So a bunch of pimples have just appeared. Cool. This is either your skin purging or a breakout. So how do you know when to persevere or pull the pin?

How to tell the difference between breakouts and purging.

Purging is your skin adjusting.

Breakouts are a reaction.

Purging is actually a sign that a product is working as intended. This usually looks like a new crop of pimples, an acne-flare up, or inflammation. 

But purging should only make already congested areas break out. For example, maybe there’s somewhere you usually just get blackheads and then they start turning into full-blown pimples. That’s a purge, babe.

When to ditch your skincare.

If you’re breaking out in places you wouldn’t normally, that’s a reaction. And you need to put the product down. 

You might be sensitive to something in the formula, or it could be blocking your pores, or you might have started too many new products at once. There can be too much of a good thing.

If it’s irritating you and making existing acne worse, ditch it. 

What skincare causes purging?

Products that contain active ingredients and increase skin turnover can cause your skin to purge AKA bring all the gunk to the surface. 

These ingredients might be:

• Glycolic and lactic acids, which you’d find in my Glycolic Body Scrub and Smoothing AHA Body Lotion (purging happens on your body, too).
• Salicylic acid in A Clearing Body Wash can cause purging because it goes deep to clear out pores.
• Retinoids in my Rewind Retinol Serum, because it encourages skin cell turnover
• Fruit enzymes like in my Brightening Vitamin C Mask, but stick with it and you’ll see clear results. Literally. 
• Physical exfoliants like my Original Face Scrub.

Remember, purging is a good thing. It’s bringing all the pore-clogging stuff to the surface so you can whisk it down the drain. 

The key is to find products that are right for you. If your skin is irritated, cut it out.

But if you’re purging, stick with it. Trust the process, babe.