tailored to your skin and goals. Your skin's biological renewal cycle is different: complete renewal of the epidermis, the outer skin layer, takes about 28 to 30 days. That renewal time is not a deadline for visible results from retinol or exfoliation.24