yes, when using any kind of acid on your face, you go through a purging period, as it brings out all the stuff in your skin to the surface. some people don't purge, some purge a lot, it's individual really. also, if you're wondering if that's what caused it, or if it was a coincidence, purging usually comes from the most clogged areas on your face, like the t zone, or wherever you have the most blackheads. whereas cosmetic acne can be quite random.

Thanks for the reply! I am well familiar with purging as I was on Retin A before the Regimen. Since the AHA is weaker than Retin A I wasn't sure if it could make you purge all that much but I guess it can. So I suppose I will start using the AHA again so I can "push past" the purging period.

I am not a huge fan of AHA. My moisturizer contains a very small amount of it, but any stronger and I'll be breaking out.

Last summer, I tried Dan's AHA+ because everyone was raving about it. I experienced breakouts after initially using it and I thought it was just a "purging" period. Because of that, I kept using it and did so for about a month and a half. I had continuous breakouts all throughout that month and a half. My normally-clear-from-the-regimen skin was basically broken out all the time. I stopped using the AHA+ and my skin went back to being clear. I will never use potent AHA formulas on my face again.

It could just be a purging period, but if it doesn't let up for a month...you're probably in the same boat that I was in. Hope this has helped

I am not a huge fan of AHA. My moisturizer contains a very small amount of it, but any stronger and I'll be breaking out.

 

Last summer, I tried Dan's AHA+ because everyone was raving about it. I experienced breakouts after initially using it and I thought it was just a "purging" period. Because of that, I kept using it and did so for about a month and a half. I had continuous breakouts all throughout that month and a half. My normally-clear-from-the-regimen skin was basically broken out all the time. I stopped using the AHA+ and my skin went back to being clear. I will never use potent AHA formulas on my face again.

 

It could just be a purging period, but if it doesn't let up for a month...you're probably in the same boat that I was in. Hope this has helped

This is exactly what I'm afraid of, that I will keep purging and be left with twice as many fresh red marks as I already have. My red marks take several months to a year to fade away and I do NOT need a whole new batch. Oh, what to do?

Just remember that AHA is not a must-have for the regimen to work for you. A lot of people have said that AHA clears red marks faster, but when I was using Dan's AHA+, I had more red marks than ever BECAUSE of the AHA breaking me out. It could just be a purging period or you could be dealing with the same thing I was.

You could always just let time take care of the red marks. The regimen will clear you enough so that you won't get any new pimples, and the red marks will just eventually fade away. But if the AHA is causing breakouts, the red marks are pretty much going to be constant for you.

It's all completely up to you. But if you want my honest opinion based on my own experience, I'd say to ditch the AHA you're using altogether or find a lotion that contains a more mild version of it that doesn't sting, irritate, or cause breakouts.

P.S. You mentioned getting a huge zit on your cheek after using the AHA: I used to get the exact same types of pimples, only they were on my chin. Those big, painful ones that leave a huge red mark, right?

Just remember that AHA is not a must-have for the regimen to work for you. A lot of people have said that AHA clears red marks faster, but when I was using Dan's AHA+, I had more red marks than ever BECAUSE of the AHA breaking me out. It could just be a purging period or you could be dealing with the same thing I was.

 

You could always just let time take care of the red marks. The regimen will clear you enough so that you won't get any new pimples, and the red marks will just eventually fade away. But if the AHA is causing breakouts, the red marks are pretty much going to be constant for you.

 

It's all completely up to you. But if you want my honest opinion based on my own experience, I'd say to ditch the AHA you're using altogether or find a lotion that contains a more mild version of it that doesn't sting, irritate, or cause breakouts.

 

P.S. You mentioned getting a huge zit on your cheek after using the AHA: I used to get the exact same types of pimples, only they were on my chin. Those big, painful ones that leave a huge red mark, right?

Yeah, I think I may just ditch it or only use it once a week at the most. At least it won't go to waste, since I have Keratosis Pilaris on my arms I can use it for that. I don't think it's one of those huge painful ones you are talking about. I used to get those on my chin too. The big, painful under the skin ones tend to leave the biggest marks for some reason, even though they don't erupt. The one I'm talking about is actually a big painful whitehead. The marks they leave are large too though not as big as the chin cysts. I tried to take a pic but my camera sucks, lol. Thanks for your help!

I never got a single red makr until I used AHA+. I used AHA+ on my forehead for 3 weeks, now I have 6 red marks that won't fade. AHA+ is absolute junk.

When I first used AHA+ I had a small break out again after being clear from the regimen, but it only lasted a week or so and then cleared up again. Its a shame that we all have different reactions to the same products as the above posters seem to hate AHA. I love it and find it an essential part of my regimen. It took my skin from clear to glowing within a few weeks.

I was thinking about trying AHA. I may want to rethink that.