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Skin Purging vs. Breakouts
Brittan Bates
Global Brand Storytelling
4 min read
Discover the difference between skin purging and skin breakouts. It can be difficult to know whether you’re experiencing a purge or a breakout. We share tips on differentiating between the two processes.
Seeing spots and pimples on your face will most likely lead you to think that you’re experiencing a skin breakout. However, not all spots are created equal! In fact, they can appear out of nowhere and for various reasons. It’s not always easy to determine how a blemish is formed, why it appeared, and what to do about it. And trying to figure out how to deal with it can be mind-boggling.
In this article, we will look at skin purging versus breakouts and tell you how to identify what is happening with your skin.
Skin purging can occur when you use a certain new skincare product and it brings all the dead skin cells, bacteria, dirt, and oil beneath your skin to the surface before getting rid of them. This will lead to breakouts which is known as purging. Ultimately, skin purging is a reaction to an active ingredient that speeds up the skin cell turnover rate. The goal is to expose younger-looking and fresher skin cells underneath the purged layer. For these fresh, healthy cells to cycle to the surface, the stuff on top must rise to the surface first. This process of a skin purge can cause pimples and dry, peeling skin.
Many skincare products can cause skin purging. However, alpha hydroxy acid and beta hydroxy acid in exfoliators are common causes. This happens as it exfoliates the inner layers of your skin by making it slightly loose on application and clearing out oil and dirt. Other products that contain benzoyl peroxide, retinyl palmitate, retinol tazarotene, vitamin C, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid can also cause skin purging. The function of these ingredients is to help your skin generate new cells.
When your skin goes through a purge, it is the most sensitive and vulnerable. You cannot stop the process and must be patient until it heals. However, you can minimize or speed up the process by following these tips:
If you’re adding a new product to your routine, you should remember that not all reactions are necessarily a skin purge. This is important to know when asking yourself, “What is purging?” If you have any skincare concerns, you should be aware that the product could irritate your skin for a different reason, such as clogging your pores which can lead to acne or trigger an allergic reaction.
Here is how you can determine the difference between a purge and a breakout.
If you ever find yourself concerned and asking yourself, “What are breakouts?”, you’ll discover that they occur when the pores of your skin become blocked with oil, bacteria, and dead skin. To avoid this, you should choose products that promote oil control and know how to choose the right face serum.
Discover the best safe and effective products at Fresh. Whether you’re seeking the right serum or products for uneven skin texture, you will find them right here! Use the best skincare range with no compromise.
Written by Brittan Bates for Fresh. Brittan is an NYC-based writer, editor, and storyteller with 9 years of experience spanning digital and print journalism, copywriting, brand strategy, and more. Her work has appeared in publications such as Teen Vogue and brands including Diane von Furstenberg, abc carpet & home, FRĒDA SALVADOR, and more.
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