How do you know if you're just purging......?
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free skin care · Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:03 am

...allergic/sensitive to a product or an ingredient or breaking out due to other reasons?
Say you're testing out a product at night and the following morning you get a few new pimples, how do you find the culprit to that!? Confused

I used to love trying out new products but since I had acne 2 years ago, I dont enjoy using new stuff in case I get more pimples. But you read people saying that they purged when they first started using x product, but soon they had beautiful skin...but when do you know when you've finished purging, couldnt the purging stage be that you're allergic to one of the ingredients or that its clogging your pores

I've been trying to analyse and think of answers for this question, so over the past few months, I try to figure it out by seeing whether I had any junk food, I had enough sleep the past few days and what new products I've used. Say, I've been sleeping at 3 or 4 in the morning for the past week, then I use a new moisturiser and it caused breakouts, I would think "oh no it broke me out, I'm not going to use it anymore" but actually that could have been my HG if I had used it on days when I had a good nights rest.

I mean...how do you know if a product is suitable for you???

free skin care · Mon Jul 14, 2008 12:16 pm

Hi yeah yeah, I think this is hard to explain, but here is how I view my skin and whether it is purging or not. I know what "types" of pimples I get and where. People say that your skin could be purging and bringing up all the underground stuff under your skin, which is true...except in the cases that...if I have never had "these types" of breakouts, or if I never never had breakouts on my temples and now all of a sudden with a new product I am? Well, I would have never had pimples there, so how is it purging? No, it is creating the breakouts. The true test for me, was I was using a product (Albolene) to do an OCM sort of speak. I had more blackheads in two days, then I have ever had in my life. Also, I got three cystic acne pimples on my chin in one day. I have only had about three cystic type acne's in my whole life, so I knew this product was not for me. As soon as I stopped using it, my face cleared, no more cystic acne (finally down to one that I am still babying) and I only have two more blackheads to extract (when they are ready)..I had to get rid of 15 total. This is crazy. So long answer, I think you know your skin.

free skin care · Mon Jul 14, 2008 12:20 pm

well, as I know myself very well, I do get terrible breakouts if I do not get enough sleep. It`s just like my immune system crashes down being deprived of healthy sleep, and the next day I say hello to a lot of pimples Sad

It`s always like that with me, so I wouldn`t judge the product if not had enough sleep - it`s not the culprit for a breakout here...
same with my monthly periods - I just know I have more pimples before it...

but if I`m using a product being rested and in a good health and it causes breakouts, well, I`ll give it a couple of days... may be a week to see, but then will quit. This was the case with Dr.H cleansing cream with me - it was the only one new product then, and I had new pimples every days while I was using it. So it was obvious.
Also it is helpful not to try many new products at the same time, but rather one by one - then you can say for sure which one is causing problems.

I don`t get it how people go through long purging periods though... it really can mean an allergy or clogged pores... Confused

free skin care · Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:54 pm

Thanks for your detailed replies!

bergquis wrote:

People say that your skin could be purging and bringing up all the underground stuff under your skin, which is true...except in the cases that...if I have never had "these types" of breakouts, or if I never never had breakouts on my temples and now all of a sudden with a new product I am?

So, if starting a new product and you breakout from them on areas that you dont usually get pimples, that's not purging?

My skin is weird though so I dont know where I usually breakout anymore...seem to get pimples every where on my face. When I first started getting acne, it was on my forehead and nose, then to my chin then to my cheeks. So if a random spot appears on my face, I cant really say whether that a products breaking me out.

Aiva wrote:

I don`t get it how people go through long purging periods though... it really can mean an allergy or clogged pores...

Same here. However, unless straight upon contact or within a few hours of using a product, I get an itch or weird feel to my skin then I know that that product isnt right for me. But if its something that I'm DYING to want to like, I usually give it another try Embarassed

free skin care · Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:07 pm

Personally I don't buy into the whole purging thing, at least not from topical products. I'm not 100% sure though, but this is my hunch.

However, I think purging from stuff you do to your insides is very possible. I knew a girl who started some medication for acne she purged awfully, and then totally cleared up. She said that she was supposed to do that. For a little while I was trying oil pulling just to see. (you basically gargle some oil on an empty stomach) I purged with that, and then my skin cleared up and it was obvious to me that it was the oil pulling that was doing it. I did give up on the oil pulling because I didn't feel I was getting much out of it, it wasn't worth it. But it was just something I wanted to try.

free skin care · Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:14 pm

I didn't use to think it was possible but after beginning my current regime I've changed my mind. However, I tried OCM when I first came to EDS and my skin burned, itched and began to peel off. Someone suggested that was purging. Luckily, I didn't agree and quit the OCM. If someone says they're breaking out in huge cystic acne, then mho it's not purging. I know when I first tried AHA's I'd get one or two spots that would disappear quickly. That seems more in line with a purging type response and in fact is known to happen with some acids so I do think it can happen but not to a huge extent.

free skin care · Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:40 pm

I just started using retinoids and am having pimples!
I used retinoids many years ago and don't recall this problem. They seem to be clearing up now, but my questions are:

1) How do I prevent scarring from the pimples? (red/brown/purple spots that take forever to disappear)

2) How do I keep from getting pimples every time I increase the strength of my retinoid?

FYI - I'm using Green Cream 3 + AOX 10% by SC + Devita 30 sunscreen.
thanks

free skin care · Fri Aug 08, 2008 10:14 pm

fawnie wrote:

I just started using retinoids and am having pimples!
I used retinoids many years ago and don't recall this problem. They seem to be clearing up now, but my questions are:

1) How do I prevent scarring from the pimples? (red/brown/purple spots that take forever to disappear)

2) How do I keep from getting pimples every time I increase the strength of my retinoid?

FYI - I'm using Green Cream 3 + AOX 10% by SC + Devita 30 sunscreen.
thanks

I definitely purged when I started Retin-A...they tell you right up front things will look worse before they get better. There are clogs that have already formed under your skin if you are at all blemish prone, and the retinoid product helps bring them up to the top, AND they prevent new ones from forming.

1. I am in AWE at how quickly tamanu oil took the red out of a couple of breakout scars (results of trying a product my skin hated)...it seems to be WAY more anti-inflammatory than emu oil. Here is the thread that convinced me to buy it:

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=29849&highlight=tamanu

2. The key to avoiding future breakouts is to use the retinoid product regularly to keep clogs from forming. If it were me, I would ramp up in frequency with the weaker product, and then immediately cut back in frequency with the new stronger product. That might balance it out a bit and hopefully limit any additional purging.

free skin care · Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:48 pm

The ladies that are using new products and getting breakouts the next day; reason is the actives in your new product. Something is irritating your skin. OR could be the change in your skin care. Anytime you bring a change to your skin care routine, skin will react especially if there are actives such as retinoids etc. HTHs!

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