Boo! Hope I didn't scare you too badly! And no, that's not shaving or whipped cream on my face. It's the famous aspirin mask! This amazing, super simple, effective and downright cheap DIY skin treatment mask is perfect for those with congested, acne prone & oily/combo skin types. It's the best thing i've ever tried to elminate black & white heads which for even those of you lucky ones with beautiful normal or drier skin types can benefit from. The mask can be applied all over or just to the areas that you tend to get clogged pores and/or breakouts. In my picture above (stop laughing at me already!) you can see I avoided the area all around my eyes as I don't need the mask there.
The aspirin mask isn't just for your face though. It's also fantastic to exfoliate off the last lingering areas of an old spray tan or self tanner or before you get sprayed/self tan to exfoliate dry spots like elbows, knees, feet/heels, wrists, etc.
So why aspirin? Aspirin is a salicylic acid which is a potent Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA). You've probably seen this ingredient in your acne treatment products. BHA's are best to unclog stubborn blackheads and works wonders on shrinking adult hormonal acne which I know about all too well =(
Obviously, if you are allergic to aspirin DO NOT DO THE ASPIRIN MASK!! If you don't know if you're allergic, you have extra sensitive skin or it's your first time I recommend doing a small test patch area before diving in and doing your whole face.
How do you make the aspirin mask? Like I said, it's soooo easy! There's many versions of the aspirin mask but here's my favorite recipe that i've been doing for many years now.
You'll need:
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The cheapest generic aspirin you can find. If you can get your hands on uncoated aspirin grab it! Or you can use aspirin powder but this is more costly than a giant bottle of generic.
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100% Pure, No artificial dye or fragrance added Aloe Vera Gel (available at any drug store, Target, etc)
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Sturdy spoon to crush the aspirins.
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Piece of wax paper, plastic wrap or a pinch bowl like the one in the pic to crush and mix up the mask.
To make the mask:
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Simply take 5-8 aspirin depending how much of your skin you'll be masking. If you're doing just your nose or chin you'll only need 2 or 3.
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Take one aspirin at a time on your wax paper, pinch bowl, etc and crush each one into a powder with your spoon.
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Then add a few pea size drops of Aloe Vera Gel and mix into the aspirin to get a smooth paste. Make sure not to use too much of the aloe vera gel which will result in a very running texture that will drip off your face. Start with a small amount of aloe vera gel and add more if needed.
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Finally, apply the mask where needed! Be careful not to get it too close or in the nostrils as it can cause sneezing but using the aloe vera gel will help elminate this.
Other mixing mediums that you can use is pure organic honey like Manuka, Pure Jojoba oil if you have drier skin and glycerin. I don't recommend using just plain water because you are guaranteed to have a major sneezing fit. You definitely want a thicker base.
Wear the mask for 8-12 minutes and rinse off with luke warm water. For extra exfoliation wet your finger tips and very gently massage your face with the mask after it's already dried, before rinsing off completely. **I personally like to do this before I take a shower so I can easily rinse off every trace of the mask. You can use the mask 1-2 times a week or as needed. Remember that while exfoliation is essential to reveal beautiful, glowing skin you can easily exfoliate too much or too aggressively so don't go too crazy. Less is more!
That's it! If you end up trying the aspirin mask Tweet or FaceBook me a picture of you! And if you have a different recipe that you love please share it with the rest of us here under the comments. Happy masking and hello beautiful skin!
xoxo, Tiffany :)
