Skin cleansing and what happens

Skin cleansing

Skin clearing is the first reaction your skin has to a new 'active ingredient' from a product. This active ingredient speeds up the rate of cell turnover, causing hidden layers beneath the skin's surface to pop out faster than normal. Skin clearing reactions can last up to a maximum of a month. If the reaction lasts longer, it could be a breakout masquerading as a skin clearing reaction.

Why does this happen?

Normally, the cell turnover rate is 28 days. However, skin cleansing is the acceleration of this cell turnover rate, created by the active ingredients in the new product.

Many comedones (clogged pores) lie deep within the skin and are therefore not visible to the naked eye. However, due to the rapid rate of cell turnover, comedones are pushed up to the skin's surface, where they come into contact with the air and become irritated! This inflammation makes it easier for acne to develop.

So it makes sense to cleanse your skin a few days after starting a new product. This speeds up the process of 'invisible' microcomedones being pushed up to and appearing on the skin's surface.

What products can cause the 'purging reaction'?

The only products that can cause skin cleansing reactions are those that accelerate the rate of cell turnover. Products without an active ingredient effectively cannot create this type of reaction.

Below are some of the active ingredients that can cause a skin cleansing reaction: (Top to bottom = most to least common)

Retinoids, tretinoin, or other vitamin A derivatives. These are common ingredients in anti-aging products. So be aware that when you start using anti-aging products, a cleansing reaction may occur.

Vitamin C derivatives, especially those with a higher concentration.

Hydroxy acids (lactic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, mandelic acid, natural fruit acids, etc.) These are commonly found in chemical exfoliants or peeling pads.

Physical scrubs (sugar, salt, tea leaves).

Outbreak, what is it?

Breakouts are an inflammatory reaction caused by irritation from clogged pores (dead skin cells, ingrown hairs, clogging products, oil).

The effects of outbreaks may last until you stop using the product causing the reaction or until you have built up an immunity to the product.

So, is what I'm experiencing skin cleansing or breakouts?

In short, skin cleansing is the result of an accelerated cell turnover rate due to active ingredients in your skincare product. Skin cleansing can then lead to breakouts as comedones are pushed to the skin's surface more quickly and experience inflammation.

The best way to determine if your skin is experiencing a case of breakouts or skin clearing is to examine your skin routine and lifestyle.

Have you recently introduced a product with a strong active ingredient into your routine before experiencing strange breakouts? If you catch yourself saying yes, it could most likely be skin cleansing. Are you experiencing changes in your lifestyle and stress levels at the same time as changing your skin routine? This could be a nasty case of breakouts.

Common mistakes with skin cleansing and breakouts

Dealing with a skin breakout and breakouts can be frustrating, but there are common habits we have that can actually make them worse!

– Picking at pimples. We know it can be hard to resist popping those pimples, but trust us when we say that picking at pimples (even just touching them) can cause more infection or scarring! So keep your fingers away!

– Throwing on a bunch of different products (at once). With a new wave of breakouts, it’s always best to use less product. Your skin is going through a lot, and adding all sorts of different types of new products is a big no-go! Instead of making your breakouts better, you’re only making your acne worse and making it harder to find the culprit. Do yourself and your skin a favor, use less and let it breathe!

– Stressing about it. Staring at it in the mirror won’t make it better. Don’t spend time stressing about the condition of your skin, because it can actually make it worse! Stress can promote the release of hormones, which creates more sebum production, which is a major cause of acne.

– Blaming the product. This can be tricky. Our first instinct when we start to break out is to blame the products we use. However, the product is not always the cause. Acne can be caused by several factors, including stress levels, health, weather conditions, and the environment (dust, pollution, etc.). So instead of blaming the products you use, try to think of other factors, such as recent lifestyle changes, that could be the culprit.

– Covering it up with makeup. We all have the urge to cover up and hide our breakouts. However, makeup and makeup brushes can actually increase the risk of creating more clogged pores. So instead of trying to cover them up, be confident and let them peek out for a while. Here’s a secret: Most people don’t care or don’t even notice!

– Too much spot treatment. Sometimes, when we see an angry red bump, we reach for a spot treatment that contains strong ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or tea tree oil. But don’t overdo it! Too much can dry out your skin, and double-treating can actually reduce its effectiveness and make your pimples worse. Remember, a little goes a long way, and more isn’t necessarily better!

Skin Clearing or Breakouts: What You Should Do!

– Skin cleansing. Keep going! After a month, you should see some significant and long-lasting improvements in your skin. But remember: don’t pick at your acne, or you’ll have to deal with hyperpigmentation!

– Breakouts. First try to see if the cause is external (lifestyle changes), and if not, drop the new product and use older and proven products in your previous routines that have worked for you to help relieve stress and irritation caused by the former.

– Introduce new products one at a time. Don’t overwhelm your skin with a bunch of new products. This can make it difficult to accurately identify which product is causing which reaction.

– Introduce active ingredients slowly. Start with fewer doses and less frequently, then gradually increase over time. This will put a “brake” on the cleansing effect, so that it happens more slowly than when you start with the ingredients at “full” doses.

– Be patient. Before you judge the effectiveness of the product, try using it for at least 3 weeks. Don’t panic when you get an initial reaction and don’t throw the product away before it can improve your skin. Give the product 3-4 weeks to prove itself!

– Keep your skin in shape. Regardless of breakouts or skin cleansing, make sure your skin always stays moisturized!

– Never forget to use sunscreen. Introducing “active” products into your daily routine means applying sunscreen in layers to reduce inflammation or damage to your skin.