The term ‘skin purging’ may sound like something out of a horror movie, but it’s not quite as scary and gruesome as it seems!
Whether you’re here to learn the difference between skin purging vs breakouts, or to discover what skin purging actually is, the team at Revolution Skincare are here to reveal all!
What is Skin Purging?
Let’s start with the basics.
Skin purging refers to the reaction some skin may have to certain products, usually chemical exfoliants such as Retinol and Salicylic Acid to name a few.
This temporary reaction involves bringing congestion within the pores up to the skin’s surface, which can cause spots and pimples to form.

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What Causes Skin Purging?
Chemical exfoliants work to slough away dead skill cells and promote a faster skin turnover rate. Without the aid of exfoliating skincare, skin cells naturally renew around every 28 days.
Products such as Retinoids and AHA/BHAs are used to help speed up this process, bringing the sebum, dirt and bacteria out of the pores and up to the skin’s surface at a faster rate, causing acne-like blemishes.
Once the skin has pushed out all of the congestion, it can start producing new cells to promote clearer, younger looking skin. That’s the science behind skin purging!
Expert Tip: Shop some of our favorite chemical exfoliants which work wonders for decongesting pores. Introduce these powerful ingredients into your routine slowly to limit irritation: