How can we determine if our skin is purging or if it's experiencing an acne breakout, an allergic reaction?

Here's how to determine if you're experiencing an acne breakout, an allergic reaction-type rash, or if your skin is simply purging itself.

• Verify the ingredients present in the skincare product.

  A purge occurs when you have applied a care product concentrated in active substances with exfoliating properties or that stimulate the production of new skin cells (salicylic acid, retinoids, glycolic acid...). Indeed, by more rapidly eliminating the top layer of dead cells and accelerating cellular renewal, imperfections may surface. Otherwise, it is a skin reaction caused by the use of a product unsuitable for your skin type.

• The duration of the acne breakout.

  The purge is a temporary phenomenon, which should disappear after a certain period of time. Generally, it takes between 4 to 8 weeks to subside, the necessary time for the skin to complete a full cycle of cellular regeneration. However, if acne pimples persist, this means it's an acne outbreak. They take much longer to retract.

• The localization of pimples.

  Pimples resulting from a purge almost always appear in the areas where you regularly experience acne outbreaks, whereas a pimple eruption related to an allergy will occur in places where you are not accustomed to seeing them.

• The type of pimple.

  The purge manifests itself through the appearance of microcomedones such as blackheads and/or whiteheads, while an allergic skin reaction more often results in the appearance of red bumps. It is often accompanied by other symptoms indicative of an allergy such as red patches, itching, and skin dryness.