Skin cycling, have you heard about it? We’ve been seeing it pop up on social media now for some time, so thought we would take a little look into it, and see what the hype is all about. We are always a bit cautious of trends that pop up on TikTok etc, so we like to do our homework first and see what we think. And skin cycling, which really blew up a year or so ago, has gone from being a TikTok trend into a dermatologist approved strategy.

So, firstly, skin cycling was first popularised on social media by Dr Whitney Bowe, a board certified dermatologist in the U.S. and while this isn’t a new concept, as dematolgists have recommended skin cycling for a long time, Dr Whitney Bowe created the phrase and simplified the method, in a very social media kinda way.

The reason it worked so well is because it was easy to follow, it resonated with many people, and the benefits of preventing over exfoliation and barrier damage sounded appealing, as this is actually very common with too much skincare. It also brought pretty quick visible results, especially in smoother texture and reduced inflammation.

So, you may be wondering what it is? It’s a skincare routine method where you rotate active ingredients over a few nights to give your skin the benefits, but without overloading or irritating it.

Instead of using exfoliants, retinoids, and hydrators all at once (which many of us do), you cycle them strategically over several nights. It’s almost like a rhythm for your skin barrier, where you work it and then let it recover.

A classic 4 night skin cycle:

• Night 1: Exfoliation. Usually with a chemical exfoliant like AHA/BHA (glycolic, lactic, or salicylic acid). This removes dead skin cells and preps the skin.
• Night 2: Retionoid Night. Retinol or prescription strength retinoids are used to enhance cell turnover, collagen, and improve skin texture, acne, and fine lines.
• Night 3 - Recovery night. Focus is on barrier repair with hydrating serums, ceramides, peptides, no harsh actives.
• Night 4: Recovery night (again). Same as above. Moisture and nourishment only. Then repeat the cycle.

What is skin cycling good for?

There are many benefits to skin cycling, and good reasons to give it a go. From our research, these tend to be the benefits people speak mostly about:

• Good for sensitive or reactive skin that gets easily overwhelmed by actives.
• Great for people new to retinoids or exfoliants who want to ease in.
• Helps with barrier repair, because it naturally builds in rest and recovery.
• Clearer, glowier skin without irritation or flakiness.
• Encouraging consistency, which really is the key to seeing results in skincare.

So, why are we talking about Skin Cycling?

When we first saw this, we found it very interesting. We love the idea of paring back your skincare routine, especially when some people are doing five or more steps every single night! What happened to the days of just a good moisturiser? Yes, skincare has come a long way and active ingredients are great, but the idea of alternating and rotating felt so much more sustainable.

Plus, a lot of the skin cycling trend uses strong products, some even pharmaceutical grade. And while everyone has their own approach (and we’re not here to judge), we couldn’t help but think there must be gentler, more natural options that give the same results. So we went through our brands and created our very own ‘Therapy Approved Skin Cycling Routine’, using the products we know and love. These have the same actives and give the exact same results, but much softer, gentler and cleaner ingredients.

We have many natural alternatives to some of the trending products, as many of our brands are investing a lot of time in finding the most natural forms of retinol, AHA’s, BHA’s etc. so we are spoilt for choice.

Night 1 - Exfoliation:

So, the traditional skin cycling uses chemical exfoliants like AHA’s or BHA’s.

AHA’s (Alpha hydroxy acids), also known as fruit acids, have been used in skincare for about 40 years. They are water soluble acids that work on the surface of the skin. They gently dissolve the bonds holding dead skin cells together so they can be sloughed away, to give fresher, brighter skin underneath.

Common AHA’s are:

• Glycolic acid: the strongest AHA (small molecule, penetrates well)
• Lactic acid: more gentle and hydrating
• Mandelic acid: good for sensitive or acne prone skin
• Citric acid: usually used to adjust pH, not as an active exfoliant.

AHAs are great for dull, rough skin, pigmentation, and fine lines, but can cause irritation if overused or combined with other actives like retinol.

BHA’s like salicylic acid, on the other hand, are oil soluble, meaning they can get deeper into the pores and break down excess sebum and debris. This makes them brilliant for oily or acne prone skin, and also help with redness and inflammation.

