DIY Beauty Fridays: Preventing Pimples with Aspirin

I'm a twenty-something year old woman and I still get pimples. There, I said it.

I should be thankful, I guess, that I don't break out all the time but when I do, my zits are rather large. (Big red horrible bumps would probably be more precise.) I've tried everything to prevent getting these red visitors: drinking more water, not eating chocolate or anything deep fried, changing my pillowcase every night before bed, not touching my face during the day, and, my personal favorite, spot treatments. My problem is that for all the water I drink, I'm unable to stop eating chocolate, french fries and am ALWAYS resting my chin on my hands at work...Needless to say, I need a spot treatment that actually works and to think I found it in my medicine cabinet.

Aspirin Mask

3 - 4 uncoated aspirin (the box will specify if it's coated) 5 little drops of water 1/2 tsp. warmed honey Let the aspirin sit in the drops of water and dissolve. (You'll know when it's dissolved as the pieces will be floating around the water.) Add the honey and mix everything together. Apply to clean face and let dry about 15 minutes. Wash off, gently, with a warm cloth, dry face and add a moisturizer promptly.

Aspirin Spot Treatment

1 uncoated aspirin 2 little drops of water Again, like above, let the aspirin dissolve in the water. Once done, dab the mixture on your pimple and let air dry for 10 - 15 minutes. Rinse off gently. Apply moisturizer immediately once face is dry. Why does this work? The active ingredient in aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, is very similar (but not the same) to salicylic acid which is used in almost every acne product on the market. It's also an anti-inflammatory which reduces swelling and redness. For all you skeptics out there, I was exactly in your shoes last week. I was sitting at work, eating lunch at my desk, and could literally feel a small country growing on my chin. After work, the pressure was getting worse and I looked in my car mirror and was met with a massive zit. I got home, created this mask and was completely blown away by how much my skin glowed and how the redness of the pimple had actually dissipated. I woke up the next day to find the pimple 7 times smaller than it was and very easy to cover with some concealer. I highly highly highly recommend this easy concoction to anyone who suffers from minor breakouts or the occasional pimple. It helped me drastically. **Quick note: do not use this mask more often than once a week. The aspirin will dry out your face and unless you have very oily skin, you may end up flaking.**