I know how frustrating it can be to try a new skin care product and have no idea what to expect! Should your skin break out? Is that normal? That’s why I wanted to put together this article featuring skin purging vs acne breakout.
When adding a new skincare product to your routine, you may notice some changes in your skin. This may seem like it would indicate that the product is not working, or the product is making things worse but actually it is a normal part of the skin-purging process that can occur when using beneficial skincare products. However, these symptoms apply to both skin purging and conventional breakout. Examining the duration, location, and products used of breakouts can help you tell the difference between the two.
What are acne breakouts?
You may experience a breakout while using a new product, but the most common reasons are due to clogged pores, an allergic reaction, or irritation from the product itself. Acne breakouts commonly appears in areas of the skin with large numbers of sebaceous (oil) glands. These areas include the face and chest, but also the upper back and shoulders.
Skin purging
Skincare ingredients can cause you to get into a tizzy, because they increase the rate at which your skin cells turnover, which causes you to shed more dead skin cells than usual. This in turn helps your skin get rid of any dead skin buildup, and also gets all those clogged pores out from underneath your skin!
Common symptoms of skin purging include: Whiteheads, blackheads, cysts, papules, dryness, peeling, flaking.
Popular Ingredients that may be responsible for skin purging include are Salicylic acid, retinol, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, retinols and other chemicals that exfoliate the skin. So, if you notice a breakout just after you introduce a new product with any of the above listed ingredients, you most likely are going through ”the purge”
Differences between Acne and Skin purging
If your skin is purging, it can be tempting to think that your skin is reacting to the product you are using and stop using the product. However, paying attention to certain things will help to know if you are going through a skin purging phase or you have a breakout.
- Acne breakouts tend to pop up at both new and old places where you have always had a breakout. On the other hand, skin purging will usually be at places you have always had a breakout.
- Duration: Acne break out can can last for a while, for months even. However, skin purging varies but can last up to 6 weeks so you might have to be really patient with that new product.
- Symptoms: While the two conditions can be accompanied by whiteheads, blackheads, cyst, papules and other forms of acne, skin purging can also be accompanied by flaking or peeling of the skin.
- Ingredients: Acne can be caused by essential oils, sodium chloride (salt), drying alcohol while skin purging is usually as a result of exfoliating ingredients like glycolic acid, lactic acid, retinol, etc.
Tips to reduce purging
- Easing into a new product that can cause purging. When incorporating a new product into your routine, it’s best to start off slowly. This enables your skin to get familiar. You can start off with the first week using the product twice, and three times the following week until your skin can take it everyday.
- Do not pick acne and limit the number of times you touch your face.
- When the skin is experiencing a purge, it tends to be really sensitive. Wearing a sunscreen is crucial, wearing a sunscreen at this time is even more crucial.
Short and sweet
Skin purging can be bit difficult to pin down, as the word is used in relation to different parts of the acne cycle. In general, skin purging is when a skincare product causes your skin to go through an adjustment period while it adjusts to the new ingredients (AHAs, BHAs, Retinol). The skin purging period may last anywhere from one to six weeks. Acne breakouts, on the other hand, usually result from blocked pores and therefore, tend to occur in areas with larger pores like the forehead or chin. Skin purging may give you a lot of small blemishes that are similar to those from your usual acne breakouts, but these should improve after the initial skin purging period.
Generally, patience and consistency is key. Skin purging can be really frustrating, but at the end of the tunnel is a light of smooth, glowing and radiant skin. The wait is definitely worth it.
If you are unsure about what type of medication you need, be sure to see a dermatologist. Your dermatologist should have enough knowledge about them to help you figure out the best option for your acne and your skin type.
