Night 1: Chemical Exfoliation
The first night of any skin cycling routine focuses on exfoliation with the likes of alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), beta hydroxy acids (BHA), and poly hydroxy acids (PHA). These chemical exfoliants help remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, leaving it smoother, softer, and brighter.
Exfoliating acids are often overused, leading to dryness and irritation. By intentionally allocating them to specific nights of the week, your skin will stay happy and healthy while glowing brighter than ever. Exfoliation also enhances the absorption of subsequent skincare products in the following steps (and nights) of your skin cycling routine.
For Night 1, I exfoliate with the Haruharu wonder Black Rice Triple AHA Gentle Cleansing Gel. This fragrance-free formula gently washes my acne-prone skin while sloughing away dead skin cells and debris with a Triple AHA Complex of citric acid, mandelic acid, and tartaric acid. This trio provides mild, non-stripping exfoliation that makes my skin feel super fresh and velvety smooth after I rinse the cleanser away. Then, I apply the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence followed by the Centella 5% Niacinamide Radiance Gel Cream.
Alternately, you can use an exfoliating serum, like the Haruharu wonder Centella 3% PHA Gentle Liquid Exfoliating Serum, for the first night of your skin cycling routine.
Night 2: Retinol
Although it’s known for effectively combating wrinkles by increasing cell turnover and collagen production, retinol is also notoriously irritating. Skincare experts often advise using retinoids sparingly— only one to two times per week.
Integrating retinol into a skin cycling routine ensures a more comfortable and sustainable pathway to achieving the desired benefits of retinol without compromising skin health or comfort. This skincare method allows even those with sensitive skin to benefit from the popular ingredient’s collagen-boosting benefits. All the while, you get to minimize potential retinol side effects, like flakiness, dryness, and redness, by giving your skin several recovery nights. These rest periods provide the skin with crucial time to repair and rebuild its natural barrier function, promoting better tolerance and allowing for the gradual acclimation to the potent effects of retinol.
My favorite retinol product for Night 2 is Haruharu wonder’s Black Rice Night Knight Retinol Serum. I apply it after washing my face with the Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel and applying the Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner. This ultra-milky formula is packed with both pure retinol (at 0.08%) and bakuchiol (1%), a gentle, plant-based ingredient that firms and smoothes skin like retinoids. Together, they make my skin clearer and bouncier.
This K-beauty retinol serum also features ceramides to soothe and moisturize skin to further reduce irritation and skin barrier damage. Best of all, clinical studies found the Black Rice Night Knight Retinol Serum provides a 2.109% improvement in wrinkles and an 8.955% improvement in skin elasticity after two weeks of use. It’s also proven to reduce the appearance of pores after one use.
Nights 3 & 4: Recovery
After two straight nights of harsh actives on your skin, it’s time to let your skin rest and recover for Nights 3 and 4. This part of the skin cycle focuses on hydrating and moisturizing with soothing, moisture-locking ingredients such as ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E.
I take these skin cycling nights seriously, adding powerhouse humectants to every step of my skincare routine to truly give my skin everything it needs to stay strong, clear, plump, and hydrated.
After cleansing, I pat on Haruharu’s Black Rice Toner, which immediately boosts hydration with the help of hyaluronic acid. It’s also infused with fermented black rice extract for extra nourishment.
Then, I reach for the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence. Just as its name suggests, it’s also packed with fermented black rice extract. But that’s not all—probiotics help rebalance your skin’s microbiome (aka the healthy bacteria that live on it) with good bacteria, which minimizes inflammation, breakouts, and dehydration in the process. It also contains panthenol for intense soothing benefits. Layering this ultra-milky product after the hyaluronic toner really locks in all the moisture for the most velvety soft skin.
Clinical trials found that the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence effectively helps improve skin barrier function by 21% and elevates moisture levels by 33.695% after two weeks of consistent use.
Lastly, I seal all the skin barrier-balancing goodness in with the Haruharu wonder Black Rice 5 Ceramide Barrier Moisturizing Cream. I love how this decadently rich formula provides immediate, all-day hydration and effectively strengthens my skin barrier. Five different types of ceramides deliver intense, moisture-locking benefits that reinforce the skin barrier via tiny capsules that burst as you rub the buttery cream into your skin, while allantoin and vitamin E get to work soothing and healing skin as soon as it absorbs. Above all, it never leaves my skin feeling greasy or sticky — just soft, dewy, and hydrated.
Clinical studies even found that the Black Rice 5 Ceramide Barrier Moisturizing Cream improves skin barrier function by 24% and boosts moisture by 37% after two weeks of use (morning and night).
Ready to build a better nighttime skincare routine? Skin cycling the Haruharu wonder way is definitely the way to go. Your skin, after all, is your body’s largest organ. Do you feed yourself the same thing every single day to function? Probably not. Your skin doesn’t want the same active ingredients every day either.
Should I be Skin Cycling?
How have you been prioritizing your skin barrier lately? I’ve been skin cycling. You may have heard this skincare buzzword on TikTok or from your bestie, and I’m here to say it’s worth the hype. Still unsure what skin cycling is, though? Allow me to explain.
Skin cycling is a strategic, skin barrier-first approach to your nighttime skincare routine. Each night of the four-day cycle prioritizes one type of ingredient at a time to help keep your skin barrier healthy and balanced. Considering your skin barrier is what locks in moisture and protects your skin from infections, putting it first is essential for keeping your complexion glassy, glowing, and gorgeous.
With skin cycling, you also avoid irritation due to overuse of strong actives, such as retinol and exfoliating acids — all while maximizing their benefits. It’s all about being very mindful, very demure with your nighttime skincare routine by putting your skin’s long-term health first.
Ahead, I’ll dive into each night of my skin cycling routine and the best skin cycling products to try from Haruharu wonder.
Night 1: Chemical Exfoliation
The first night of any skin cycling routine focuses on exfoliation with the likes of alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), beta hydroxy acids (BHA), and poly hydroxy acids (PHA). These chemical exfoliants help remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, leaving it smoother, softer, and brighter.
Exfoliating acids are often overused, leading to dryness and irritation. By intentionally allocating them to specific nights of the week, your skin will stay happy and healthy while glowing brighter than ever. Exfoliation also enhances the absorption of subsequent skincare products in the following steps (and nights) of your skin cycling routine.
For Night 1, I exfoliate with the Haruharu wonder Black Rice Triple AHA Gentle Cleansing Gel. This fragrance-free formula gently washes my acne-prone skin while sloughing away dead skin cells and debris with a Triple AHA Complex of citric acid, mandelic acid, and tartaric acid. This trio provides mild, non-stripping exfoliation that makes my skin feel super fresh and velvety smooth after I rinse the cleanser away. Then, I apply the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence followed by the Centella 5% Niacinamide Radiance Gel Cream.
Alternately, you can use an exfoliating serum, like the Haruharu wonder Centella 3% PHA Gentle Liquid Exfoliating Serum, for the first night of your skin cycling routine.
Night 2: Retinol
Although it’s known for effectively combating wrinkles by increasing cell turnover and collagen production, retinol is also notoriously irritating. Skincare experts often advise using retinoids sparingly— only one to two times per week.
Integrating retinol into a skin cycling routine ensures a more comfortable and sustainable pathway to achieving the desired benefits of retinol without compromising skin health or comfort. This skincare method allows even those with sensitive skin to benefit from the popular ingredient’s collagen-boosting benefits. All the while, you get to minimize potential retinol side effects, like flakiness, dryness, and redness, by giving your skin several recovery nights. These rest periods provide the skin with crucial time to repair and rebuild its natural barrier function, promoting better tolerance and allowing for the gradual acclimation to the potent effects of retinol.
My favorite retinol product for Night 2 is Haruharu wonder’s Black Rice Night Knight Retinol Serum. I apply it after washing my face with the Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel and applying the Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner. This ultra-milky formula is packed with both pure retinol (at 0.08%) and bakuchiol (1%), a gentle, plant-based ingredient that firms and smoothes skin like retinoids. Together, they make my skin clearer and bouncier.
This K-beauty retinol serum also features ceramides to soothe and moisturize skin to further reduce irritation and skin barrier damage. Best of all, clinical studies found the Black Rice Night Knight Retinol Serum provides a 2.109% improvement in wrinkles and an 8.955% improvement in skin elasticity after two weeks of use. It’s also proven to reduce the appearance of pores after one use.
Nights 3 & 4: Recovery
After two straight nights of harsh actives on your skin, it’s time to let your skin rest and recover for Nights 3 and 4. This part of the skin cycle focuses on hydrating and moisturizing with soothing, moisture-locking ingredients such as ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E.
I take these skin cycling nights seriously, adding powerhouse humectants to every step of my skincare routine to truly give my skin everything it needs to stay strong, clear, plump, and hydrated.
After cleansing, I pat on Haruharu’s Black Rice Toner, which immediately boosts hydration with the help of hyaluronic acid. It’s also infused with fermented black rice extract for extra nourishment.
Then, I reach for the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence. Just as its name suggests, it’s also packed with fermented black rice extract. But that’s not all—probiotics help rebalance your skin’s microbiome (aka the healthy bacteria that live on it) with good bacteria, which minimizes inflammation, breakouts, and dehydration in the process. It also contains panthenol for intense soothing benefits. Layering this ultra-milky product after the hyaluronic toner really locks in all the moisture for the most velvety soft skin.
Clinical trials found that the Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence effectively helps improve skin barrier function by 21% and elevates moisture levels by 33.695% after two weeks of consistent use.
Lastly, I seal all the skin barrier-balancing goodness in with the Haruharu wonder Black Rice 5 Ceramide Barrier Moisturizing Cream. I love how this decadently rich formula provides immediate, all-day hydration and effectively strengthens my skin barrier. Five different types of ceramides deliver intense, moisture-locking benefits that reinforce the skin barrier via tiny capsules that burst as you rub the buttery cream into your skin, while allantoin and vitamin E get to work soothing and healing skin as soon as it absorbs. Above all, it never leaves my skin feeling greasy or sticky — just soft, dewy, and hydrated.
Clinical studies even found that the Black Rice 5 Ceramide Barrier Moisturizing Cream improves skin barrier function by 24% and boosts moisture by 37% after two weeks of use (morning and night).
Ready to build a better nighttime skincare routine? Skin cycling the Haruharu wonder way is definitely the way to go. Your skin, after all, is your body’s largest organ. Do you feed yourself the same thing every single day to function? Probably not. Your skin doesn’t want the same active ingredients every day either.