Yes, Skin Purging Is A Thing But Don’t Worry, It’s Completely Normal

Have you ever experienced a delightful facial, only to find your skin breaks out the next day? Or perhaps you’ve introduced the latest must-have beauty product to your routine and your skin only gets worse?

Yes? Well, you’re not alone. It’s called purging and it’s completely normal.

To explain the in’s and out’s of it all, we spoke with Jess, one of our skin therapists at Self by The Parlour Room to answer all of your concerns. 

What is purging?

Although it might look like a bad breakout, when your skin is purging, it’s responding to the active ingredients in the products you’re using. Where a breakout is usually the result of poor diet, bacteria or excess sebum.

“Active ingredients wake up the fibroblast cells which are in charge of your collagen and elastin, which speeds up your skin cell turnover,” says Jess, “This process allows all of the dead and damaged skin cells to come forward and leave the skin, so new, fresh skin is able to surface”.

In other words, it’s drawing any build-up of congestion that may have already been sitting just underneath the skin, to the surface much quicker. 

Is purging normal?

Yes! And although this is typically the sort of thing you want to avoid, purging isn’t necessarily a bad thing either. As Jess explains, ‘It means we’re closer to improving the skin as we’re getting rid of any dead and damaged skin cells to then focus on fresh skin’. 

You’ll find it most common in those who are just starting out with their skincare journey or who have recently introduced a new product to their routine. It just takes time for your skin to adjust, especially if it isn’t used to particularly active ingredients or any products at all.

Can I avoid purging?

Everyone will react differently, so it’s hard to say, however according to Jess, “you can manage the level of purging by starting off with small amounts of low concentrated actives first.” For example, if you haven’t used Vitamin A before, you could instead introduce a Retonic Oil once a week before moving onto anything highly concentrated.

What should I do if my skin is purging?

If your skin is purging, it’s best to peel back your skincare regime and continue with the basics. Keep the skin clean and well-hydrated using a simple cleanser and moisturiser (with an SPF in the day) and stay away from any other active products for at least a week to let your skin settle down. 

Most people will only experience this kind of skin behaviour for a few days, if at all, however, everyone is different. 

The best thing to do is work with your therapist and trust that they know what they’re doing is best for your skin. 

It’s all part of the process of achieving healthy, glowing skin. 

It’s out with the old and in with the new!