Skin Purging 101: What’s Happening When You Go Natural
Okay, so you did it. You finally crossed it off your list and made the switch to using organic skincare. You were expecting clear skin, instant results, and a wow-level glow.
But instead? You’re dealing with a full-on teenage-style skin meltdown.
Blackheads. Congestion. Breakouts. Yikes!
This kind of reaction can make you second-guess your decision and wonder how anyone can use organic skincare products.
But keep going because this is part of the process. The healing process, if you will.
What is Skin Purging?
When your skin purges, it speeds up skin cell turnover as it adjusts to your new products, ingredients, and routine.
If you’ve switched to natural and organic skincare (like the kind we create at Honey Girl Organics), with ingredients like raw honey, olive oil, and botanical extracts. Your skin begins to release hidden congestion that has been sitting beneath the surface.
What Happens During a Purge?
- Dead skin cells shed more quickly
- Temporary acne may pop up
- Congestion comes to the surface
- The skin may even “switch modes” - if you were oily, you might suddenly look dry
All of this is totally normal. It’s just your skin adjusting to real, raw, organic ingredients, and it’s okay.
How Do I Know If It’s Purging or a Reaction?
Purging will resemble typical flare-ups and typically clear up in 1 to 3 weeks. After that, you’re left with fresher, clearer skin.
An allergic reaction is a different story. It’ll appear in new places or ways your skin has never reacted before, and tends to worsen over time. You won’t get that glow afterward; instead, your skin may look damaged: peeling, itching, oozing, broken, or inflamed.
What Causes the Purge in the First Place?
If your skin is used to conventional products full of synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances, and preservatives, those ingredients often suppress your skin’s natural function. They hide issues instead of addressing and resolving them.
When you switch to organic skincare, there’s no more masking. No more faking.
So what happens?
You may notice the resurfacing of issues that were previously hidden behind all those chemicals. Or you might shed some of those very chemicals as your skin detoxes.
Think of it like a juice cleanse for your body.
Everyone talks about feeling lighter, glowing, and energized, but real detoxing means your body (or skin!) processes what’s been built up over time.
That processing period is exactly what you’re going through.
How to Push Through the Purge
Keep the chemical-filled products off your skin
We know it’s tempting to revert to what felt “safe,” but staying consistent with your new organic routine is the only way to get through it. If you stop and bring the toxic products back in, the cycle starts all over again.
Let your skin breathe
Strip down your skincare routine to just the essentials: facial cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF. Build in more makeup-free days so your skin can focus on healing, not processing extra products.
Support your body from the inside
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink water to flush your system. Cut back on sugar. Reduce alcohol and inflammatory foods, as they can all affect your skin’s ability to find its new, balanced rhythm.
Trust the Process (Even When It’s Annoying)
We understand; the temptation to return to what was comfortable is real.
But we promise you: switching to organic, raw, unfiltered products with no chemicals, no synthetic fragrance, and no preservatives will not only give you the skin of your dreams, but it will also come with so many extra benefits.
You’ll reduce your toxic load, avoid hormone-disrupting ingredients, and feed your skin what nature intended: pure love from Mother Earth and all the healing ways she supports us in our beauty and wellness journeys.
Remember: Every purge comes to an end.
Keep going.
We're proud of you for choosing organic, not just for yourself but for the planet, too!
With love,
Ashley & the Honey Girl Organics Team