Beauty Tip: The Aspirin Mask

One of my friends posted a link to an aspirin mask tutorial on my Facebook page a few weeks ago. She knows I love little quirky  DIYs and this was no exception. At first it had me going, "errrrrhhhh? Aspirin?" but the idea quickly grew on me. Its cheap, and from my online research, many women find it quite effective.

FIRST OFF, if you are allergic to aspirin, don’t even bother reading further. You do not want to be anywhere near aspirin. Run!

The Aspirin Mask - Why does it work? 

The ingredient that makes the magic happen is salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that helps clean out pores and battle acne-causing bacteria. Beta Hydroxy Acids are found in many skin creams and work by exfoliating the dull, dead layers of skin, revealing fresh new skin underneath. Over time, BHA’s can help clarify skin tone and promote healing of blemishes. Aspirin is also an anti-inflammatory so it will immediately reduce redness. 

The Original Recipe (the one I used)

• 3# uncoated (or lightly coated) aspirin
• Few drops of water

Place the tablets in the palm of your hand and add a few drops of water directly on the pills. It will take mere seconds to dissolve. Use your finger to crush them evenly.

Apply the mask to your face, avoiding the eye area, and leave on for about 10 - 15 minutes or until it dries. 

Rinse off with warm water.

Follow up with a good moisturizer.

NOTE: The plain aspirin mask feels like sand on the face. It has no binding properties so it was slightly awkward to apply. I figured either which way, it made a good exfoliater! 

I decided to look for a variation to this recipe and came across one from Dr Oz. It is pretty much the same but instead of water, lemon juice was used.

Dr Oz Aspirin & Lemon Juice Flawless Skin Home Remedy

Doctor Oz said that this Flawless Skin Home Remedy is a great way to clear your complexion. The aspirin has salicylic acid which helps to remove acne and pimples since it is like a chemical peel. The lemon juice has vitamin C and helps minimize sun damage to your skin. Baking soda works great at the end to neutralize the salicylic acid.

Ingredients:

- non-coated aspirin

- lemon juice
- baking soda

Instructions:
1. Mash up 6-12 non-coated aspirins and combine with freshly squeeze lemon juice.
2. Let the aspirin dissolve until it turns into a paste.
3. Apply the mask to your skin and leave it on for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the face mask by dipping a cotton round in some baking soda and some water.

Tips

• Don't just stop at your face. Apply to the face, jaw, chest, back – any area that is prone to breakouts.
• This is great for men too as aspirin is wonderful for ingrown hairs (i.e. beard acne). 
• Use up to two times a week but make sure that you make a new batch each time you use.
• Other recipes add honey or yogurt which will help bind the mask making it easier to apply

You will notice an immediate glow to the skin once you rinse off the mask. Skin will feel heavenly soft and look luminous. Blackheads should decrease after the first use as well. 

Enjoy!

Precaution: 

Do not use this if you are pregnant, nursing, have issues with blood thinning, or have Reye’s disease. Discontinue use if you experience irritation. Although the rate of absorption is slower through the skin, aspirin WILL absorb into your so keep advised dosage amounts in mind. I am not a medical professional, and my advice should not be taken as medical advice.