Fall and Winter are snow seasons to some, but for beauty enthusiasts, these cooler months are skin resurfacing and renewal seasons. No longer worried about excess sun exposure or photosensitivity, time spent indoors is opportune for breaking out Retinoids and exfoliating acids. But for sensational skin amidst seasonal changes, it is essential to have an intelligent skincare strategy that will support your skin during the chilly Fall and Winter. Skin cycling is an excellent way to ensure your skin remains healthy and vibrant throughout the hibernation season. Retinoids are proven to address skin concerns from acne to eczema, yield increased results from other products, and enhance treatment outcomes. But, if you’ve been reticent to introduce them to your easily sensitized complexion, or your last go around with exfoliating acids left you red, flaky, or rashy, skin cycling could be a better path forward. Learn all about skin cycling and how Pevonia’s skin cycling alternatives help take the guesswork and irritation out of achieving beautiful skin.

What Is Skin Cycling?

Skin cycling is an approach to skincare that involves rotating Retinoids, Acids, and recovery skin care products over a set period, using them separately versus layering one over the other to avoid irritation. A skin cycling routine typically spans several days, as follows:

4-Day Skin Cycle Plan

Night 1: Exfoliate – Night 1 typically uses AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) or BHAs (Beta Hydroxy Acids) to remove dead skin cells, improve skin texture, and combat dull or uneven skin tone.

Night 2: Apply Retinoid – Night 2 usually involves a prescription Retinoid to encourage cell turnover, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and smooth sun damage.

Night 3 & 4: Recover – These nights focus on boosting the skin's moisture levels and soothing the skin with gentle moisturizing products to allow the skin to rest and recover. Repeat.

Note: Morning skincare steps should adhere to a gentle face cleanser, natural skin care serum, moisturizing cream, eye cream, and broad spectrum sun protection, refraining from exfoliating and resurfacing agents. The beauty of this approach is that you can customize your skin cycle to your unique skin concerns, making it a flexible option for most skin types. As you experiment with this new trend, listen to your skin. Pay attention to how your skin reacts and adjust the cycle as needed. If irritation occurs, consider extending the recovery phase.

Why Skin Cycling?

If you’ve ever used prescription Retinoids, you may know the irritation, flaking, thinning, redness, and hassle of waiting to apply tretinoin up to 30 minutes after washing and drying your face to prevent sensitivity. The recognized drawbacks and inconvenience associated with Retinoids and other aggressive skincare actives led skincare professionals to seek this more skin and time-friendly approach. The skin cycling method was designed to achieve maximum results from actives with minimal irritation. It allows the skin to get the most out of effective skin care ingredients without overwhelming it. What does skin cycling do? Cycling through active and inactive skincare products serves as a workaround to help the skin acclimate to Retinoids and Acids, promoting a balanced and healthy complexion. People can receive the benefits of potent active ingredients while reducing the chances of sensitivity and irritation that may occur from daily use.

Essentially, the time skin cycling provides for skin to rest and recover between exfoliation and treatment nights enables people to achieve smoother, more refined skin texture over time without side effects. Dermatologists recommend this method to prevent contact dermatitis experienced in up to 95% of patients treated with prescription retinoids. It also helps encourage better plan compliance, as typically, patients who develop these and other side effects stop treatment altogether, never getting to the smoother, clearer side of their skin. Is skin cycling necessary? While some can use Retinoids and Acids with ease, others cannot tolerate potent formulas, making skin cycling with Tretinoin and Acids an exceptionally appealing solution.

Skin Cycling Alternatives

Is skin cycling bad? No! However, long-term prescription Retinoid usage may lead to persistent redness and skin thinning. Although experts indicate that you will receive the most benefits for your skin from the second Retinoid night in your skin cycle, some people’s skin can’t adapt. To prevent this, Pevonia’s specially formulated Micro-Retinol® can be substituted for prescription Retinoids to deliver the skin-smoothing and clearing benefits of Retinol minus the side effects. Pevonia's Micro-Retinol® Line makes using Retinol doable and enjoyable, averting the pitfalls of Retinoids and eliminating the need for skin cycling. We utilize high-tech enzymatic conversion of Retinol with Carotene Dioxygenase from dark green leafy vegetables and stabilizing Vitamins C and E, providing specially formulated Retinol skincare products that work without side effects – ideal for people who have concerns about how to use Retinol safely. It delivers all the benefits of Retinol for skin and then some:

• Regenerates damaged skin
• Enhances moisture retention
• Promotes more even pigmentation
• Counteracts processes that accelerate aging
• Fosters better routine consistency

Skin Cycling How-To with Pevonia

Here’s how to embrace the skin cycling trend with Pevonia from start to finish:

Night 1: For skin cycling exfoliating night 1, Pevonia offers several products for face exfoliation. You can choose from our exfoliating cleanser formulas (Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, SpaTeen® Blemished Skin Cleanser, ProCorrective Cleanser, Chocolate Indulgence Foaming Salt Scrub), and Glycolic Acid or Enzyme face cream formulas (Resurfacing Glycocides Cream, Enzymo-Sphérides® Peeling Cream.)

Night 2: You will use Pevonia’s Retinol serum and Retinol cream instead of a prescription Retinoid.

Nights 3 & 4: This entails strictly skin cycling recovery night products. Our Hyaluronic Acid serum, followed by a natural Ceramide moisturizer, like the Power Repair® Marine Collagen Cream, Lumafirm® Repair Cream - Lift & Glow, or RS2 Care Cream, boosts skin’s moisture levels and promotes complexion recovery. Another excellent skin barrier repair cream is the Soothing Sensitive Skin Cream, rich in skin-repairing lipids and deeply moisturizing essential fatty acids.

Still, this method may seem too complicated for some, especially for people who prefer to have the same skincare routine every day. Fortunately, there is a simpler, gentler way to transform the skin. With our comprehensive retinol skincare routine – no regimen change-up is required. You can use the cleanser, toner, serum, and moisturizer daily and incorporate our other clean skincare products for face exfoliation one to three times weekly as needed for glowing, radiant skin. By thoughtfully rotating products, you can achieve a radiant and healthy complexion with patience and consistency!