Beauty
Your day-by-day breakdown.
If youre an avid scroller on BeautyTok, youve definitely heard aboutskin cycling.
But if youve gotbreakout-prone skin, you may be wondering how to tweak the skin cycling method for acne.
According to board-certified dermatologistDr.
Cycling products is an effective way of getting the benefits of different ingredients while minimizing irritation.
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Benzoyl peroxide is probably the most effective ingredient we have to treat red, angry pimples, says Zeichner.
It works bylowering the levels of acne-causing bacteria and reducing skin inflammation.
Heres the catch, though:Benzoyl peroxideandretinolare both strong actives that arent compatible, Zeichner explains.
Hang in, though: Theres a way to work in all the good stuff, promise.
Marisa Garshick, M.D.suggests eliminating one of the recovery nights.
Now, for the three-day breakdown.
Day & Night One:
In the morning, reach for benzoyl peroxide.
At night, slather on an exfoliating alpha or beta hydroxy acid.
Exfoliating helps to eliminate the buildup of dead skin cells, Garshick notes.
Acne-causing dirt, oil, and bacteria can get trapped by the congestion of dead skin, BTW.
For the job, look for products withglycolicorlactic acid, which will work to improvepost-inflammatory hyperpigmentationcaused by blemishes.
Garshick also recommends the BHAsalicylic acid, which helps to unclog pores and control oil production.
As for which retinol formula to choose?
Once your skin is well-adjusted, you might up the ante with stronger formulas.
Instead, introduce calming, moisture-packed products that nourish andfortify the skin barrier.
This is extremely important for your skin to reset, Garshick says.
Over-exfoliatingand using powerful actives every night can be very irritating for the skin.
Thats because treating especially troublesome acne requires more consistency and fewer breaks, she notes.
Still, for tougher cases, a visit to your dermatologist is never a bad idea.
Studies referenced:
Del Rosso, J. StatPearls.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537220/
Rodan, K. (2016).
