Here is part 3 or Night 3 & 4 in a skin cycling routine. Skin Cycling is basically scheduling your nighttime skincare routine to include exfoliation, using a retinol product followed by a few days of repairing the skin. This infographic will give you some examples of products I like to use in my nightly skin cycling routine on retinol nights. Don’t forget to check out “Night 1/Exfoliation” & “Night 2/Retinol” in previous posts. {save + share} The 3rd & 4th nights in skin cycling is repairing. Why? Well because keeping the skin barrier healthy is vital for skin health. Think of the skin barrier as a shield and when that shield is damaged, you are less protected. When the skin is damaged, toxins such as free radicals, pollution & the uv rays can have a negative impact. Although acids & retinol help the skin, they can cause damage when overused. This is another reason for the scheduling your nightly skincare routines using a cycling method. This ensures you are not overusing products & you are protecting the skin. But first things first, I start every nightly routine with double cleansing. Then I highly recommend using a hydrating toner or essence or both. Honestly, this step helps all your other products just work better. Think of a sponge...can you use a dried up sponge to wipe up a water spill? Nope, it needs to be damp and spongey. This is like the skin so keeping it moist & spongey helps your products absorb better. Lastly you want to use products that are healing, repairing, nourishing & moisturizing. You don’t need to use everything here, this just gives examples of products that are excellent for keeping the skin barrier happy. Look for products that contain ceramides, fatty acids, cholesterol, glycerin/triglycerides, squalane, HA, emollients all help repair the skin barrier & help skin retain moisture. Thanks for following along with this 3 part series on #skincycling #esthetician #skincareroutine