Does your skin feel irritated? L'OFFICIEL is here to help you define skin purging.

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/pat-benatar-80s-style-songs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pat Benatar</a> sang "Love Is a Battlefield"&mdash;but so is skincare. When you start using more active ingredients as part of your facial skincare routine, most people feel like their skin fights back by breaking out, becoming incredibly dry, and looking worse than before they started. But this reaction is a natural part of the process called skin purging. When you use active chemical exfoliants, you're speeding up your skin's exfoliation response.

Skin purging is only temporary, but it's a real phenomenon that many people experience any time they add more powerful <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/skincare-ingredients-you-should-mix-routine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exfoliants and acids</a> to their routine. If you start using treatments like retinol, tretinoin, or salicylic acid, expect your skin to purge. You may see new bumps, redness, dry and flaky skin, and what appears to be a rash of acne. This process can last up to six weeks long, or the average lifespan of your face's skin cells.&nbsp;
Why is your skin doing this? Think of it as a lightning-fast <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/why-is-tiktok-obsessed-with-elemis-cleansing-balm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cleansing</a> (even though those six weeks may feel very slow). Your new skincare products are causing the skin cells to shed and renew at a faster rate, and that turbulence can cause your skin to react until it gets used to the new chemicals. However, there are a couple of precautions to keep in mind:
<ul>
 <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Active acids are powerful exfoliants. Gradually ease into using the products over time instead of going full-force.</li>
 <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Skin purging looks similar to real breakouts. Breakouts indicate that your skin is having a negative reaction and that you may need to switch to new products.</li>
</ul>

What to Expect From a Retinol or Tretinoin Purge

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/the-best-retinol-serums-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Retinol</a>, and retinoids, to an even greater degree, are powerful chemicals. So is <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/what-to-know-before-buying-tretinoin-retinol-tiktok-skincare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tretinoin</a>. When you're adding retinols or tretinoin to your routine, the skin purging process usually turns your skin red and overly sensitive. Some tret and retinol purge cycles can last up to eight weeks long, especially because the accelerated cellular turnover rate can clog your <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/effective-minimize-pores-clear-flawless-skin-acne-products-serums" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pores</a>.&nbsp;

What Should You Do During a Salicylic Acid Purge?

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/salicylic-acid-skincare-acne" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Salicylic acid exfoliants</a> usually have an acid concentration of 1-2%, and this causes purging cycles of up to six weeks. Dermatologists recommend&nbsp;monitoring your skin's reactions. If you have too much redness, burning, or breakouts, you may be allergic to the product. If you can, take a photo of your face every couple of days to compare the changes over time.
Skin purging is natural, if unpleasant. You can minimize skin reactions by introducing new skincare products slowly and once at a time.

What is Skin Purging?

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