Skin Cycling

Night 1: Exfoliation (Glycolic/Retinol Pads)

On the first night, you exfoliate. I opt for chemical exfoliating products over harsh physical scrubs. This type of exfoliation gives your skin an immediate glow but also preps you to get the most out of night two.

Night 2: Retinol (Retinaldehyde Serum with IconicA)

The next night, you use retinol. Retinoids are one of the most powerful ingredients to include in your skin-cycling routine. However, if you try to use them too frequently, or layer them with other potentially irritating ingredients, you end up with inflammation rather than results. Because of this, it's best to use retinol on its own as the only exfoliating or resurfacing ingredient in your routine.

Nights 3 and 4: Recovery

Nights three and four are all about letting your skin rest, which is important for protecting your moisture barrier. Hold off on the exfoliating acids and retinoids and give your skin a chance to recover. On recovery nights, you want to focus on nourishing your skin microbiome and repairing your skin barrier, so think hydration and moisture. Using ingredients like hyaluronic acid, and ceramides on your recovery nights are best.

After night four, you go back to the beginning of the cycle and repeat.