We have some great products that either contain AHA’s and BHA’s, or at least work similar. So, for the first exfoliation step, here is what we recommend:

Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening AHA Micropeel:

This isn’t an exfoliator in the sense of a scrub, but it acts exactly like one. It uses mandelic acid (an AHA) to loosen and eliminate dead skin cells on the surface, helping to smooth and brighten without irritation.

We love this one, as it also contains organic grape water to moisturise and soothe, along with other fruit acids that stimulate cell renewal. It’s a really gentle option that exfoliates really well, but doesn’t dry the skin out or irritate, just brightens.

Clinical tests showed 81% of people saw a ‘new skin’ effect in just 30 seconds! Plus, it’s super quick too, you just need to massage over the face, and leave for 30 seconds before rinsing off.

Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator

This is one of our most popular exfoliators, as it’s cost effective and really works. It uses plant microbeads to buff away dead skin, while also including polylactic acid to gently dissolve the bonds between dead skin cells, so they become smoother and more refined in texture. It also contains citric acid, another AHA, primarily to adjust the pH, keeping the skin lovely and balanced.

The addition of grape water adds hydration and stops the skin from drying out, which is a common complaint after exfoliating. It’s great for all skin types, including sensitive skin as it’s only a mild chemical exfoliation. However, it is especially useful for combination to oily skin, as it really works to unclog the pores and remove excess oils and dirt.

Night 2 - Retinoids

Many of you will be familiar with retinoids, as they have been used for years to support skin health. They’re derived from vitamin A, and they’re best known for speeding up cell turnover, helping with everything from acne to wrinkles. There are various forms from gentle over the counter options to stronger prescription strength formulas, but they often come with side effects like dryness, flakiness, or sensitivity, especially if introduced too quickly or used alongside other actives.

Retinoids work at a cellular level. They help to:

• Unclog pores and prevent breakouts
• Reduce fine lines and smooth skin texture
• Fade pigmentation, post acne marks, and sun damage
• Stimulate collagen production, which firms the skin and improves elasticity

This is why retinoids land on Night 2 in the skin cycling routine. After exfoliating on Night 1, dead skin cells are cleared away, allowing your retinoid to penetrate more effectively. Then, with recovery nights following, you reduce the chance of irritation, redness, or peeling.

Prescribed and over the counter reintoids can be really harsh on the skin. So, we have a few alternatives here to give the same effects, but kinder on the skin.

Antipodes Eve Bio-Retinol Line Reduction Serum

Antipodes have created something really special here. It blends cacay oil, which is a natural source of vitamin A with incredible anti-ageing properties (and none of the harshness of prescription retinol), with bakuchiol, a plantbased retinoid alternative that smooths fine lines and improves texture. It also has prickly pear oil to support elasticity and plumpness, and Kakadu plum, which is a potent antioxidant that helps with pigmentation, uneven tone, and overall radiance.

And although this is quite a new product, it’s already backed by some impressive science. Clinical studies have shown a 55% increase in collagen production, and after just four weeks, 97% of people said their skin was significantly smoother. The customer feedback has been fantastic too, and we love how cost effective this is for a natural retinol alternative.

The reviews say it all, with people saying their skin has never felt so hydrated, smooth, glowing and everything else you could wish for in your skin!

Oskia Super 16

This is one of Oskia’s most loved serums, a real premium, luxury treat that’s been hailed as nature’s equivalent to retinol for as long as we can remember. One of the key ingredients is bakuchiol, which has been used in India and China for centuries for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-ageing properties.

Bakuchiol mimics the benefits of retinol, like stimulating collagen, improving tone, and smoothing texture, but again without the irritation. This serum also includes retinyl palmitate, a gentle, stabilised form of vitamin A for even better results. And the name Super 16 comes from its 16 skin loving actives such as hyaluronic acid, vitamins C & E, marine stem cells, MSM, essential fatty acids, prickly pear extract and more.

It’s the perfect Night 2 retinol step, as it’s effective yet hydrating, and ideal for tackling blemishes, pigmentation, fine lines and supporting skin recovery.

Night 3 & 4 - Recovery

These nights are when you skip the actives (no acids, no retinoids) and focus solely on nourishing the skin barrier and restoring moisture, soothing inflammation, and supporting healing.

