CLEAN START

Ashleigh Cometti enlists an expert to explain what skin purging is and how it differs from a breakout

IF THERE’S ONE THING SPOTS have in common, it’s that they often rear their heads at the most inconvenient of times. But determining the root cause of said spot can be a difficult task, not to mention establishing what type of blemish it is and how best to show it the door. It might sound a little scary, but the term “skin purging” isn’t half as gunky, grimy or gruesome as social media would have us believe.

Famed for her science-first formulations, Dr Barbara Sturm is the personin-theknow when addressing blemishes and breakouts. Here, she advises how skin purging is different to a regular breakout, and how best to deal with it.

What is skin purging and what causes it?

Simply put, a skin purge refers to the reaction some skin types have

to certain skincare ingredients, primarily vitamin A and its derivatives like retinol, or acids like AHAS, BHAS or PHAS, Sturm says.

Typically, the skin renews itself every 28 days, but chemical exfoliants speed up that process by increasing cell turnover, often causing irritation or acne-like symptoms.

“Generally, ‘skin purging’ refers to short-term aggravation of the skin due to using harsh ingredients that stimulate skin renewal or that work against blemishes [like fruit acids],” Sturm says.

“However, the term is sometimes used to also classify skin irritation that may occur when you change your skincare regimen.”

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How long does it last?

Thankfully, a skin purge is only ever temporary, and is a sign that the product you’ve just incorporated into your routine is actually working. “The process usually takes a maximum of three

months, but it’s often less,” Sturm says.

What are some types of acne that crop up during a skin purge?

Often, the pimples that appear during a purge were already there, sitting dormant under the skin’s surface. But because certain ingredients speed up the skin cell turnover process, spots can pop up a lot sooner than they would normally have.

Purge pimples fall under the umbrella of “inflammatory acne”, including whiteheads, blackheads and cysts.

According to Sturm, skin purging most commonly affects those who already suffer with acne.

“If you don’t have an acne condition, you’ll often get a pimple or two when you try a new product with an active ingredient that your skin isn’t used to, but not a complete breakout,” she says.

Can you tell the difference between skin purging and a regular breakout?

It’s a tricky one to define, Sturm says, as in some cases breakouts and skin purging can be a continuum of one another.

Generally, a breakout is caused by a clogged pore becoming inflamed, leading to open (blackhead) or closed (whitehead) comedones, whereas a purge has a precipitant — like a new product or skin treatment like a chemical peel or laser.

“A good indication may be if you have recently changed your skincare routine, but even in that case it may be that your skin is reacting to an ingredient that you have an intolerance to,” Sturm says.

For this reason, it’s important to remember that not all reactions can be classified as a skin purge — in some cases a product can be irritating your skin for a different reason, like allergies or using too many harsh products all at once.

The location of your acne is a good differentiator between the two — purges can trigger breakouts in the same places your spots usually crop up, so if skin