What is Retinoid Purging and How to Overcome It
It is said that our skin renews itself every 28 days—that’s one of the amazing ways our body naturally heals and reconditions itself and every part attached to it. While our skin can naturally glow and rejuvenate through this natural skin cell turnover, there are ways to speed up this process making way for clearer and brighter skin. One of them is through retinol purging.
Retinol purge can be frustrating but it is actually a good sign that the product you are using is effective. They may come out as similar to acne breakouts, but the end result will surely wipe your frustrations away. Get to know what retinol purge is and how long does retinol purge lasts, through this article.
What is Retinol Purge
What does retinol purge look like?
How long does retinol purge last?
What Retinol Purge Can Do to Your Skin
What Retinol Purge is For
Benefits of Using Retinol
Managing Retinol Purge
What to Do During a Retinol Purge Phase
How to Overcome Retinoid Purging
Conclusion
What is Retinol Purge
Retinol purge or retinoid purging is a temporary breakout in your skin that is caused by active ingredients like retinoids or retinol. This process increases the natural skin cell turnover rate to shed off dead skin cells and help reveal healthier skin cells faster—all of these through the use of retinol.
What does retinol purge look like?
Retinol purge can be identified when whiteheads and blackheads, as well as red bumps, cysts and pustules start to appear on your skin right after using retinol-based products. You can also distinguish purging from a typical breakout when these skin bumps take place to areas where you usually have pimples or breakouts. I have discussed the characteristics of skin purging and how to identify the symptoms in my previous article. Click here to read more.
How long does retinol purge last?
No matter how aggravating retinol purging might get, there is a silver lining in this skin reaction. The good news is that this is just temporary and can last within a few days to a week, the longest can be 4 weeks, depending on the severity of the side effects.
What Retinol Purge Can Do to Your Skin
Retinol purge may appear like it causes damage to your skin, but it actually helps your skin to renew itself faster but in a convenient manner, sad to say. Having retinol purge may seem annoying but the end result is worth the wait.
What Retinol Purge is For
Just like collagen production, which decreases as we age, the process of our skin cell turnover also slows down as we get older. Retinol is like a magic-substance because of its ability to treat any skin condition, ranging from wrinkles and fine lines to acne. Retinol is a derivative of Vitamin A that helps to speed up our cell turnover for healthier, more youthful-looking skin.
It may make you feel helpless but a skin purge is actually a great sign that you’re getting there and new and youthful skin is coming out soon. Retinoids family including retinol, topical tretinoin, and isotretinoin accelerate the process of skin turnover cycle that helps to reveal healthier skin cells, but not without first “purging” all the impurities residing underneath your skin, according to bellecoteparis.com. This means that retinol purge is for your skin to have healthy cells come out to the surface of your skin to replace old dead ones.
Benefits of Using Retinol
Retinol, which is derived from Vitamin A, is found to be the most effective treatment for a wide range of skin conditions, because it not just increases cellular turnover, but also exfoliates the top layers of our skin and boosts collagen production, according to Dr. Victoria Manning.
Retinol is also known by dermatologists as a long-term treatment that promotes fresh skin, fewer blemishes and reduction in acne breakouts. It reduces irritation and the amount of dead skin cells that enter our pores.
Overall, Dr. Manning concludes that retinol is an incredible anti-aging agent because it enhances skin texture and minimizes fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, and big pores.
Managing Retinol Purge
After learning what retinol purge is and how beneficial it is, it is important to know how to manage this skin reaction and how to deal during a retinol purge phase. Below are some tips to help you.
What to Do During a Retinol Purge Phase
- Learn and understand – By knowing what retinol purge is and learning its side effects, you will understand what you are going through and from there, you’ll be able to do essential steps in dealing with these breakouts.
- Acceptance – When you have the right knowledge, you will also learn to accept that these little red bumps crowding on your skin are just temporary and stressing will only get things worse.
- Hydrate Your Skin – Avoid acids and skin products that can cause further dryness to your skin. Identify what are skin irritants for you and avoid them as much as you can. Use moisturizers or skin cleansers with moisturizer ingredients in it.
This e.l.f. Hydration face cream is ideal to use when you are in a purging face. It is a lightweight, fragrance-free moisturizer that nourishes and plumps skin while delivering lasting hydration.
Get this here: Link
- Avoid sunlight – Retinol can make your skin more sensitive to UV radiation, resulting in sunburn. Therefore, avoid direct exposure to sunlight or if you can’t, use sunscreen lotion and cream.
You can try this Aveeno Sunscreen + Moisturizer lotion. A 2-in-1 product that protects your skin from the sun rays with Spf 60 plus moisturizes it with weightless & refreshing feeling.
Try this now: Link
How to Overcome Retinoid Purging
Rebecca Norris of byrdie.com explains how to overcome retinoid purging effectively and what you should do during this adjustment period. Below is the list she wrote and the complete explanation can be found on their website.
- Don’t Quit Retinol Entirely
- Edit Down Your Routine
- Use It Every Other Night
- Reinforce Your Skin Barrier
- Dilute Your Retinoid
- Apply Moisturizer First
- Avoid Harsh Soaps
- Avoid Exfoliating Acids
- Never Forget Sunscreen
Conclusion
Our body has its natural responses to every new agent it is exposed to. Retinol purge is one of them. Skin purging is our skin’s way of reacting to this active ingredient that makes skin cell turnover rate faster leading to a brighter and more youthful skin.
Although it is common for your skin to purge when using a retinoid, it is important to note that not everyone will go through this when using this active ingredient. All skin types are different and how they react also varies.