Skincycling - Trying Out a New Beauty Trend

DEAR DREAMERS

To be frank, skin cycling is not entirely a new concept despite being a new trend. If you are a skincare junkie like I am, you might have unconsciously done skin cycling. Skin cycling refers to a four-night skincare routine wherein you exfoliate on the first night, use retinol on the second night and use recovery products on the third and fourth night. Personally, I like to mix around my serums and moisturizers, depending on my skin's condition. However, if you follow skin cycling, at least you'll have a guide on which products you should cycle on your skincare routine.

Isntree recently launched 3 new serums which you can use on the second night of your skin cycle.

3 New Serums for Skin Cycling
Isntree Hyper Retinol 1.0 EX Serum
Isntree Hyper Niacinamide 20% Serum
Isntree Hyper Vitamin C23 Serum

At first I used a different serum for each 4-night cycle. My trial routine first looked something like this:

Trial routine
Cycle 1:
Day 1: serum with 3% PHA
Day 2: Isntree Hyper Retinol 1.0 EX Serum
Day 3: soothing skincare
Day 4: soothing skincare

Cycle 2:
Day 5: skin barrier repair product
Day 6: Isntree Hyper Niacinamide 20% Serum
Day 7: soothing skincare
Day 8: soothing skincare

Cycle 3:
Day 9: skin barrier repair product
Day 10: Isntree Hyper Vitamin C23 Serum
Day 11: soothing skincare
Day 12: soothing skincare

The reason why I used a lower concentration of exfoliant for my exfoliating product is because Isntree warned to be care when using an exfoliant when it comes to using their serums. Their serums are quite potent with one serum having as much as 23% ascorbic acid. In the end my new routine looked like the one below, so as to limit my use of exfoliation. To be honest, I prefer not skipping exfoliation because I have oily, acne-prone skin plus my skin is quite resilient thus it's able to handle this kind of skin cycling. However, this might not work for your skin especially if you have sensitive skin. Remember to always patch test.

Final skin cycling:
Cycle 1:
Day 1 serum with 3% PHA
Day 2: Isntree Hyper Retinol 1.0 EX Serum
Day 3: soothing skincare
Day 4: soothing skincare

Cycle 2:
Day 5: skin barrier repair product
Day 6: Isntree Hyper Niacinamide 20% Serum
Day 7: soothing skincare
Day 8: soothing skincare

Cycle 3:
Day 9: toner with 2% exfoliant
Day 10: Isntree Hyper Retinol 1.0 EX Serum
Day 11: soothing skincare
Day 12: soothing skincare

Cycle 4:
Day 13: skin barrier repair product
Day 14: Isntee Hyper Vitamin C23 Serum
Day 15: soothing skincare
Day 16: soothing skincare

Basically, I alternated the gentle exfoliation, I only used it every other cycle and I always paired it with the retinol because I feel like that's the gentlest one for my skin. 

Isntree Hyper Retinol 1.0 EX Serum Review
Thick and viscous, the Isntree Hyper Retinol 1.0 EX Serum appears to be dark yellowish. It leaves my skin feeling slightly sticky while looking plump and dewy. I loved how it thickly envelops my skin, making my skin highly hydrated. It's also quick to settle on my skin.

Isntree Hyper Niacinamide 20% Serum Review

Light and liquidy, the Isntree Hyper Niacinamide 20% Serum was quick to be absorbed by my skin. This serum was transparent in appearance. It was able to leave my skin looking slightly dewy and hydrated.

Isntree Hyper Vitamin C23 Serum Review

Transparent but slightly yellowish, Isntree Hyper Vitamin C23 Serum was also liquidy but it was the most flowy serum among the three serums. It was also quick to be absorbed by my skin and it didn’t leave a dewy finish on my skin.

Before and After Skin Cycling

Before I started skincycling, I had some small pimples, big pores, and my skin looked a bit dull due to lack of sleep. After completing 3 cycles (a total of 12 days), my small pimples were gone, my pores looked less visible (because they were cleaner), and my skin looked bright.

Where to Get Isntree Serums?

You can get the new Isntree serums on StyleKorean or at YesStyle (use my reward code KBEAUTYLOVER to get a discount).