What is purging?

Have you ever had a facial or tried a new skincare product only to see little flesh coloured bumps or even pimples popping up on your skin over the next few days or even weeks?

 Before dismissing your new skincare product, lets try to understand if it is a sign of purging, a regular breakout or irritation to the new product.

 1)    Purging is what happens when the skincare product speeds up the rate of skin cell turnover and they can take the form of blackheads and flesh-colored bumps and on rarer occasions, give rise to red irritated pimples that resemble those of breakouts.

 2)    Purging also occurs in areas where acne pops up frequently unlike breakouts that occur in new areas of the face.

 3)    It might feel otherwise but the duration of a purge is usually shorter than breakouts.

 All spots, no matter the cause are formed from under the skin’s surface. When the sebaceous glands in the skin are overactive and produce too much oil/sebum, this together with dead skin cells get trapped in our pores. And the bacteria that thrive on this material cause spots and activate our immune systems, triggering inflammation that can cause blemishes.

Skincare products (silicones, lanolin, SLS, mineral oil…etc) can also get trapped in our pores so sometimes, it could really be the skincare products that are causing the breakout (which should then look different from a purge). Try not to use creams or makeup that are too rich for your skin type or have too many unnecessary steps in your skincare routine.

The continual use of a product when purging occurs increases the frequency of that skin cell turnover cycle and speeds up pimple formations, bringing all the build-up that is under the surface of our skin to the surface. This is actually good in the long run as the top dead layer of skin is sloughed off to reveal new, younger skin beneath for a brighter and clearer complexion. This prevents the clogging of pores and thus keeps break outs at bay. Products that can cause purging include retinoids, exfoliating acids and even deep cleansing brushes! Ah, Foreo!

For some, purging can be a lengthy process and it can take up to three months before results start to show, especially for acne. But just to be sure, always seek a dermatologist’s advice!