Lab notes · 5 min read
Purging is real, but it's rarer than you think
How to tell the difference between purging and a breakout you should stop using.
True purging only happens with ingredients that speed up cell turnover — retinoids and chemical exfoliants, mainly. It shows up as smaller, faster-cycling breakouts in areas you already broke out, and it resolves within four to six weeks.
If a new moisturiser, sunscreen, or cleanser causes breakouts, that's not purging — that's the product not agreeing with your skin, in a new location, and it won't self-resolve. Stop using it.
The most common purging mistake is giving a genuinely bad reaction too much benefit of the doubt, waiting six weeks for something that was never going to improve.
If in doubt: purging happens where you already broke out and gets better over time. A true reaction happens somewhere new and gets worse or stays the same.
