It doesn’t sound pleasant, right? “Purging” itself never sounds like a fun thing even if it’s generally accepted to be for a good cause. You purge your home of clutter to make it cleaner and more livable, right?
Well, skin purging is kind of like that. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. Skin purging is like a decluttering project for your face. Sometimes starting a new skincare product can cause skin purging, but it’s no cause for alarm.
Are you wondering if your new skin issues are caused by your skincare routine? Are they temporary? How can you help move the process along?
We want to offer some advice so you can rest easy and get the clear skin that you’re looking for with PanOxyl. Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of skin purging.
First of All: What Is Skin Purging?
We already mentioned that skin purging is like a decluttering of the face, but what exactly does that mean in real terms?
When we start a new skincare routine that’s meant to help our face, what we’re really doing is trying to get rid of the old to make room for the new. We might be getting rid of acne, dead skin, excess oil, clogged pores, or anything else that can be causing breakouts, dullness, or excess shine.
For the skin to clear up and reach its full potential those things need to get out somehow.
Surface-level problems don’t have this issue. Oil on the surface of the skin can be cleaned away. Obvious blemishes can be removed. But the things that go deeper need to work their way out.
Skin purging may appear as little whiteheads and may appear similar to a breakout, and that’s because it basically is. This reaction can happen when you try a new product.
Remember, this purging is an essential part of the process. But how do you know when you’re going through a purge and not just having a negative reaction to the product?
Skin Purge Vs Breakout: How Can I Tell the Difference?
When you start getting those pesky bumps and blemishes you might be tempted to quit the new skincare product. Don’t do that yet!
First, think about the kinds of products that you’ve introduced into your routine. Are you using new products that are meant to exfoliate the skin or get rid of acne? These products are the usual cause of purging. We’ll get more into why in a minute.
On the other hand, have you started using something that might be comedogenic, meaning it clogs pores? What about something that’s made to hydrate the skin? Have you been wearing heavy makeup?
Hydrating and protective skin oils and sunscreens are important, but you need to find the right one for your skin (and make sure the rest of your skincare routine is stellar to combat the potential blockages). Anything with the potential to block the pores can cause breakouts, so if you’ve added one of these products, it’s likely not a purge.
This is why it’s important to
1) read ingredient labels to be aware of ingredients you know might break out your skin and
2) add products to your routine slowly rather than all at once— so you can identify the problem.
Before using a product, you also want to make sure you minimize the risk of an allergic reaction. Test all new products on an area that is not the face first. A small patch on your inner elbow crease works great. If your skin has any redness or irritation afterwards, do not use the product.
You can also consider the duration of the irritation. Anyone who’s suffered from bad acne knows that it seems to last forever. Purging, on the other hand, lasts an average of a month and should improve over time.
If your irritation persists or is extreme, it doesn’t hurt to see a dermatologist to make sure you don’t have any allergies or intolerances.
What Causes Skin Purging?
So, what causes skin purging anyway?
There are a few reasons that your skin could purge. The first, as with our PanOxyl benzoyl peroxide product, is when your pores are being deep cleaned.
Benzoyl peroxide, the active ingredient in PanOxyl, gets deep into the skin to release oxygen inside the pores. When the bacteria die, the skin experiences a brief period of irritation. When this period is over, your fresh and clean skin is revealed.
Facial acids such as AHAs may also cause this kind of purging. Even mild acids, like lactic acid, exfoliate the skin. That exfoliation speeds up your skin cell turnover rate, meaning that the processes your face undergoes to get rid of dead skin cells is going faster. Since your skin is pushing all of those dead skin cells and gunk from your pores to the surface at a faster rate, you may have more blemishes than usual.
Another type of popular product that causes purging is retinoids. Retinoids are good for anti-aging and long-term anti-acne, but they also increase cell turnover.
Overall, skin purging is caused by the “decluttering” of dead skin cells and bacteria to uncover healthy and clear skin.
Is It a Bad Sign from My Skincare Product?
Purging is a good sign. It means that your products are working. We get it; it’s scary. It might even be embarrassing. It’s worth it though.
We’re conditioned to think that irritation and pimples are a sign that something is wrong. Often, this is true. Poor diets, bad skincare, and poor hygiene all cause the same visible problems, but it’s what’s going on under the surface that counts.
Can I Treat It?
The unfortunate thing about skin purging is that you can’t really stop it once it’s started unless you stop using the product (which we don’t advise). It needs to run its course.
You can, however, minimize its severity. Choose products that are mild or gentle. Make sure to only touch your skin with clean hands and do it as rarely as possible. Don’t pick at or pop blemishes, and keep skin hydrated even when all signs make you want to dry it out. If you just can’t stop picking and popping (hey, we get it. It’s the bubble wrap effect) PanOxyl’s Overnight Spot Patches can help protect blemishes and prevent scarring.
As always, apply sunscreen and avoid the sun when possible.
It’s best to introduce a new product slowly, so if you’re worried about purging, make sure you read the labeled instructions and start with a low concentration of active ingredients. If you’ve never used a benzoyl peroxide treatment before, PanOxyl’s 4% Acne Creamy Wash has a lower concentration of the active ingredient but still gets the job done. Check out more about this dermatologist recommended product here.
Skin Purging Is Normal
When your skincare product is causing your skin to purge that means that it’s doing it’s speeding up skin’s natural processes to get rid of dead skin cells and make skin healthier. If you’re patient, you’ll find healthy, smooth, and clear skin after the purge is complete.
It’s worth the wait.
Are you ready for clear and healthy skin? PanOxyl acne washes are formulated to clear acne-causing bacteria from your pores and to get rid of breakouts fast.
Check out our site to find the right product for you.
