Starting a new skincare product can be exciting and enjoyable, but an impending skin purge can be far from that. So, how long does skin purging last before you can experience your newly radiant and wonderfully healthy skin?
Keep reading to learn more.
Key Takeaways
- Skin purging usually lasts between four to six weeks. This time frame depends on a few factors, such as your skin type and the active ingredients used.
- Skin purging occurs after introducing a new skincare product into your daily routine.
- Products containing salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy acids, or other chemical exfoliants tend to increase skin cell turnover. This is what leads to a skin purge.
- An increase in cell turnover can bring impurities, dirt, and bacteria to the surface, leading to a spike in breakouts and blemishes.
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How Long Does Skin Purging Last?
Skin purging typically lasts between four to six weeks in most cases.
Since skin purging is often the result of increased skin cell turnover, it lasts one complete skin cycle. Skin purging is a temporary phenomenon that varies from individual to individual.
What Causes Skin Purging?
If you want to know how long your skin purge will last, it's a good idea to understand why this phenomenon occurs.
Unlike many other skin conditions or concerns, skin purging usually stems from one thing - and that one thing is a change in your skincare routine.
Introducing a new skincare product into your beauty regimen will many times lead to a skin purge. Most of the time, the new skincare product to blame is an over-the-counter treatment, a chemical exfoliant, or a product with higher concentrations of active ingredients.
Ingredients like retinoids, including retinol, often result in a skin purge as the turnover of skin cells increases. Other active ingredients, such as benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and azelaic acid, also boost cell turnover.
When skin cell turnover increases, it releases clogged pores. This encourages the formation of breakouts, whiteheads, and blackheads as debris rises to the surface of the skin.
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Is Skin Purging a Good Thing?
Most of the time, blemishes and breakouts aren't seen as a good thing. This often involves inflammation, irritation, and redness, which can be challenging to treat and handle. But purging actually has a silver lining.
Skin purging is simply a sign that your skin is moving onto bigger and better things. It's becoming healthier and cleaner, from the inside out.
Your skin is releasing the dirt, debris, and bacteria that block pores, paving the way for smoother and clearer skin. The new ingredients you've introduced into your skincare routine are increasing cell turnover, resulting in a radiant and healthy glow for your complexion.
What Does Skin Purging Look Like?
We've discussed the symptoms and signs of a skin purge a little. We've talked about breakouts and blemishes, but what does a skin purge really look like? How can you identify it?
Here's what skin purging looks like:
- Bumps on the skin that are red or slightly inflamed
- Breakouts or blemishes in the location where you applied the new product
- New breakouts in a location where you normally don't develop blemishes
- Dryness or flakiness that accompanies the bumps and breakouts
Skin purging can often involve inflammation, redness, and irritation. A good way to calm your skin is with an oil-free moisturizer for the face that is hydrating, healing, and nourishing.
How to Tell the Difference Between Skin Purging and Breakouts?
There are several ways to distinguish between skin purging and breakouts. The key lies in timing and location.
Timing
Skin purging usually happens when you start using a new skincare product. On the other hand, breakouts can happen at any time, many times brought on by stress, hormonal changes, or lifestyle changes.
Location
Breakouts most of the time happen in the same place. But skin purging can occur in places where you don't normally see breakouts, whiteheads, or blackheads.
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People Also Ask
How Long Does It Take for Skin to Clear After Purging?
The adjustment period of skin purging can be unpredictable, varying from individual to individual. The initial flare of a skin purge can be seen anywhere between one and four weeks at the start of a new skincare routine, and the purge can last anywhere between two and eight weeks.
Is There a Purge With Spironolactone?
Spironolactone, unlike retinoids, usually doesn't result in a skin purge. Only about 5% of cases see an acne flare-up or skin purge, and significant improvements to the skin usually take upwards of 12 weeks to kick in.
How Do I Know if My Skin Is Purging?
Many people struggle to tell the difference between a skin purge and an acne breakout. Physically, a skin purge does look like an acne breakout, with an increase in pimples or blemishes. However, skin purges usually happen if you start a new skincare product, which will trigger an increase in skin cell turnover.
Can Azelaic Acid Cause Purging?
Yes, azelaic acid may cause skin purging. This ingredient acts as a mild chemical exfoliant, which can increase cell turnover, bringing the impurities and bacteria in clogged pores to the skin's surface.
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