Is the fear of the “tretinoin purge” keeping you from trying out a retinol-based acne treatment? Well, you aren’t alone.
Many of us are already familiar with fighting acne breakouts, so it makes sense to feel cautious about a product that might cause the situation to worsen.
However, even though any retinol product may cause a skin purge, once you get through it, it may also have long-lasting positive effects on your skin.
Spoiler: it’s not as bad as it sounds and we’ve got some tips on how to stay consistent.
Is the Tretinoin purge a real thing?
Anecdotally, yes, but it’s important to note that experts don’t call the initial weeks of tretinoin treatment a skin “purge” but rather an “adjustment period”.
Tretinoin acne treatments are long-term acne solutions, but the first few weeks of use can feel like a traumatic backslide into acne breakouts. It may get worse before it gets better.
This can be upsetting as no one starts an anti-acne treatment expecting things to get worse for a while, but this is exactly what may happen with retinol-based treatments.
Why does this Tretinoin skin purge happen?
As the skin cell turnover rate increases, the skin starts shedding dead skin cells (amongst other things) faster than normal. This is in the pursuit of exposing fresher, brighter, and healthier skin cells underneath.
As the skin turnover rate increases, working toward revealing beautiful skin, things like excess sebum and skin flakes (the stuff that makes pimples) must rise to the surface too.
This can cause an influx of pimples of all kinds. Over the long run though, a faster skin turnover rate can lessen the occurrences of blemishes and acne and reveal clearer, smoother skin. The long term benefits usually far outweigh the frustrating temporary effects of “the purge”.
How long does the Tretinoin purging last?
Some people won’t experience a skin purge with retinol products. For others, however, this process can commonly range anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. Everyone reacts a little differently to retinoids.
How long does it take for Tretinoin to work?
If used daily, it could take 6 weeks to see the benefits of tretinoin for acne. But, if you use tretinoin more sparingly to help reduce any adverse effects, it could take 10 weeks to see the skin clearing benefits of tretinoin.
Tips for surviving the Tretinoin purge:
Dealing with the tretinoin purge or adjustment period can be a stressful experience — after all, tretinoin is supposed to reduce acne, not cause it. Luckily, there are a few techniques you can use to make the experience more manageable:
- Accept it. While waiting for your body to adjust to tretinoin is frustrating, it’s something that’s largely out of your control. Instead of obsessing about breakouts, keep your mind focused on how tretinoin can reduce acne and improve your skin over the long term.
- While you can't stop the tretinoin process if you want it to work, you can help to make the process less severe. By starting slowly with every-other-day treatment, you can reduce the side effects and the impact on your skin. Start off by using tretinoin once every two days or three days, and then progress to regular use as your skin gets used to it.
- Avoid touching or scratching your face. It can be tempting to pop pimples as they form or pick away at dry skin, especially during a breakout. During the purge phase, it’s best to leave your skin alone and allow it to heal naturally.
- Stay hydrated. In addition to the acne purge, the first few weeks of using tretinoin can involve dry and irritated skin. Staying hydrated may be a huge help, both for improving your skin and for general health and wellbeing.
- Use a moisturizer to combat dryness. If your skin is dry and flaky during the first few weeks of using tretinoin, apply moisturizer shortly after using tretinoin to hydrate your skin and reduce dryness.
- Avoid direct sunlight. Tretinoin can make your skin more sensitive to UV rays resulting in faster and more severe sunburn. During the first several weeks of using tretinoin, take care to avoid excessive amounts of exposure to direct sunlight. If you need to spend time in the sun during the first few weeks of using tretinoin, make sure you use at least SPF 15+ sunscreen (although SPF 30+ is even better!) to protect your skin from UV radiation.
- Take progress photos. Tretinoin can take some time to start improving your skin, but when it does the results are noticeable. To stay motivated, take a photo of your face at the end of every month to track your progress and watch your skin improve.
Most of the time, the tretinoin purge solves itself within a few weeks, leaving you with less acne and several months of consistent improvement to look forward to.
If you’ve just started using tretinoin and you’re currently going through the purge, stick with it. It can take months for tretinoin to start working its magic, meaning that patience is very much rewarded.
In the meantime, hold tight and use the tactics listed above to get through the adjustment period with as few downsides as possible. Over the long term, you’ll eventually start to notice a steady, consistent improvement in your skin as the weeks and months go by.
