Generally speaking, dermatologists say purging should be over within four to six weeks of starting a new skin care regimen. If your purge lasts longer than six weeks, consult your dermatologist.
During the first 3 weeks you are using benzoyl peroxide, your skin may become irritated. Also, your acne may seem to get worse before it gets better. If your skin problem has not improved within 4 to 6 weeks, check with your doctor.
Benzoyl peroxide usually takes about 4 weeks to start working. It can take up to 2 to 4 months for the treatment to have its full effect. What can I do if benzoyl peroxide does not work? Speak to a doctor if your skin does not improve with benzoyl peroxide, or if acne is making you feel very unhappy.
Its enduring popularity goes beyond its availability and affordability — benzoyl peroxide can help treat inflammatory acne lesions and related scarring. It's most helpful when used together with other treatments, such as topical retinoids.
Products that may cause purging
Retinoids such as Tretinoin, acids such as salicylic, and benzoyl peroxide are just a few of the products that cause purging. These products contain active ingredients that increase the skin cell turnover rate, therefore causing your skin to purge.
Spots appear where you frequently get them and they go away faster than a normal pimple. Purging is a sign that the product is working and you should continue with the treatment as prescribed. After a few weeks of purging, your skin and acne will have noticeably improved.
Skin purging typically looks like tiny red bumps on the skin that are painful to touch. They are often accompanied by whiteheads or blackheads. It can also cause your skin to become flaky. The flare ups caused by purging have a shorter lifespan than a breakout.
Skin purging may give you horrible high school flashbacks, but what you're experiencing is actually beneficial. Here are some of the benefits of skin purging: Your treatment is working – The sudden increase of blemishes means that the product is successfully increasing the skin cell turnover rate.
“Because purging is thought to be due to increased cell turnover, it's really going to bring preexisting microcomedones [small clogged hair particles] to the surface and will potentially turn into whiteheads, blackheads, papules, pustules, and cysts,” Dr. Shah explains.
How to treat skin purging. “If the skin barrier is compromised when you see purging then start ingredients which help with barrier repair, such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a non-comedogenic formulation. If you are using a treatment or product continue with a slower approach.”
Purging can last for anything from one or two weeks to one or two months. Breakouts can last a while; there is no time period that indicates when the breakouts will go away. The cell turnover speed is usual. The purging of the skin starts after a few days of using a new product.
Important: You cannot speed up skin purging, but you can reduce its intensity, says Green. For example, you can use small amounts of the product or use it less frequently, says Chang. This may mean starting with a retinol serum once a week, then slowly build-up to every day.
Unfortunately, purging can be a lengthy process and it can take up to three or so months before results start to show, especially if the treatment is an acne medicated treatment.
It's just a typical side effect, especially during the early stages of treatment. Don't expect any results yet. New pimples at this stage are completely normal. Benzoyl peroxide is a slow worker.
This is how inflammation occurs and why pimples are often red, swollen and pus-filled. This means that acne from skin purging can materialise as pustules, whiteheads, blackhead or cysts. But remember, skin purging pimples last only a short period of time so like, there is a silver lining.
1 If you're just beginning with your benzoyl peroxide treatment, start using moisturizer now, even before you notice any uncomfortable dryness. You may be able to stave off the worst of it. If you've already succumbed to benzoyl peroxide-induced dryness and flakiness, slather on moisturizer as often as necessary.
Consider any medicines and skin care products you already use. Some may make your skin more sensitive, such as prescription retinoid creams or products containing retinol or benzoyl peroxide. Exfoliating while using these products can trigger acne breakouts or excessive dryness.
If you have blackheads and whiteheads, salicylic acid alone should work well to clear out your pores. If your acne tends to be inflammatory, such as papules and pustules, opt for benzoyl peroxide to stop outbreaks at the source. For sensitive skin, start with salicylic acid, since it's less likely to cause irritation.
“Facials stimulate the skin and 'turn it on,' ” she says. “The skin's response is to function, and that's healthy. It can result in breakouts, but it should be rare.” In most cases, these breakouts will calm down in a day or two.
Many have questioned whether skin purging is real. It may seem contradictory that continuing to use a product through breakouts and holding on through some serious bad skin days can result in your complexion eventually clearing. But purging is absolutely real—especially if you have acne-prone skin to begin with.
Benzoyl peroxide is good for all types of acne, including cysts, blackheads and whiteheads, but it's particularly great at treating inflammatory cystic acne.
If you use a product containing benzoyl peroxide, it is best to wait until this product has been fully absorbed before applying a serum and/or moisturiser. Benzoyl peroxide works best when it has the chance to absorb into the skin first. This only takes a few seconds.
For example, if you suffer from hormonal acne, salicylic acid tends to be effective, while benzoyl peroxide might be all you need if you have garden-variety whiteheads.
Leaving a wash on overnight may irritate the skin due to the detergents in the wash. There are however benzoyl peroxide products that can be used as a wash, short-contact therapy (meaning you leave it on for 10-15 minutes then wash off) or as a leave-on product.