Nowadays, TikTok is the place to go to if you’re looking for advice on just about anything – whether it be fashion solutions, DIY’s, home decor or kitchen hacks. One user though, has gone above and beyond when she posted a video on the platform using an aspirin face mask to get rid of acne.
TikTok account name @tellyourdogisayhello, Mallory Le, shares that using an aspirin mask cleared up her skin. She wrote, “I didn’t have to go on accutane again because of this trick.”
In her TikTok video, Le does an instructional on how to make the mask. He breaks down two aspirin tables and mixes it with a bit of water, then spreads the mixture on her face. She leaves the goo on for three minutes, before rinsing it off and patting her face dry with a clean towel. “Do this every few days,” she advised, while showing off her clear skin.
Numerous people commented on the video raving about this skin hack. One wrote, “I’ve been doing this for years as a spot treatment and it’s the only thing I’ve found that will actually clear them overnight.” “I loveeee doing this,” another follower commented.
Aspirin belongs in a group of medications called salicylates. It stops production of viruses that cause fever, swelling, pain, and blood clots. It is usually taken in tablet form.
Aspirin mask fans have voiced out online that one of the ingredients found in this medicine is a form of salicylic acid, which is actually found in most acne-fighting products. Assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, Jamie Alan, Pharm.D., Ph.D., says “they’re almost the same but not quite.” She explains that aspirin actually contains acetylsalicylic acid, which is a synthetic form of salicylic acid but they are not entirely the same, nor do they work the same. “Aspirin is metabolized to salicylic acid but that happens in the liver, not the skin,” adds Dr. Alan.
Since there is “no evidence” to support that aspirin does fight acne when applied to the face, it is tough to recommend it as a “safe and effective” treatment, explained assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, Gary Goldenberg, M.D. Another thing he advised was to be aware that your skin could end up irritated and dry after using an aspirin mask. If you really insist on trying out the aspirin mask anyway, “You could try it, but make sure you apply a moisturizer right after in case there’s irritation.”
Shuai Xu, M.D., assistant professor of Dermatology at Northwestern Medicine pointed out that:
“Aspirin—either oral or topical—is not FDA approved for acne. The evidence that it does anything—in mask or topically—for acne is really poor. Is there harm? Probably not. But, why risk it if it’s unlikely to do anything?”
For anybody struggling with pimples and acne, its just best to stick with other products that have been proven to be successful. Cleansers, exfoliating pads and spot treatments that contain actual salicylic acid “has been used in many acne-fighting formulations,” Dr. Goldenberg shares. “It helps to remove the superficial layer of the skin, opening pores and allowing comedones to pop. It also has antibacterial properties, killing the bacteria that clog pores and cause acne.”
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