Anyone with acne
knows there’s almost nothing we won’t try to clear our skin for good,
but it looks like the answer might already be sitting in our medicine
cabinet.
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According to one Redditor,
who goes by the name Samstrayed, applying a clay mask as a spot
treatment and leaving it on overnight significantly reduces the size and
redness of large pimples and totally erases smaller ones. Whoa.
Since the post, a slew of other users have chimed in with their own
clay mask acne-cure stories, leaving us to wonder if this is for real or
just a made-up internet sensation.
Well, our questions have been answered thanks to reporters at Allure along
with the help of Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and
clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York
City, and Sejal Shah,M.D., a dermatologist in NYC.
[post_ads]According to Zeichner, a lot of products labeled as masks (especially
any containing volcanic ash or high levels of sulfur) can actually be
more effective when used as a leave-on skin treatment. “It may take time
for active ingredients to penetrate and give their effect, so a full
face treatment left in place for several hours may be of benefit for
many products,” he said.
Shah added that the Redditor’s mask of choice, Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask,
contains multiple drying agents (kaolin and bentonite clays in addition
to volcanic ash), so it makes sense that it would help dry up any
excess acne-causing sebum.
Who knew? So next time you feel a pimple coming on, it can’t hurt to
try dabbing a bit of your favorite clay mask over the sucker before bed
and washing it off in the morning. Sayonara, zits!
