According to many people, one of the reasons they fail to start a skincare routine or revamp their current routine is because they experience skin purging. It is usual for one to sometimes experience an adverse reaction like an increase in breakouts or dry, flaky skin when introducing new products to the skin. Although our natural instinct is to stop using these products at times, these products may also lead to a positive skin result. Thus, it is significant to recognize the difference between skin purging from other breakouts.
A skin purge refers to the reaction some skin has commonly to products containing retinols and acids. These specific ingredients are known to speed up the natural process of exfoliation and cause your skin to shed off more dry skin cells than its usual rate, regenerate new skin cells sooner than they would on their own, which can bring blockages to the surface and cause irritation and breakouts.
Here’s how we differentiate skin purging from other breakouts :
|
Skin Purging |
Breakouts |
|
|
Duration |
Lasts up from 4-6 weeks |
It could go on for months |
|
Location |
Appears on regular breaking out areas |
At random, sometimes at new areas of the face |
|
Symptoms |
Whiteheads, blackheads, papules, cysts, dryness, peeling, or flaking |
Whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, nodules, cystic lesions |
|
Ingredients |
|
|
It is vital to identify the reactions on your skin and choose your ingredients wisely before applying them to your face. Just like watching your food habits for a healthy diet, the skin care products ingredients and indicators help us understand our skin needs to treat them better. If you do realise the products are causing a regular breakout, do take necessary action and consult an expert before trying another product.
We would also recommend the skin buffer method as a cherry on top for those of you introducing special ingredients like retinol to your skincare routine.
- It is advised for individuals to start from the lowest concentration when getting retinols in order to test it with your skin sensitivity with minimal reactions.
- The skin buffer method encourages you to slowly phase in new products by using them on alternate days for 2 weeks.
- As time goes on, you can identify the products compatibility with your skin and alter the usage amount accordingly.
- It is also advised for individuals to use retinols after applying your moisturiser as it would control the absorption rate to your skin instead of direct application to your face.
Here are some recommended clean & vegan skin care products for you to start right:
