Your skin is a resilient organ, constantly adapting and renewing itself to withstand various stressors through a dynamic process is known as homeostasis. When your skin is in perfect harmony, it can efficiently respond to and recover from different types of stressors, leading to fewer issues. It stays clear, smooth, and wonderfully hydrated. It looks as good as it feels.
However, if your skin’s balance is disrupted, often due to a compromised protective barrier, it becomes less equipped to handle life’s challenges, whether they’re internal (like stress or hormonal changes) or external (such as UV radiation or pollution). This imbalance can result in skin inflammation and oxidative stress, leading to visible problems like dryness, uneven texture, lack of radiance, uneven tone, and excess oiliness.
Your skin’s health is a reflection of its unique needs, so it’s crucial to understand how it behaves. There are many factors and influences and these 5 main behaviours should be closely observed before finding the right products for your routine.
- Dry skin
- Oily skin
- Uneven skin texture
- Uneven skin tone
- Lack of radiance
What constitutes healthy skin?
Healthy skin is your skin at its best, it’s able to maintain its natural balance and should demonstrate these innate qualities:
- Hydration: It’s adequately moisturised
- Balanced oil levels: Neither excessively oily nor excessively dry
- Smooth texture: Should feel supple and smooth to the touch
- Radiant appearance: Exhibits a natural glow
- Even tone: Free from redness or blotchiness
- Stability: Rarely experiences severe fluctuations or issues
Triggers of Skin Fluctuation
Numerous factors can throw your skin off balance, these can be environmental or personal – or both. Key factors include:
- Cold weather: Contributes to dry/ tight skin
- Lack of sleep: Impacts skin negatively
- Harsh cleansers: Can strip and harm the skin barrier
- Stress: can lead to blemishes
- City commuting: Pollution can clog pores
A regular and consistent routine will help keep your skin balanced and at its best. Retinol and retinoids have become increasingly popular over the last few years due to their fantastic skin benefits, transforming texture and appearance, but they can also be harsh on the skin barrier. This is where a new beauty trend known as ‘skin cycling’ comes in. This cutting-edge routine is helping skin recover faster.
What is Skin Cycling and what are the benefits?
The ground-breaking skincare technique known as skin cycling incorporates ‘rest days’ which allows the skin to recover from product use, effectively reducing irritation and inflammation.
This routine typically involves a four-night cycle: exfoliation, retinoid application, followed by two recovery nights, which are repeated. Dermatologists and beauty experts may suggest variations tailored to individual skin types and responses.
If you’re curious and would like to try the process for yourself, we have created an ideal four-night skin cycle for you.
Night 1: Exfoliation
- Start with the Biodegradable Cleansing Wipes to gently remove make-up, dirt, and impurities.
- Follow with either Cleansing micellar cleansing water or Cleansing foaming cleanser normal to thoroughly cleanse your skin and prepare it for exfoliation.
- Apply No7 Laboratories RESURFACING PEEL 15% Glycolic Acid for 5 minutes, then wash off.
- Follow with Toning Water Normal to balance your skin’s pH and tighten pores.
- Finish with your choice of moisturiser.