Some people prefer to simply moisturise on these nights, while others love to treat the skin to a hydrating mask. So we’ve given you two options of each so you can pick what feels best.

Oskia Renaissance Brightening Mask

This one is a Therapy favourite. The texture, the smell, the glow it gives, just everything about it feels luxurious. It’s not your usual thick clay or sheet mask, it’s more of a buttery balm that turns into a white milk as you massage it in.

It uses fruit enzymes (like papaya, pineapple, and grapefruit derived AHAs) to very gently exfoliate and brighten. It’s also packed with collagen enhancing and hydrating nutrients like MSM, Swiss Garden Cress Liposomes, Prebiotics, Ribose & Butterbur and vitamins to support healing. It really does give your skin that ‘reset’ feel, like you’ve just had a mini facial at home.

Dr Hauschka Hydrating Cream Mask

If your skin is feeling dry, tight, or slightly overwhelmed from previous actives or products, this is the hydration it may be craving. It’s rich and creamy but never heavy, using avocado oil, almond oil, rose wax, and quince seed to lock in moisture and deeply soothe. This one’s a proper barrier restoring treatment, the kind of mask that leaves your skin soft, bouncy, and calm.

What we love most is how it helps the skin activate its own ability to retain moisture. It doesn’t just hydrate in the moment, it strengthens the skin’s barrier long term. It’s the perfect product to follow a few active nights with, and can even be left on overnight for extra nourishment.

Antipodes Culture Probiotic Night Recovery Water Cream

This is our pick for a featherlight but deeply nourishing night cream. It’s formulated with a clever skin balancing probiotic kalibiome AGE Probiotic, that helps repair the skin barrier, calm irritation, increase skin elasticity and reduce redness (which is super important when you’ve been using actives earlier in the week).

It also has hyalrunoic acid, which is natures best hydrator for the skin, and mamaku black fern for boosting skin cell regeneration, whilst giving antioxidant support. It’s water cream texture sinks in beautifully with no greasy residue, just glowy, fresh looking skin by morning. We especially love this for anyone with sensitivity or redness.

Dr Haushka Apricot Day Cream

Ask any of the girls in the shop, and they’ll tell you this is one of our most loved creams. The moment you test it on the back of your hand, you’re sold. It’s so soft, so hydrating, and has the most gorgeous texture.

Although it’s labelled as a day cream, you can absolutely use it as a night moisturiser, especially on Night 4 to seal everything in. It’s loaded with apricot kernel oil, avocado and fermented grains to soften and nourish without feeling heavy. It gives a natural glow and keeps the skin barrier hydrated and calm. Perfect as a follow up to a mask, or simply on its own.

So, there you have it, our very own Therapy Approved Skin Cycling Routine. We get it if you’re a little sceptical, especially since it started out as a TikTok trend, as we were too. But when you understand it, you realise this is such a sustainable and healthy way to treat skincare routines.

With so many products out there and pressure to add this, that, and everything in between, it’s refreshing to pare it all back, as less really can be more. By working with your skin and not overloading it, you’re protecting and preserving it longterm.

Some people believe syncing with the skin’s natural rhythm is more powerful than any fancy routine, and we agree. The skin knows how to renew, heal and hydrate itself, we just need to support that process, not take over.

And of course, what you feed your skin from the inside counts too. Here are our top 3 supplements for hydration, glow, and all round gorgeous skin:

• YourGut Glow: A beautiful formula with probiotics, hyaluronic acid, pink bark extract, MSM, haskap berry, and butterfly pea powder. It targets everything from inflammation to irritation, supports the gut-skin axis, and is packed with antioxidants to protect your skin from within.

• Omega 3: Essential for healthy, flexible skin cells, omega 3 keeps cell membranes fluid, allowing nutrients in and waste out. It also supports hormone balance (which plays a huge role in skin), hydration, and inflammation regulation across the body.

• Collagen: Whether you prefer marine collagen, bovine, or blended formulas with cacao or vitamin C, collagen is brilliant for supporting skin elasticity, hydration and healing. We love Planet Paleo for their skin specific blends (with vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E), or, keep it simple with Bare Biolgy marine collagen, or Ancient + Brave True Collagen.