Remember the last time a new beauty product caused your skin to freak out? You were probably thinking: ‘yikes, I thought this was supposed to make my skin look better not worse!’
We are here to explain the good, bad and the ugly of something called skin purging. Read on to find out why this process differs from your garden variety breakout. HINT: Both are frustrating occurrences, but the former will help your skin in the long run.
A thorough online investigation rendered some expert opinions on the subtle differences between these two skin events.
Purging Primer
In a nutshell, skin purging is an acne breakout that occurs with skincare products that accelerate cell turnover. These breakouts often happen after you use a new product with powerful active ingredients.
In the purging process, the pimples lurking under your skin will appear a lot faster once you speed up the cleansing/detox process. Dr. Sejah Shah of SmarterSkin Dermatology explained the process in an online interview.

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Skin Purging is really a “skin detox”
Because purging is thought to be due to increased cell turnover, it’s really going to bring pre-existing micromedones (small clogged hair particles) to the surface. This will potentially turn into whiteheads, blackheads, and cysts,” he said.
In other words, those icky clogged pores lurking under the skin surface will make their way to the surface, causing a breakout. Those ‘baby’ pimples will grow faster.
It makes sense that as your skin’s cellular turnover speeds up, all of its natural mojo – like growing zits – will happen more quickly.
And since purging occurs when an ingredient attempts to accelerate the skin’s natural pace of shedding and renewal, it could take one full skin cycle to get through the initial mayhem.
Dr. Shad that while it’s agonizing to live through, your skin should look better than ever. Remember the end goal is to expose those lovely new skin cells and reveal clearer, glowing skin.
Understanding your breakouts
Dr. Deanne Mraz Robinson, a board-certified dermatologist cleared up some misunderstandings regarding breakouts in an online interview with Healthline.
“Purging will occur in a more defined area where you frequently breakout,” Mraz Robinson said. “But the good news is pimples that arise from purging will appear and disappear faster than a ‘normal’ pimple.”
Conversely, a breakout or an allergic reaction from a product most often appears in an area where you are NOT prone to breakouts. These blemishes usually take 8 to 10 days to appear, mature and shrink.
Meanwhile, non-purging blemishes are pimples that recur on a regular basis, and are the result of hormonal changes, stress, or poor diet.
Natural Treatments Rule!
So, what’s a beauty to do? Skincare experts suggest using face masks that feature all-natural ingredients that won’t irritate your skin or clog pores.
Gleamin Vitamin C Clay mask features Vitamin C, turmeric and Aloe Vera, which assist in healthy skin cell renewal … without triggering never-ending breakouts. This soothing mask reduces the appearance of dark spots and post-acne scaring. Plus, it evens skin tone, texture and helps stimulate collagen for softness.
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