AT A GLANCE
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WHAT IT IS
Skin purging is a temporary condition of breakouts due to adverse reaction to external environment or, in most cases, some ingredients in your skincare products -
WHAT IT DOES
It is a known fact that people with sensitive skin are more likely to have skin purging. The constantly experience redness and skin inflammation when using certain active ingredients -
HOLY GRAIL PRODUCTS
Harmony Glycopolymer Solution, Zitlox Salicylic Acne Gel, Glow To Go Glycolic Acid Peel Pads
What is Skin Purging? How Does It Differ From Breakouts?
Skin purging is a temporary condition of breakouts, where your skin either has dry flakes, redness, peeling, or itching, due to adverse reaction to external environment or, in most cases, some ingredients in your skincare products.
What is purging of skin?
Purging of skin is a quick reaction that happens when you apply a new skincare product, especially ones with ingredients that are meant to exfoliate your older, dead, damaged skin out and speed up the skin cell turnover rate of your underlying skin. Purging usually happens in a common area where you usually breakout and it disappears faster than a pimple.
Is skin purging good?
While skin purging might give us flashbacks of teenage acne breakouts and might make us feel irritated, it is actually beneficial. However, despite the results and the goal, skin purging isn’t necessarily good or a smooth process. It’s easier said than done. However, the good thing about purging is that it is just a phase, unlike breakouts, and will clear quickly.
What does skin purging look like?
Purging usually appears on the regular areas where breakouts or acne are common for you. Usually, purging looks like whiteheads or small raised red bumps. These appear on the chin, near the nostrils, etc. Known as papules, these will go away in a few weeks. To know the difference between skin purging and true breakouts, you must know how those breakouts look like nodules or cysts. Breakouts are also larger, swollen and more painful.
How long does skin purging last?
Purging may last anywhere between a few days to a few weeks. It is quite temporary, and for the period of purging, it will slowly reduce, and you can see good changes in your skin and a healthy overall improvement. Once the initial symptoms of purging reduce, you will notice smoother, brighter, and healthier-looking skin. The overall skin tone would also be improved.
Skin purging vs breakout?
While skin purging and breakouts look almost the same, you can know them apart through a few differences. Furthermore, the causes of both are also quite different. As we said earlier, skin purging can be due to the use of a new skincare product that is causing your skin to improve, breakouts can be caused due to stress, certain foods, clogged pores, etc.
While both of them look like whiteheads, blackheads, or pimples, the difference lies in how tender they are. Purging usually leaves your skin tender, while breakouts on the other hand look and feel swollen and painful.
Finally, the significant difference that separates purging from breakouts is that purging makes your skin look dry, flaky, and peeling, while breakouts look like nodules and/or cysts.
What is skin purging and how does it differ from breakouts?
Depending on an individual’s skin type, texture, complexion, and sensitivity, skin purging may look different for different people. Generally, skin redness, itching, peeling, or flakiness are common signs of purging, but they may also cause excessive blackheads, whiteheads, and acne. While breakouts and skin purging look similar, the causes for the two differ deeply. For example, skin purging predominantly occurs due to the incorporation of a new skincare product or a facial treatment, while causes for breakouts can range anywhere from stress to hormonal imbalance.
The causes of skin purging and common triggers:
Some of the common causes of skin purging are:
- Incorporating a new skincare product
- Overusing chemical exfoliants
- Allergic to ingredients in certain skincare products
- Retinol intolerance
Common triggers that cause skin purging are anti-aging products and actives that we use to treat acne breakouts.
How to recognize and identify skin purging:
It is a known fact that people with sensitive skin are more likely to have skin purging. The constantly experience redness and skin inflammation when using certain active ingredients. Therefore, it is always advisable to do patch test before introducing a new skincare product to sensitive skin. Any signs that are similar to skin breakouts that occur after a facial treatment or commencement of a new product or due to a change in a skincare regime is a telltale sign of skin purging.
The benefits of skin purging:
Skin purging usually appears and fades quicker than breakouts. Only advantage of skin purging is that it shows you that an active that you have introduced is working on your skin. Continuing the use of a skincare product when the skin purging occurs will augment the skin cell turnover frequency cycle, which will help in improving the skin texture in the longer run.
How to manage and treat skin purging:
The best way to manage and treat skin purging is through it. You shall continue your regular skincare, but include enough nourishing and hydrating ceramides and moisturizers, apply and reapply SPF as needed, and finally be hydrated. Apart from these, also make sure to never peel any flaky skin, pop any pimples, or unnecessarily touch your face, as these are the reasons for delay in your skin purging to calm down.
The potential risks and precautions to consider when experiencing skin purging:
If you are constantly touching your face or if you try to peel your flaky skin, it can lead to permanent acne scars and blemishes, which may become hard to get rid of later. Additionally, the redness in sensitive skin may cause you itching and irritation, which may make you uncomfortable.
To avoid such issues, the best precautions are to always nourish and moisturize your skin, which calms the dryness, and use skincare products that are loaded with calming ingredients, which will nullify or reduce the purging caused by the active ingredients present in them.
How to prevent or minimize the occurrence of skin purging:
As mentioned earlier, the best way to minimize or prevent occurrence of skin purging, is to look for skincare products that are loaded with anti-inflammatory and calming ingredients. Zitlox Salicylic Acid Gel, while having the powerful salicylic acid as the main ingredient, contains tea tree oil and neem oil that fight skin issues and alleviates purging and breakouts.
Another interesting product is the Soothing Mist which is formulated with over 15 botanicals to reduce redness, soothe breakouts, and restore the skin's natural balance.
Tips for maintaining healthy, radiant skin during and after skin purging:
The best way to keep your skin healthy and radiant even while experiencing skin purging is to uses actives at night or with proper SPF during the day. Also, always remember to wear enough protective clothing to keep your skin safe from sun damage.Â
 How to stop skin purging immediately?
Since the result of purging is clean and healthy skin, it is better to let the purging process complete naturally. However, if it is extremely painful or unbearably uncomfortable, it's better to talk to your dermatologist. On the other hand, for regular skin purging, you can incorporate some skincare treatments, that help in you having a smooth and pain or scar-free purging process.
First and foremost, don’t touch your face or pop any pimples. Cleanse your face twice and day and make sure that you apply and reapply SPF adequately. To minimize the effects of skin purging, you can incorporate skincare products that are loaded with anti-inflammatory and calming ingredients. Zitlox Salicylic Acid Gel, while having powerful salicylic acid as the main ingredient, contains tea tree oil and neem oil that fight skin issues and alleviate purging and breakouts, and it acts as a spot treatment on acne caused by purging.
Another interesting product is the Soothing Mist which is formulated with over 15 botanicals to reduce redness, soothe breakouts, and restore the skin's natural balance. You can spray this as often as needed to calm your skin purging and/or redness.
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