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"Skin cycling" basically is using certain products on certain nights in your skin-care routing. Board-certified dermatologist Whitney Bowe, MD, coined the term for this skin-care trend.

Skin cycling is a four-night process that goes a little like this:

Night 1: Exfoliation

Night 2: Retinol

Nights 3 and 4: Recovery

After night four, you go back to the beginning of the cycle and repeat.

Dr. Bowe says that by making small tweaks based on your skin type and goals, every skin type can benefit from trying skin cycling. For example, if you have sensitive or dry skin, you can use a lower-grade retinol or acid or add a third recovery night to the rotation. Those with acne-prone skin, on the other hand, can benefit from testing their skin-care routine on a three-day cycle: exfoliation, retinoid, recovery, repeat. It's all about finding what's right for you.

Dr. Bowe claims that after just eight days, or two complete cycles, you may begin to see improvements in your skin. The longer you skin cycle, the more of a difference you'll notice in your complexion.