Skin cycling is a new term that I have seen circulating social media and thought I would share how I personally use it in my skincare routine and why I like it so much. Though it seems to be a new term, I have been using this concept in my skincare routine for years. Skin cycling is the using products with “active” ingredients (retinols, acids, peels, etc) on certain nights and then on the other nights allowing your skin to rest by using products to moisturize or soothe. I personally like this type of product rotation because my skin gets the benefit of using stronger active ingredients every few nights while allowing my not to get too irritated from overuse because there are rest/repair nights in between. Below is my current nighttime skincare routine and on what nights I typically use each product. (Occasionally I will change things up from time to time but for now, this is primarily what I’ve been doing on a regular basis.)

Retinol Nights (Monday, Thursday) These are the nights that I use my Retinol product in my routine. Below are the products I use and in the order I use them:

1. Farmacy Green Clean – I remove my makeup with this cleansing balm.

2. Omorovicza Cleansing Foam – This is my second cleanse.

3. Pixi Glow Tonic – A gentle exfoliating toner that I swipe on with a cotton round.

4. Currentbody LED mask (discount code: ALITTLEBITETC) – I use this mask for 10 minutes 6 nights a week.

5. Chantecaille Pure Rosewater Mist – I spritz this over my entire face for a bit of moisture before applying my essence.

6. REN Smooth, Plump and Prep Essence – This helps to really plump my skin and I like to apply it on damp skin.

7. Clinique All About Eyes – I apply my eye cream before I apply all of my serums and moisturizers.

8. Hourglass Equilibrium Resurfacing Retinoid Treatment – This is the retinol I am currently using. It is quite mild so I can increase it to more than 2x/week if I wanted to but for now, I use it twice a week.

9. Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Moisturizer – I like to finish off with a rich moisturizer that helps to nourish and soothe the skin. This one is absolutely fantastic!

Exfoliating Nights (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday) These are the nights when I use a strong exfoliating/resurfacing serum in my routine. Pretty much almost everything else stays the same.

1. Farmacy Green Clean – I remove my makeup with this cleansing balm.

2. Omorovicza Cleansing Foam – This is my second cleanse.

3. Pixi Glow Tonic – A gentle exfoliating toner that I swipe on with a cotton round.

4. Currentbody LED mask (discount code: ALITTLEBITETC) – I use this mask for 10 minutes 6 nights a week.

5. Chantecaille Pure Rosewater Mist – I spritz this over my entire face for a bit of moisture before applying my essence.

6. REN Smooth, Plump and Prep Essence – This helps to really plump my skin and I like to apply it on damp skin.

7. Clinique All About Eyes – I apply my eye cream before I apply all of my serums and moisturizers.

8. Farmacy Honeymoon Glow – This has been one of my holy grail exfoliating/resurfacing serums for yearssss. It is quite strong and really effective. It targets texture, dark spots and dullness.

9. L’Oreal Revitalift 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid – Hyaluronic acid is a must have in my skincare routine for both morning and night because it’s incredibly hydrating and helps to retain moisture in the skin. This particular serum is so great and under $35!

10. Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Moisturizer – I like to finish off with a rich moisturizer that helps to nourish and soothe the skin. This one is absolutely fantastic!

Repair Nights (Wednesday, Saturday) – This is the night that I don’t use any strong active (retinol, acids, etc) and just nourish and moisturize my skin. I find giving my skin a break like this throughout the week ensures my skin doesn’t get overly irritated from all the powerful products I use the other nights.

1. Farmacy Green Clean – I remove my makeup with this cleansing balm.

2. Omorovicza Cleansing Foam – This is my second cleanse.

3. Pixi Glow Tonic – A gentle exfoliating toner that I swipe on with a cotton round.

4. Currentbody LED mask (discount code: ALITTLEBITETC) – I use this mask for 10 minutes 6 nights a week.

5. Chantecaille Pure Rosewater Mist – I spritz this over my entire face for a bit of moisture before applying my essence.

6. REN Smooth, Plump and Prep Essence – This helps to really plump my skin and I like to apply it on damp skin.

7. Clinique All About Eyes – I apply my eye cream before I apply all of my serums and moisturizers.

8. Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Moisturizer – I like to finish off with a rich moisturizer that helps to nourish and soothe the skin. This one is absolutely fantastic!

9. Chantecaille Rose de Mai Face Oil – A total splurge but this face oil is incredibly nourishing, calming and soothing. It feels quite thin and watery when applied, but still manages to really moisturize and firm the skin.

Have you tried skin cycling? And if so, what is your current routine??