You bought a new skincare product and you’re really excited to give it a shot. The first couple of days, your skin looks amazing. Your skin is glowing and looking radiant and you’re so happy you bought this new product. But then, your skin starts to break out in blemishes. Now what?
Before you throw away your product and go for something new, make sure to read this blog to figure out if those pimples are a sign the product is doing its job or if it’s really time to get rid of it.
When you apply a new skincare product to the skin, the active ingredients work very quickly to increase skin cell turnover to expose the fresh skin cells and reveal clear skin underneath. As skin cell turnover speeds up, the skin starts shedding dead skin cells faster than normal.
What this leads to is the skin pushing everything up to the surface, causing blemishes varying from blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, or small pimples. Dry skin is also common. But how do you know if your new skincare product is producing a normal purge or your skin really is irritated from the product?
The main differences between purging and irritation
Although it may look the same, there are some notable differences between purging and irritation. Normal purging typically occurs in the same spots as usual breakouts but they do disappear faster than normal breakouts. Whereas breakouts or reactions from a product typically happen in a new area where you don’t usually breakout, and typically takes 8 to 10 days to appear, mature, and shrink.
What to do if you do experience purging
If you experience purging, the best thing to do is discontinue the use of any harsh acids and stick to a gentle skin routine to avoid further breakouts. But really, the best thing you can do is stick it out and wait until your skin clears up.
Be patient for one skin cycle, or about 3 weeks. Since purging is what happens when the active ingredients are speeding up the natural skin cell turnover of shedding and renewal, it should take about one full skin cycle to get through it. But everyone’s skin is unique, so that time frame can differ. If purging continues to occur after 6 weeks, discontinue use of the product.
Now on the other hand, if the skin is showing signs of irritation after the use of a new product, discontinue use as soon as possible.
What to expect when using Touch skincare products
Since our products are formulated with clean ingredients, the risk of irritation is very low. But if it does occur, it’s best to use this guide to determine whether it’s purging or irritation. If you find that your skin is being irritated, discontinue use or cut back the amount of times you use the product.
