If you exercise regularly, you know that too much high-intensity work all at once can pose some risks, including injuries. The same principle could be applied to your skin. If you apply too many strong skincare products to your face all at once, too frequently, it could lead to irritation, inflammation or other skin issues.
That’s where skin cycling comes in. Learn what skin cycling is, the benefits, how it works and how to include skin cycling in your daily skin regimen.
What Skin Cycling Is
Skin cycling is a skincare routine in which you use certain products on specific days. Then, on alternate days, you use different products to give your skin a “break.” It is somewhat similar to easing into a new high-intensity exercise routine. Skin cycling is thought to help when you’re introducing potent products for the first time, or if you have very sensitive skin.
Skin Cycling Basics
Generally, any good skincare routine will include using some or all of the following products daily or at various intervals:
- Face Wash
- Exfoliator
- Serums
- Treatments with active ingredients
- Moisturizer
You may also use other skincare products, but the key to skin cycling is timing—the frequency at which certain ones are used. Taking a break from using some products every day can help give ingredients ample opportunity to deliver the benefits to your skin.
How Skin Recycling May Help Skin
Some skincare ingredients are much stronger than others—making them highly effective for cellular turnover to reveal more radiant skin. However, applying too many strong products all at once can possibly lead to undesirable results. We’ll cover some of these below.
How to Develop a Skin Cycling Routine
With skin cycling, you create a product application schedule that’s optimal for your skin. Pay attention to how your skin reacts to all products, so you can optimize your skin cycling schedule.
Each night in a skin cycling routine, you’ll cycle among different skincare products. Here’s a look at what a typical skin cycling schedule might look like.
Night One: Exfoliate
Exfoliation sloughs off dead skin cells, helping to expose a fresh, receptive canvas for your skin to absorb other skincare ingredients. However, exfoliating every day, especially with some exfoliation methods, such as loofahs and scrubs is not recommended.
Exfoliating cleansers containing AHAs or BHAs won’t cause micro-tears in the skin and are generally considered to be a better option than physical exfoliators.
The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends applying a chemical exfoliant to the face using small, circular motions for about 30 seconds before rinsing it off with lukewarm water.
Night Two: Use Products Containing Retinol
Retinol, a Vitamin A derivative, is a powerful skincare ingredient that can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Retinol is most widely recommended for nighttime use as it causes photo-sensitivity. If you do use a retinol during the day, be sure to use an SPF of 30 or higher. In a skin cycling routine, apply Retinol in the evening, the day after you exfoliate. If you have sensitive skin, you can apply moisturizer before applying retinol. You should also apply moisturizer after using retinol, especially if you have drier skin.
Every Night: Moisturize
You can use moisturizer on a daily basis. It is important to use one that best fits your skin type. Moisturizer is especially important during seasonal changes to the skin, when air becomes cooler and drier or warm and damp.
There are moisturizers for healthy skin maintenance, perimenopausal and menopausal skin.
Following Days
The next couple nights are skincare “recovery nights” in a skin cycling routine. This is when you can apply your regular nighttime moisturizer and a gentle serum.
You can use this skin cycling schedule as an ongoing practice if you have sensitive skin, or when you’re trying new products and you want to give your skin time to adapt.
For some people, once their skin has gotten used to the products, they end the skin cycling schedule and start to use the products more frequently or daily.
Intensive Specialty Treatments With Active Ingredients
What about products that contain particularly high levels of active ingredients that are used less frequently than daily or weekly? This skincare segment includes these Biopelle intensive specialty skincare treatments:
Integrating Intensive Specialty Treatments into a Skin Cycling Routine
Either product can be integrated into a skin cycling routine by layering it with other skincare products. Because these products contain high levels of active ingredients, allow time for either product to absorb into the skin prior to adding on more skincare products.
Based on your skin type and possibly the time of year, after using Tensage 40 or Tensage 50 serums your skin may feel sufficiently hydrated that you may opt to not add additional moisturizer.
Tensage Intensive Serum 40
Tensage Intensive Serum 40 is an amplified skincare treatment for at-home use in skincare regimens. It provides noticeable improvements to the appearance of:
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Firmness
- Texture, tone and luminosity
- Sun exposure damage
Increase the benefits
Tensage Intensive Serum 40 is a perfect complement to Tensage Daily Serum. Tensage Daily Serum is great for daily skin maintenance for all skin types, too.
Application Frequency
A box of Tensage Intensive Serum 40 contains 10, 1 mL, unique single-dose ampoules (as this formula may also be used during aesthetic procedures, the single dose ampoules help ensure sterility and hygienic delivery of the product).
- Apply one ampoule in the morning or at night for 7 days.
- Then, use one ampoule weekly for three weeks.
Key Ingredients
Tensage Intensive Serum 40 with exclusive SCA Biorepair Technology helps promote elasticity, tone and texture to all skin types. Other key ingredients include:
- Natural growth factors
- Antioxidants
- Hyaluronic acid
Tensage Intensive Serum 50
Tensage Intensive Serum 50 is a highly concentrated quarterly use, at-home skin treatment for fast, optimal results to all skin, especially mature skin.
It quickly boosts rejuvenation with visible, dramatic results from moderate to advanced aging skin. Ideal for improving the appearance of:
- Advanced sun-damaged skin
- Hyperpigmentation
- Dull skin
Results
Tensage Intensive Serum 50 produces noticeable results in the look of:
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Elasticity
- Tone, tone and smoothness
- Luminosity
Application Frequency
A box of Tensage Intensive Serum 50 contains 10, 1.5 mL, tubes for 2-3 applications. The number of applications may vary depending on the area size you treat.
For normal use:
Use the amount you need from one tube nightly. Temporarily discontinue use if irritation of redness occurs. Some tingling is expected upon application.
- Apply nightly until the 10-tube supply in the product box is exhausted.
- Integrate Tensage Intensive Serum 50 into your skincare routine every three months for an intensive quarterly boost.
Key Ingredients
Intensive Intensive Serum 50 with exclusive SCA Biorepair Technology jump-starts dramatic improvements to the look and feel of skin. Other key ingredients include:
- Snail secretion filtrate
- Peptides
- Brightening ingredients
Apply Sunscreen Daily
You’ll still want to apply sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every day, even on cloudy days or when staying home. Sunscreen is an especially important product to use when you’re exfoliating and using retinol.
Be Consistent With the Skincare You Use
Consistency is key with skincare products. Infrequent use or switching them up too frequently can be less effective or lead to issues like irritation.
Other Benefits of Skin Cycling
If you’re trying a new skincare routine, skin cycling is a great way to ease into the products. It gives your skin time to get used to them and enables you to see reactions and results, without overloading your skin.
Skin cycling can be especially beneficial for those with sensitive skin, since it gives your skin time to acclimate to the new products you’re using.
Try skin cycling to gradually get used to the products you use. Then, continue the skincare routine that works best for your unique skin.
When in Doubt, Consult with a Dermatologist
Your dermatologist can recommend an optimal schedule for your skincare routine. For noticeable skin improvements, introduce a new intensive treatment that can deliver fast, exceptional results, such as Tensage Intensive Serum 40 and Tensage Intensive Serum 50.
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