Aspirin. For myself and I’m sure, readers, this is synonymous with pain relief. However, there is a growing trend of using it in an entirely different way – as a face mask!

Aspirin is less commonly known as acetylsalicylic acid, a derivative of salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a key component of various products used in the treatment of skin-related issues, including acne. Increasingly, budget beauty babes and home DIYers are using aspirin as a cheap, at-home face mask. Online beauty forums are filled with testimonials proclaiming the benefits of the ‘Aspirin Face Mask’ to combat redness, acne, pimples, oily skin and large pores, though there is some debate as to whether the mask works as a manual or chemical exfoliant.

As I have quite oily skin that has the tendency to break out a bit, with large pores and patches of rough skin on my nose and chin (I sound hideous! It’s not too bad 🙂 ), I decided to try it out for myself.

♥

From the internet, most people use 2 – 6 tablets per mask. I used 4 and crushed them to a fine powder in baking paper, using a small hammer. A few ‘bits’ were remaining in mine, and it made application slightly difficult.

Next, I mixed in about 5 drops of water. The amount depends on how runny you want your mask to be. Keep in mind that if it is too liquid or too dry, application will be tricky.

Mixy mixy.

The reviews advised using mixers such as water, aloe vera, honey, rose hip oil, witch hazel and cleansers such as Cetaphil. I decided to slather half my face with just aspirin and water and the other half with aspirin, water and about 4 drops of honey. I found that the mixture with honey was a LOT easier to apply – it was much less gritty and foamy and had more of a soft, gel texture.

Aspirin face!

After about 20 minutes, I washed off the mask with warm water. To me, there wasn’t any real difference between the two sides of my face. My skin was extremely smooth and soft – I couldn’t get over how silky it felt! The rough patches on my chin and nose were significantly reduced (although not gone completely) and while I couldn’t see any difference in pore size, my skin was definitely less oily. It is enough of a difference that I will definitely be using it again in the future.

The Nitty Gritty

Cost:
24 Pack Aspro Clear from Coles = $3.58 (4 tablets per mask = $0.60 per mask)
Honey – cheapest = approx. $0.65 per 100g (many, many uses per bottle)

Pros:
♥ cheap as chips (possibly cheaper, depending on any penchant for gourmet chips!)
♥ instant results
♥ fun fizzing sensation during application

Cons:
♥ slightly time consuming and a bit fiddly
♥ the water and aspirin mixture was a bit difficult to apply
♥ was a tad sticky, due to the honey and the saccharin sodium (I think)
♥ may not be ideal if you have dry or sensitive skin

Recommended Usage:

I would recommend that you only use this mask once a week at most. It was granular and slightly abrasive, so probably not great if you have sensitive skin unless you crush the tablets up VERY finely. In addition, some reports on the Internet stated that it is possible to build up a tolerance to the chemical properties of the mask.

Rating:
3.5 / 5

Review by Cassandra, beauty lover on a student budget and soon to be regional (Pilbara) correspondent!

Be well,

xoxo