Skin Cycling: My Holy Trinity to Skincare

By Lily Leonard

I’ve never really been one to break the bank when it came to my beauty products or skincare. I usually get by just fine with my drugstore face wash, moisturizer (if I even remember), and makeup. Until recently, as I am currently studying abroad and traveling all the time, I realized that what I was doing-or wasn't doing-wasn’t cutting it anymore.

For the past few months, I’ve been trying everything under the sun to fix up my dry skin and breakouts, and finally came across some products that I really love. 

And while I’m still a huge ride-or-die drugstore advocate, I have found that investing in your skin truly is worth it, especially later down the line. 

Most importantly, though, I’ve realized that investing doesn’t just mean monetarily. The time we put into taking care of our skin is just as, if not more, important.

So, when I say I’ve found my holy trinity to skincare, while I am referring to some specific products, I also am referring to the order in which I use them. 

Enter: skin cycling. 

The Breakdown:

Essentially, skin cycling is a rotation for your skincare products coined by Dermatologist Whitney Bowe, MD. It’s done at night after you wash your face, and is designed to promote skin recovery and keep us from damaging our skin between the harsh steps of a skincare routine.

And let me tell you-it’s genius. 

My Holy Trinity day-to-day routine is as follows:

Step 1:

Exfoliate Day. For the first day of this cycle, we’re prepping the skin for all of the steps to follow, so it’s super important. Once I started doing this, I noticed almost immediately that my pores had gotten much smaller. When exfoliating, it’s best to use a BHA/AHA exfoliant. After you wash your face, this is what you’ll apply, and then resume with the rest of your moisturizers. The BEST exfoliant I’ve found is the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. I swear by it, and it’s without a doubt the perfect first step to the skincare routine that saved my face.

Step 2:

Retinol Day. It’s NEVER too early to start using a retinol- especially for those of us  who have done some damage to our skin in the past (guilty!). Retinol increases your cell production and boosts your collagen production, which in turn helps fight against wrinkles, acne, and fine lines. Good news- my favorite retinol happens to be extremely affordable: The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane. Just like with the exfoliant, you follow up with your normal moisturizing and let it do its magic!

Step 3:

Recovery Days. After harsh exfoliants and retinols, your skin needs time to recover, just like anything else. The next 2 days are used as just that! This is the time to douse your skin in all the moisture and hydration it can get! I use a mix of hyaluronic acid, niacinamide (both which you can get from The Ordinary), serums and moisturizers. The perfect hydration combo for me consists of the Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, followed by the Drunk Elephant F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial Masque Hydrant.

It may seem tedious to put all of this work into our skin at a young age, but once you do, your skin will look better than you ever thought possible. Just like confidence radiates from the inside out, so does your skin! 

Give skin cycling a try and thank yourself 20 years from now!

XOXO,

Lily