What is skin cycling?

You've maybe seen the latest trend in skincare seems to be skin cycling. So what exactly is skin cycling? If you already work alongside me here in Essence clinic in Cumbria you will already be doing skin cycling but it is not a term you will have heard me refer. Skin cycling in a nutshell is listening to how your skin feels on any given day, week, month and treating it accordingly. This means you may have different products you use if skin is feeling, dry or sensitive or if it has had a break out. I have been teaching my patients how to do this for 5 years. However the market seems to have jumped on this and given it the term 'skin cycling'.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to skincare. Thee old cleanse, tone and moisturise is well outdated. Soaps are pretty harsh on the skin, skins pH is slightly acidic and soaps are usually alkaline and therefore toners were needed to rebalance the skin after washing to stop the skin feeling dry or tight when the skin barrier had been disrupted. Due to the dry and tight feeling a moisturiser was needed to help repair the skin barrier. Now as skincare has advanced the cleansers and other topical products have improved the use of a toner is no longer needed unless the cleanser is too harsh for the skin, in which case it would be more beneficial to change your cleanser than add a toner.

So how does skin cycling work? Skin can change from day to the next, it can change with time of the month especially for women, with break outs not uncommon around the time of their period. The weather and seasons can have an impact on your skin often oilier in the summer and drier in the winter. Skin cycling is a process of alternating skincare products and routines to improve the overall health and appearance of the skin. By changing up the products and techniques used on the skin as needed,  it helps to prevent and treat skin concerns. Skin cycling can also help to address different skin concerns at different times, if skin is prone to break outs at the time of the month adding in salicylic acids around mid cycle can help to prevent those nasty spots. If you find you’re sensitive to retinoids using them every few days instead of daily can not only help build up skin tolerance  and targeting fine lines and wrinkles. This approach can benefit the skin by promoting cell turnover, improving skin texture and tone, and reducing the likelihood of irritation or sensitivity. Overall skin cycling is a great way to keep your skin healthy and glowing. 

Are there any downsides of skin cycling? To skin cycle you need to have some knowledge of what your skin is doing and the products or ingredients the skin needs to improve it. This is easy to learn especially when working with a practitioner such as myself here at Essence in Cumbria as together we learn how your skin behaves to certain ingredients and times of the month/year. We can formulate a skin care plan to address these concerns and by regularly reviewing can ensure you are still following the right plan. At times skin will change such as menopausal women skin becomes thinner and more sensitive and skincare products may need to be changed or your plan reviewed. 

Is skin cycling for you? Skin cycling is suitable for everyone. As it is learning to listen to your own body and change and adapt your skincare products and routines accordingly. This will not only help you address your skin concerns, it can help prevent the ageing processing and keep skin in tip top condition. 

Not sure where to start, consultations at Essence Cumbria near Maryport are available to book on the website. Head to book now to get to know your skin better.