Skin Purging? Is it time to change your skincare product?

Imagine you decide to indulge and buy yourself a fancy skin care product to get flawless and radiant skin only to end up with the worst acne breakout of your life. What do you do next? Do you throw away the skincare product which you most probably spent a bomb on or do you wait and try to understand the reason behind the sudden breakout?

What if we tell you that you might be experiencing something called skin purging? Clueless about what skin purging means? We have come up with the ultimate guide that will tell you everything from what skin purging means to how to differentiate between a regular acne breakout and skin purging and how to manage this skin concern.

What is skin purging?

When you use skin care products that have certain ingredients like lactic acid, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and retinoids, there is a chance that your skin might experience a short-term reaction and have the worst acne breakout ever.

This is because these ingredients are known to speed up your body’s cell turnover, meaning it accelerates the process of your skin getting rid of dead cells.

Can your skin care products cause purging?

If you switch up your skincare products and use a new product for the first time which has lactic acid, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and retinoids, it might cause your skin to purge.

These ingredients are also known to bring up hidden sebum, which is the oil that your body produces to combat dirt and bring dead skin to the surface of your skin. This can further cause pimples on your face.

Difference Between Skin Purging and Regular Acne

Skin purging has similar symptoms to regular acne breakouts and hence many people find it hard to tell them apart. But, by paying attention to the duration of the breakouts, visible symptoms, and what ingredients your skincare products contain, you can learn how to differentiate between skin purging and regular acne.

Here is a quick table that will help you become a pro at differentiating between skin purging and a regular acne breakout.

Skin Purging

• Typically, lasts for six to eight weeks

• Some of the common signs and symptoms of skin purging are whiteheads, blackheads, cysts, peeling, or dry and flaky skin

• The acne caused during skin purging don’t normally leave scars

• Skin purging is known to be caused by ingredients like glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, and retinol

Regular Acne

• Can last for months

• Common symptoms that are seen during a regular acne breakout are whiteheads, papules, blackheads, pustules, nodules, and cystic lesions

• Regular acne breakouts leave

• behind nasty scars which don’t disappear easily

• Generally, regular acne breakout is caused by ingredients such as salts, essential oils and sulphates

How to prevent another purge?

The good news is that acne purging is temporary and your skin will eventually adapt to the new ingredients and clear up. However, how do you make sure that you don’t experience skin purging? Though you can’t altogether control a skin purging scenario, here are a few simple yet effective tips that will prevent a skin purge.

• We recommend that you consult a dermatologist before you introduce your skin to glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, and retinol for the first time.

• When you are first starting out, we suggest that you use small doses of these ingredients and less frequently so that your skin adapts to them before you use them daily.

• Always make sure that you are aware of what ingredients go into making your cleansers, serum, toners, and creams before you use them on your skin.

• Avoid products that contain harsh chemicals and fragrances

• Never use more than one retinol product or exfoliant on your skin at once

If you are unhappy with how your skin looks and feels right now, you can consider selecting any of makeO skinnsi’s at-home derma facial treatments like acne treatment, hydra polishing, and oil control treatment. These treatments are performed by makeO skinnsi pros who are dermatologist-trained therapists who know how to get rid of stubborn acne scars on your skin and make your skin look and feel rejuvenated and young.

You need to keep in mind that in the end, acne purging is not something to fret over. It is just a sign that your body is adapting to certain skin acids. However, if you notice that your skin purging lasts longer than six to eight weeks, then you must consider getting in touch with the folks at makeO skinnsi as they will help you choose the best skin care treatment for you which will make you fall in love with your skin again.

FAQs

Is skin purging good?

Skin purging might seem like a nightmare for skincare enthusiasts. However, it is nothing to stress over. Skin purging is nothing but your skin showing signs that it is trying to adapt to certain skin acids that you are introducing it to.

Does purging leave marks?

You would be glad to know that, unlike regular acne breakouts, skin purging generally heals faster and it disappears without leaving behind stubborn marks and scars. Nevertheless, if you have acne scars from your purging skin or severe acne breakouts, you can consider seeking help from the professionals at makeO skinnsi.

What does skin purging look like?

If your skin is going through a purging then you will notice common symptoms like whiteheads, blackheads, cysts, peeling, dryness, and flaky skin.

How long does purging skin last?

Skin purging often lasts for six to eight weeks in people. But if you notice that your skin purging has lasted for more than eight weeks, then we suggest that you consult a dermatologist to help you recognise and treat your skin woes.

How do I stop my skin from purging?

You need to understand that you can’t completely prevent your skin from purging. However, you can control the intensity of your purging skin by ensuring that you always take it slow when you are introducing a new skin acid to your skin.