Skin cycling with retinoids, how does it work?

Skin cycling means the retinoid does not go on every night. The earliest sign of the method is its schedule, so that is the place to start.

The four nights

HuffPost quotes a licensed aesthetician on the order: "The routine is based on a four-night schedule: exfoliation (acids) night, retinoid night, recovery night, and another recovery night". Read in sequence, the retinoid appears once in the four nights, after an acid night and ahead of two recovery nights.

Where the idea comes from

HuffPost credits the trend to a dermatologist, who suggests "using a four-day cycle, changing the skincare products you use each night". The wording shifts between day and night, and the count is four either way.

Skin care beyond the four nights

On the wider skin care picture, Cleveland Clinic's newsroom offers Dermatologist-Approved Tips for Healthier Skin, and the AAD has skin care secrets. Houston Methodist walks through a skin care routine for your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond.

Keeping the cycle straight

Write down which night is which so the cycle does not drift. Readers in St. Johns, Florida, who want to change the schedule can talk it through with a provider first.