Aspirin Mask: The best exfoliating mask in the world!

*Edit (02/08/2009) DON'T crush the pills! Just let them soak in a tiny amount of cetaphil/water/aloe vera gel and VOILA. They moosh easily into a paste. So handy!

Here's something I discovered on the wonderful MakeUpAlley, that's well-known to American girls but remains undiscovered for most Malaysians (probably due to the popularity of the very unacidic Panadol).

The Aspirin Mask.

(warning: if you're allergic to aspirin, please be smart and don't try this)

Think about it, Apirin is synthesised from Salicylic acid, now go read the lables of most anti-blemish skincare, the ingrediants are usually either Benzoyl Peroxide, or Salicylic Acid. As a mask, aspirin exfoliates, and when you wash it off - scrubs.

I've found that used once a week, in combination with Differin (which also functions by exfoliation) my skin tends to stay happy and clear. If I get lazy (because this mask can be quite a pain to make), I pay for it in clogged skin and blemishes.

As a one-time beauty journalist with acne, I've tried just about every blemish-fighting scrub and mask on the market and I've never found anything to beat this. Best of all, it's so cheap it's virtually free!
Here's my favourite recipe:

• 3 Aspirin Tablets (Use uncoated if you can, all I can get here is Bayer's)
• Cetaphil cleanser (or any other gentle gel cleanser, for drier skin try Dove)
• Aloe Vera gel (I love Fruit Of The Earth, huge tube at dirt cheap prices)

1. Crush the aspirin tablets into a fine powder with the back of a spoon. Squirt in some Cetaphil and aloe vera gel and mix it up into a paste. Slap the paste onto your face and let it sit until I dries (you can tell because you'll start snowing).
2. (Warning: Avoid applying the mask under your nose or when it dries you won't stop sneezing!)
3. When the mask is dry, dampen it with some water and gently scrub your face paying close attention to your t-zone and other blemish-prone areas.
4. Rinse off and marvel at your buttah-smooth skin. It's a good idea to apply a gentle light, oil-free moisturiser after use. I prefer Eucerin's Skin-Regulating Cream-Gel for Acne Prone Skin.

Syen: For ingredients, I usually add about half to 3/4 of a teaspoon of honey to the recipe. Honey's great for your skin too!