The Best Skin Cycling Bundle

As we embrace a cultural shift from makeup into skincare, it’s important not to overload your skin with too many products trying to get obtain your skin goals. Skin cycling is a new trend popularized on TikTok, developed by Whitney Bowe, MD, a board-certified dermatologist. Most dermatologists, including our co-founder Dr. Sharyn Laughlin, will have recommended a variation of this type of skincare routine to their patients. It’s common for most dermatologists to recommend those who are beginning to use retinol-like products to alternate nights with their other active skincare products.  This four-day regimen alternates between applying an exfoliant, using a retinol-like product, and then letting your skin rest for two days to truly enjoy its benefits.  The modern, fresh aspect to Skin Cycling is that it prioritizes skin recovery and skin barrier maintenance and intentionally dedicates two nights to hydration and barrier repair. 

Skin cycling is about alternating between active ingredients and taking nights off because adopting a new skincare routine can be challenging for the skin. People, especially beginners starting a skincare routine, get excited about the promise of clear skin and can instead overload it.  This can create issues like breakouts and irritation, damaging your skin barrier, if the wrong products are mixed. Here at The Sunscreen Company™, we’ve curated the best skin cycling bundle to get you started.

What Is Skin Cycling?

This four-night schedule breaks down an easy-to-follow regimen that prioritizes hydrating skin and letting it rest. Our # 1 frequently asked question is about how to layer skincare products to be compatible and get the most out of them.  We know it can be complicated and overwhelming.  To make this process easier, we created our Skin Cycling Bundle as one of our customizable  Regimen Packages to have all the products you need to do this skin saving, hydrating routine.

Night 1

We have modified the Skin Cycling method as proposed by Dr. Witney Bowe based on our specific products and our experience as a clinical skincare brand.  Traditionally, Night 1 as proposed by Dr. Bowe would include an exfoliant in order to prime the skin by removing the stratum corneum or dead layer of skin.  However, we feel that our retinol alternative actives are small enough in molecular size that we were not overly concerned about product penetration into the skin.  We have then switched Night 1 and Night 2.  We propose that Night 1 on a skin cycling regimen should focus on using a retinol alternative.  Our Skin Cycling Bundle offers between the choice of two different types: Natrèceutiqe Bakuchiol Building Blocks or Cyberderm Retin+Erase.   Pick which one truly suits your needs, whether you’re interested in naturally derived ‘cleanical’ skincare from our Natrèceutique line or want to try medical grade skincare from our clinical Cyberderm line.

Natrèceutiqe Bakuchiol Building Blocks is made with Bakuchiol: a plant-derived version ofa  Vitamin A derivative that targets similar receptors in the skin as retinol/retinoids.  It does not have the same level of potency but can be used more frequently as it is also known for being much less irritating.  This will remove the dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, stimulate collagen and elastin fibers and promote a healthy turnover.  Cyberderm Retin+Erase is a new generation of retinoic ester products, sometimes known as Granactive Retinoid or Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate.  This is a powerful formula that removes dead skin cells and is an excellent alternative to traditional retinol.  We share a full explanation about the benefits of using Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate in this blog here.  

Most retinoid products can be very irritating when overused, but Natrèceutiqe Bakuchiol Building Blocks and Cyberderm Retin+Erase are formulated to be as gentle as they can on your skin. If you’re dealing with acne, retinoid products can bring relief by rejuvenating your skin. Bakuchiol Building Blocks and Retin+Erase are both Vitamin A derivatives that are potent anti-agers, meant to transform your skin by increasing skin cell turnover and stimulating collagen.

To apply your skincare on Night 1: start with a serum like our Natrèceutique Soothing Intensive Serum.  You can then apply a lotion-based moisturizer as an additional hydration step like our Natrèceutique Calm in the Evening.   You would let these products fully absorb before then applying your retinol-alternative step.  You only need to use a pea-sized amount of either the Cyberderm Retin+Erase or the Natrèceutique Bakuchiol Building Blocks.  More is not better and too much product can lead to irritation. 

Night 2

The second night in our skin cycling bundle involves the same initial layer of hydrating products with a serum and moisturizer.  Once these products are fully absorbed- you will then apply an exfoliant instead of your retinol corrective product.  Our Skin Cycling regimen involves using an exfoliant on Night 2 instead of Night 1 as we find it can be helpful to remove lingering dead skin cells that your Vitamin A derivative triggered.  We find that within a day or two of using any one of our Vitamin A derivatives, your skin may feel dry or rough but really it’s a layer of dead skin that is ready for exfoliation. Enter our Cyberderm Exfoliant Reveal with 8% glycolic acid and the amino acid arginine.  

Cyberderm Exfoliant Reveal penetrates your skin and targets the dead skin cells ready to be shed, revealing brighter skin below. This gentle exfoliant is the last step in your PM skin cycling routine to get a beautiful complexion and let your moisturizer and serum work more effectively the next day. It uses a high concentration of the alpha hydroxy acid, Glycolic acid, at an effective pH of 3.5 (in keeping with Health Canada regulations). It also uses the amino acid arginine to slow the entry of the glycolic acid molecule into the skin. This prevents the stinging sensation that most report feeling when they use AHA’s.  

Nights 3 and 4

It’s time for rest! The recovery period on Nights 3 and 4 are for repair. You can focus on hydrating skin care products on these nights without using exfoliating products. This is to focus on repairing your skin barrier, and the perfect way to do that is to cleanse your skin before applying the serum and moisturizer from the skin cycling bundle.

This four-night routine is an excellent start to smooth, hydrated skin. The best part is that as you build up this skin cycling routine, you can repeat and modify it over time. When it comes to your routine, consistency is essential. Using the skin cycling bundle is more effective when you use the products included regularly, so make sure you get into the habit of moisturizing, hydrating, and using your Vitamin A derivative and Alpha Hydroxy Acid.

How Do These Products Repair My Skin?

The skin barrier is essential, and having a healthy one protects you from many things, like infection and allergens. Correction-based skincare flourishes when using products that don’t irritate or dry out your skin.

Date extract and propanediol in our Natrèceutique Soothing Intensive Serum repair the skin barrier and offer antioxidant protection to reduce the appearance of redness in the skin. Propanediol is a well-tolerated ingredient that helps increase the absorption of our moisturizer into your skin. Soothing Intensive Serum excels at hydrating skin barriers and leaving a smooth, dewy finish.

Natrèceutique Calm in the Evening pairs with the Soothing Intensive Serum to maintain healthy skin. These two products are a fundamental step in any skincare routine. The best way to fight against aging skin is to use a rich hydrating skin moisturizer paired with a serum. Cyberderm Exfoliant Reveal brings it all together with glycolic acid to unglue the dead skin cells that are ready to be shed off your skin barrier while gentle enough not to cause irritation or redness.

Using exfoliants and retinol once in a while won’t deliver the results you crave, but overusing them can lead to skin irritation and redness. One of the many benefits of skin cycling is that you can customize your routine and find the natural balance between repair and correction. If you have acne-prone skin, you can try out a three-night cycle and drop a recovery night to see if the quicker routine gives them better results. Anyone with extra-sensitive skin can build in an extra recovery night if they have more irritation than they’d like. Make your skin luminous with our gentle Skin Cycling Bundle!