Which ingredients cause purging?Updated a year ago
Any ingredient that speeds up the skin cell turnover rate or encourages exfoliation can lead to purging. The most common culprits are the following ingredients:
- Retinoids - especially retinoic acid and adapalene, but also retinal and high percentages of retinol
- AHAs like glycolic acid and lactic acid
- BHA or salicylic acid
- Benzoyl peroxide
Some skincare enthusiasts also theorize that ingredients like vitamin C and niacinamide can also cause purging, even though they’re not considered skin resurfacers. We think what’s more likely is that aggressive formulations irritate the skin, leading to breakouts. Admittedly, this is just conjecture - no one is doing this science.
There’s no guarantee that you’ll purge if you introduce these ingredients, though. Even with prescription tretinoin (the product most strongly associated with retinol purging), only 10%-20% of users will have a flare-up. The good news? Just not purging doesn’t mean that your AHA or retinoid isn’t working.