Ivy Asks About Aspirin: I’ve been preparing to write about Aspirin Masks. The mask is 
prepared by crushing four aspirins and mixing it with a bit of water to create a paste. Then it’s smeared over one’s face. Do you know anything about this do-it-yourself cosmetic?
The Right Brain Responds:
Aspirin masks seem to be all the rage these days, but we can’t find any evidence that they’re worth the effort. Here’s why:
What is aspirin?
The active ingredient in aspirin is the drug called Acetylsalicylic Acid. After you swallow an aspirin tablet it travels to your small intestine where this ingredient is broken down to create to Salicylic Acid. Salicylic Acid, or Sal Acid as it’s referred to, is the form of the drug that actually reduces pain, fever, etc.
Now, Sal Acid also belongs to the class of chemicals known as Beta Hydroxy Acids, or BHAs. BHAs are similar to AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids). Both BHAs and AHAs are known for their ability to help slough off dead skin cells when applied topically. Are you beginning to see the connection between aspirin and facial masks?
Why aspirin isn’t good for your skin
In theory, crushing aspirin tablets and rubbing them on your face COULD be beneficial because you’re delivering a skin smoothing BHA, right? Well, not exactly.
You’re really delivering Acetylsalicylic Acid to the skin – NOT Salicylic Acid, which is the active BHA. And just rubbing the Acetyl verision on your skin won’t make it convert to the Sal Acid version. Ok, maybe SOME of the acid is present in the Sal version, but it certainly isn’t an optimized dose.
The Beauty Brain’s Bottom Line:
Putting crushed aspirin on your face might have SOME benefit, but if you really want a skin smoothing BHA treatment, just buy one of the many Sal Acid products on the market. In this case the home-made remedy doesn’t appear as effective as the chemist-made one.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
okay, brains… i love you, you know that. but i gotta tell ya, for someone who is always looking for a cheap version of something great… DANG, this is it. you should check out the bajillion reviews on Makeup Alley.
I’ve tried this and it really works… exceptionally. I can’t explain it, but seriously, it’s super cheap and worth at least a shot. one of the reviews i read said, “my skin is as smooth as marble.” i can relate.
it’s weird… now explain that!
Ab, we love you too! We looked at this from a scientific point of view (less emotional) and couldn’t see how it would work better than a regular sal acid product. However, that doesn’t mean people can’t see positive benefits from it. But you can’t be sure that it’s the product you’re using or other factors.
Consider this when using any product or drug.
Three things can happen.
1. Skin gets better
2. Skin gets worse
3. Skin stays the same
The same three things can happen if you don’t use any product at all. Now how do you know whether it was the product doing something or just Mother Nature and your beautifully working body?
The only way we can answer questions like this is to do double-blind, controlled experiments. And the answer we get from those types of studies is that crushed aspirin does not work as well as sal acid containing products. But then again, double-blind studies have been wrong in the past.
Thanks again for your comments.
You titled part of your review on aspirin “Why Aspirin isn’t Godd for your Skin” but you never really stated why it isn’t? Can you please expound and say more about Acetylsalicylic Acid if you can? Is that the part of Aspirin that’s not good for your skin?
THanks
L
I second L’s question – Personally aspirin masks work wonders for me, so seeing the title “Why Aspirin isn’t Good for your Skin” worries me!
While the title implies it, we weren’t suggesting that aspirin was bad for your skin. Feel free to use it. We just were pointing out that there is no scientific evidence that demonstrates aspirin is good for your skin.
Your criticism is based upon the presumption that the interest in Aspirin Masks stems from an interest in BHA, and since that evidence is weak, hence the mask isn’t good for our skin? Poorly done article – both in scientific research and in historical research.
I first read about aspirin masks in Paula Begouin’s expertly researched book on makeup ingredients and their effectiveness. She suggests using an aspirin mask to help with soothing the skin in Rosacea patients and acne prone people because of it’s affect on capillaries and blood clotting, not for it’s BHA relationship. It works excellently.
@Misia – we wrote that post when we were first getting started. I don’t think what we said was wrong, but probably not as thorough as we would do it now.
Thanks for your comments.
(PS. Paula does have some excellent books)
You should try mixing it with honey when you do the aspirin mask, it really takes away all of the acne, my face got really smooth from 1 day of trying that aspirin mask!
Honey is a great antioxidant. Studies conducted on the beneficial properties of honey have established that it protects the skin from the harmful effects of UV rays. Honey also helps in the rejuvenation of the skin. Free radicals resulting from the metabolism in your body when oxidized are responsible, along with other things, for aging.
My understanding of asprin was that it rather rapidly converted to salicylic acid (and further to acetic acid with enough time) in the presence of water or humidity. Wouldn’t crushing that nice little dry pellet into a liquid (water, honey, whatever) expedite that process?
Thanks for the article. I always wondered if aspirin did have any exfoliating properties. I’m guessing peopel love the mask because it might be anti-inflammatory?
Very Good article
I’ve been using Paula’s Choice 2% BHA (liquid, gel, lotion) regularly for well over 2 years now. It’s great at smoothing/exfoliating skin and helps keep my pores unclogged. One thing I have noticed is that the aspirin mask is GREAT for inflammation. It really helps with redness in my face, a lot more than the BHA. I only use it sometimes, when I have any redness and if I happen to have aspirin (which isn’t often). I wonder if ibuprofen would work too since it’s anti inflammatory?
@Lisa – Aspirin breaks down to salicylic acid AND acetic acid. Salicylic acid and acetic acid become aspirin through esterification.
Hi Beauty Brains,
I adore this site. My question is whether or not the acetic acid that comes from mixing aspirin with water will harm your skin. Paula has described it as a skin irritant, but what else do you know about it?
Asprin is alright.
I find that Advil mask works way better for inflammation, because if you think about it, Ibprofen, the active ingredient is an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). It relieves pain due to inflammation, ergo, if applied topically it functions in the same manner.
i’m comfortable calling the benefit of aspirin application anecdotal. that being said, as a test subject struggling with acneic/oily skin my personal results have been very positive, though i have not been applying it the way others have, therefore my experiments would definitely skew the bar. i’ve been diluting apple cider vinegar in water 60/30/10% honey, warming the solution and patting it on very heavily. (usually about 3 tbl. worth patiently, avoiding lips and eyes.) i leave it on a minimum of 15 minutes but usually around an hour or so, then rinse lightly with a gentle soap (or just water). THEN i mix the powdered aspirin with my moisturizer focusing on any areas of redness from the vinegar (always the most blackhead infested, oddly. and incidentally i’m using substantially less aspirin than what the masque recipes call for.) i use a kabuki to (carefully, eyes closed) lightly dust the aspirin over the moisturizer like a veil (since it has odd oil control properties and is a little drying, if you have oily skin that’s a good thing.) and sleep in it. by morning the redness (and my pores) have vanished, and my skin looks like glass. i know it’s the most effective thing i’ve ever done for my skin, as long as there’s no health risk involved, anecdotal is fine by me. incidentally i have applied the vinegar and skipped the aspirin, and did not get the same results in the morning.
I would LOVE to see this topic reviewed again in case there is any new studies or information out there!