Is Your Skin Clearing Out Or Breaking Out?

The initial phase of trying a new skincare product is very much a journey into uncharted territory. Even if you have tried many products from the same brand or many with similar key ingredients, each and every product is unique, and likewise, skin can respond to anything in a variety of ways. One of if not the most common, and seemingly negative responses, that can come from trying a new product is pimples. Still, not all pimples occur for the same reasons. Of course, pimples can form because products might be too heavy on the skin or otherwise lead to clog pores, and also acne-like lumps and bumps often appear when a skincare item so happens to be something we are allergic to. But there is another reason why pimple sometimes show up as a sign of a good thing-- skin purging.

Skin purging refers to the phenomena of an active ingredient increasing the speed any intensity of cell shedding and turnover that also brings with it a rise of excess sebum (oil that the skin produces) to the skin surface. The combination of this build up of dead skin cells and the excess oil frequently leads to an a sudden surge of acne. Ultimately this surge is temporary and helps rid our skin of this acne-causing excesses and also help make way for fresher, brighter, clearer, and more resilient skin to thrive. Essentially, skin purging is a way of clearing itself out, not breaking out.

How can we tell if a sudden onslaught of pimples is truly a purge or if it spells a pore-clogging product or one that gives an allergic reaction? Well, an allergic reaction may be the easiest one to distinguish in that itchiness and a hot-feeling skin often accompany an allergic reaction but don't usually happen with skin purging or typical "clogged- pore" acne. A rise in redness, especially in localized areas that don't necessarily contain any pimples inside them also can spell an allergic reaction. Also, allergic reactions will usually occur every time the skin comes into contact with the product in question. If a reaction eventually subsides, it was probably not an allergy or at least not a severe one.

In deciding between a pore-clogging breakout or signs of irritation and a skin purge, however, the road is not always as clear-cut. Some helpful indicators, though, are how long the pimples occur and recur. Most skin experts generally agree that most skin purges will last at most for one skin cycle or maybe two (that's a range of about 28- 56 days), but no more. So if after using the product for longer, the pimples keep forming or existing ones become more swollen or inflamed-looking, it is likely then the product is actually clogging the pores and causing a breakout or some other form of irritation. This is particularly if the bumps show up in places where you don't typically break out for hormonal or food-related reasons for example.

If you are still unsure whether your skin is breaking out or clearing out, another thing to consider is the type of product you are trying out. For example, if you are experimenting with a new moisturizer that has no exfoliating or clarifying ingredients in its formula but is instead rich with occlusives and emollients like shea butter, coconut oil, mineral oil and pimples are popping up, there's a good chance that the cream may be too rich for your skin type and is clogging your pores. On the other hand, if you are trying out a new retinol or retinol derivative product, especially if you are new to those ingredients altogether, the skin almost always enters a period of purging and adjustment as the skin works through its excess layers and continues to turn over to reveal the brighter, glowier skin underneath. This same thing also can occur for the same reasons when starting out with chemical exfoliants such as products with salicylic, glycolic, and lactic, and other forms of acid or enzymes that are meant to encourage the skin to turn over. It is important to remember that if your skin is indeed purging ,dermatologists will discourage the use of certain spot treatments to treat the pimples that come out if you are in the middle of a skin purge , namely ones that do contain exfoliating acids because they will do not as much to treat the spot as they will introduce more exfoliating acids to the skin and exacerbate the purge before it finishes and has a chance to recover from it. Instead, it is better to support the skin with hydrating and anti-inflammatory ingredients to help the skin heal.

Another type of product that almost always induces skin purging every time its used is products-- and especially masks--that contain lots of clay, charcoal, or mud and in particular when these ingredients are combined with enzymes or acids that excite skin cell turnover. But just by their nature clays and muds are literally designed to pull oils up out of the skin and unplug pores of any excess oil or surface-level debris, so by using them, a skin purge is somewhat automatically initiated. This is what makes clay-based and charcoal-based products such good spot treatments and pore-refining products because they soak up excess oil and cause the pores to look smaller and appear more smooth. Because these products do draw oil out from underneath the skin, it is a good idea to not use clay-based products every day on most people's skins or else to use them only for the most congested part of the face. Doing this helps to mitigate the amount of oil and debris that comes out of the skin at once, minimizing potential effects of purging and also the risk of the skin becoming too dry below its surface over time.

A final type of product that some skincare experts suggest might incite a skin purge in some people is an oil cleanser. This is not nearly as common as experiencing from a product that actively speeds up skin rejuvenation, but it is possible. Oil cleansers work by meeting and marrying with the oils in our own skin and drawing them out of our skin, washing them away when emulsified with water. Some people experience more oil pulling with oil cleansers than others, though, but they usually only bring about a skin purge within the first couple of uses and one that tends to stop forming new pimples fairly quickly if a skin purge occurs at all.

The key to great skin is one of balance and listening to the skin, what it likes and what it doesn't while also giving it opportunities to do what it needs to do to treat, heal, and repair itself. Remember that to see a breakout may not always what it seems, give it time and use your intuition and be patient with your skin, as no mater what, with time and care, it will always find beautiful balance once again. For even more info on how to tell the difference between a skin purge and a breakout or other sign of irritation, check out this video From the Youtube channel LaBeautyologist-The Golden RX were New York and California-licensed esthetician Naymka offers her professional knowledge and insights on not only what to look for in a purge vs irritation but also what to do to support the skin in recovering from both.