Sometimes when you use chemical exfoliants, you start to experience purging. 

Purging is a process that occurs when your skin’s cell turnover rate is accelerated. This causes the congestion in your skin to reach the skin’s surface faster. During purging, the congestion manifests itself as pimples on the surface of the skin and purging ends with your skin healing from pimples. 

Contrary to breakouts, purging only occurs when you use ingredients that encourage desquamation or accelerate the skin cell turnover rate. Your skin cycle takes 28 days on average. Thus, by the 4th week, purging should start healing as a new skin cycle has started. Your skin may be fully healed from purging within 4-8 weeks. 

If you find that your pimples are not healing within that time, you may be experiencing breakouts instead. Another sign of breakouts is getting pimples on areas you don’t normally get pimples.

If you experience purging, here are a few tips to ease your skin through this process. 

Firstly, you must make sure that your routine consists of hydrating products to support your skin during purging. A nice tip is to ensure that you have two hydrating steps for every one exfoliant you are using. Sufficient hydration can help reduce the severity of purging. 

Secondly, you must continue using the product that is causing you to purge. This is to encourage your skin to remove the congestion within it.

Lastly, you must track your skin’s condition throughout the process. If your skin starts feeling irritated or purging does not seem to be getting better, you must make the sad decision to stop using the product. 

Although it seems daunting, you must power through purging. Once that phase has passed, you can enjoy the benefits of exfoliation and your new youthful, healthy skin.