DIY Beauty: Clarifying Aspirin Face Mask

Sometimes, outside of all the lovely luxury products, and even the high-street reasonably priced products, you can find a little gem of a DIY recipe that makes a big difference for a very small price.  A while ago, I read Very Good Things on MakeupAlley.com about Aspirin Masks.  So I dived right in and tried a couple of variations, and was very impressed.  As I'd heard, my skin was smooth, more even in tone, very clear looking, and the pesky spots lurking on my chin had dried up and calmed right down.  Some people even report that regular aspirin masks have helped clear their acne scars.

So, here is a short guide to how to make your own aspirin mask.  Read on afer the jump for many photos and step by step instructions.




Firstly, and most importantly, you need to use uncoated basic aspirin - certainly not a brand-name painkiller which may also contain other chemicals.  I get mine from Boots or Tesco, and they usually cost under 50p for a pack of 12 aspirins.

Secondly, and even more importantly, DO A PATCH TEST.  The prospect of chemical burns on your face if this is too strong for your skin should be enough to scare you into it!  Use a small patch of skin on your inner arm.  Obviously, if you are allergic to aspirin, stay well away.

Put a few aspirin into a small container, and drip some water onto them; I use my fingertips, and only tend to drip about 2 or 3 drops of water per tablet.  Leave for a few minutes.
 

After a few minutes, poke the tablets with your (clean) fingertip.  They should break down easily, provided you added enough water.  If they don't crumble under your fingertip, add a bit more water and wait a little longer. 




You should end up with a gritty paste that contains many small white flecks, as shown.  This is your basic aspirin mask; in this form, you'll have a lot of trouble getting it to stick to your face.  Some people add honey, some people add yoghurt, I quite like a bit of oil (olive, coconut, Clarins, whatever).


 
Mix your chosen additive into the paste with your fingertip again.  If you're using oil, it won't mix entirely due to the water base.  Don't worry though, it'll still stick to your face.

 
 


To apply, get a dab of the paste onto your fingers and pat gently onto your face; the mask is quite gritty, and so you won't be able to spread it on like a traditional creamy mask, unless you've used a lot of yoghurt/honey/oil.  Leave it on for a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes.

If you have very oily skin you can splash your face with a touch of water and use the grains to exfoliate a bit; however, they are very gritty and they will scrub your skin quite hard, so be gentle.  Otherwise, just rinse off with water.  Pat the skin dry, and apply a moisturiser, as this mask can be quite drying.

Have you tried the aspirin mask?  What do you think?