Everything You Need To Know About Skin Purging

Are you purging? There are no two words like” skin purging” that send a shiver down the beauty enthusiasts’ spine. Adding new skincare products is exciting until you notice breakouts. But there are “good and bad breakouts.”

The good breakouts are the purging or also known as initial breakouts. These are good because you get beautiful-looking skin after they are gone.

The bad breakouts, on the other, do not stop until you stop using the triggering product.

We have mentioned everything that you need to know about skin purging. Let’s start reading.

What Is Skin Purging?

Skin purging is the skin’s reaction to a certain active ingredient that triggers cell turnover. This process exfoliates the skin and brings congestion over the surface. Skin purging is a common reaction to chemical exfoliants and retinoids. 

What does skin purging look like?

When you introduce any new skincare product to your routine, you may have noticed breakouts that come along. You may think that the product is causing reaction mad, bringing breakouts. However, this is not the case; the active ingredients in the skincare product exfoliate the skin and boost new skin cell production. The ane symptoms that may have formed later start popping up sooner.

Purging speeds up the process and may result in different types of inflammatory acne like:

• Pustules
• Whiteheads
• Blackheads
• Cysts
• Pimples

Some topicals that cause skin purging are Vitamin A and alpha and beta hydroxy acids.

skin purging vs. breakout

Whether it is breakout or purging, all spots are caused deep down in the skin. When the sebaceous glands produce too much oil mixed with dead skin cells, clogging the pores causes spots.

Certain skincare products can also get trapped in the pores and cause flare-ups that look like breakouts. This usually happens when people use richer creams and apply heavy makeup.

Skincare products also trigger purging by increasing cell turnover to polish away the top dead skin layer and reveal young and healthy-looking skin beneath. Purging helps shed the dead skin cells and keep the pores clean and unclogged.

Excess shedding and exfoliation can trigger blackheads and breakouts. Retinoids are one such product that causes skin purging. People who have excess breakout problems will get clear skin after consistent use. The early skin purging effects of retinoids are called ‘retinoid uglies.’

Causes of skin purging:

Purging is the effect of skincare products that exfoliate your skin and help remove trapped sebum in your pores—the speed of exfoliating increases in skin purging, which causes blemishes.

Did you know that sometimes a clogged pore can take up to months to cause a visible breakout?

You will see a bunch of breakouts and pimples appearing in purging. Purging is a positive thing for your skin. It helps treat acne that would have come later but is coming a bit sooner. If you stick to your routine, your skin will start getting better after some time.

Purging can continue for up to two months, but you will see differences from the sixth week. After purging, you will reveal clear-looking and healthy skin.

These are some of the causes of why you might be experiencing purging.

• Introducing a new skincare product that boosts skin cell turnover: 

Any product that increases skin cell turnover triggers purging. If you are not completely sure about the culprit, check the ingredient list of the skincare products. The first five ingredients are composed of 80% of the product formula; these are more likely to cause purging. For instance, if you see salicylic acid as the third item, then this is the cause behind your purging. If this is at the end of the list, this ingredient does not affect much.

• The purging starts in your usual “problem areas”: 

Generally, purging starts in the problem area of the face, where you are used to getting more breakouts. Most people will experience purging in Oilier T-zone, like the forehead, chin, and nose. 

• It will not last more than two months: 

Purging will end within two months. It is not going to last forever. If you are truly experiencing purging, then from 6 months onwards, you will notice fewer breakouts, and your skin will start getting clearer.

How to deal with skin purging?

It would be best to stick to a gentle skincare routine to prevent more inflammation. Use a sulfate-free cleanser, a mild moisturizer, and sunscreen during the daytime. And continue using the product that triggered purging. Stick through the routine; as is said, “it gets worse before it starts getting better.”

Wait Patiently for 28 Days

Purging is like the terrible twos of skincare; your skin throws tantrums, but it is just a phase. Skin purging is just the skin’s way of shedding dead skin cells fast and renewing the skin. After the full cycle is completed within two months, you will start noticing a positive difference in your skin. 

Every person’s skin is different, so the time frame of skin cell renewal also differs. Generally, people start noticing differences in 4 to 6 weeks. If it lasts more than six weeks, consult your Dermatologist. You may need to know about the right quantity or dosage suitable for you.

Contact your Dermatologist online:

Have any problems? You can connect with an experienced and certified dermatologist on your phone or online. You don’t need to fix an appointment in advance. It is easy to talk to a dermatologist anytime now.

You can’t reduce the timeline for purge, but try to make it tolerable.

Four to six weeks sounds like a long time in the head to wait for your skin starts getting beautiful. Sadly, you cannot speed up the purging but take steps to make it manageable.

Tips to follow during the purge

1. Don’t pick on acne.
2. Don’t use drying skincare products, like exfoliating acids.
3. If possible, Get a HydraFacial, to help remove impurities.

Picking on acne will only extend the time frame of purging and may cause permanent scarring.

Using excessive drying products will make things only worse. Spot treatment products contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, which should be away from purging skin.

HydraFacial may help in speeding up things. This facial sucks out the impurities from the pores and infuses the skin with serums that help treat individual concerns.

Note:- if you have sensitive skin, do not go for a facial while purging; it may be too much for your face skin to handle. Ask suggestions from your Dermatologist in this scenario.

Can you avoid purging?

If you are introducing retinol, peel, or acid in your skincare routine, but you do not want the side effects to show up, you can successfully minimize purging. Use the “ease in” method.

For instance, in the first week, apply the product only two times a week, then for next week, make it three times a week and keep increasing in this manner. This will give your skin some time to adjust to this new ingredient.

You can try this same method with exfoliation acids but start once in a week’s application. The maxim limit is using two-three times a week.

However, you cannot use this method in the case of chemical peels. Chemical peels should not be used more than once a month.