Bacne, shaving bumps and ingrown hairs- what lovely subjects of concern! With the summer heat and bikini season approaching, people have been coming to me about these pests. The simple solution for bacne (back acne), shaving bumps and ingrown hairs is sitting in your medicine cabinet right now! Aspirin is made up of acetylsalicylic acid, which exfoliates skin and has anti-inflammatory properties. I first heard of using aspirin for face acne years ago. I did try this on my face when I was acne-prone. While it did help with acne, my skin was left too dehydrated for my liking. The concept is great though; I wasn’t about to give up on it yet.Further research on aspirin led me to make the connection that the popular ingrown hair solution, Tend Skin, is basically made up of acetylsalicylic acid. This product has been made very popular by waxing salons and beauty supply stores. The verdict: I tried Tend Skin on myself and other “guinea pigs”. While it works well in preventing and eliminating ingrown hairs and shaving bumps, the strong alcohol scent left my olfactory system with a hangover. I passionately hate putting anything on my skin that reminds me of how chemical-ridden it is. And to think some ladies use this around their, ahem, bikini region…yikes! For a gentler and much cheaper solution, follow these simple steps to make your fresh batch of Tend Skin for sensitive skin.
- Place 1 or 2 uncoated aspirin in the palm of your hand.
- Combine it with a 1-2 pumps of aloe vera gel.
- The aloe vera gel will begin to soak into the powdery aspirin. Speed up the mixing process by blending the 2 ingredients with your finger.
- Apply to sites of ingrown hairs and shaving bumps; scrub areas gently.
- Can be left on as a solution (apply sparingly) –or- Apply liberally and wipe off after 10 minutes.
This solution works better than Tend Skin because it’s a true concentrate of acetylsalicylic acid that is activated right before application. How clever is that?!
The mask method (apply liberally and rinse off) is also excellent for bacne. You may want to increase the number of tablets used if the bacne area is large. Use a back loofah for easy application. The skin on your back (and body) is generally “brawnier” than the skin on your face, making this safe yet extra-strength treatment the perfect solution for bacne, shaving bumps and ingrown hairs.
On a side note: while aspirin is safe for internal usage, please err on the safe side and NOT try this if you are allergic to aspirin.
Edited to add: My readers have come up with their own great ideas about using aspirin (read their brilliant comments!). I want to reinforce one reader's comment about exercising caution when using this on the face (another reason I didn't care for it as a face mask). If you do decide to try this on the face. Mix with thicker, heavier base (like honey) so there's no fear of inhaling the dried apirin. It is, after all, a medication, please use with caution!
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37 comments:
Wow aspirin really? I never knew!
Hi Caitlin,
Yes! It really makes me wonder what else is out there :D *rubs fingers together*
Farmgirl
I mix it with honey for a strong sticky hold and to soften the skin, if using on the face must be super carefull as dangerous if inhaled!!xx
this is exciting! I was wondering what you would recommend when it comes to self application of a large area ( the back) that is not a breeding ground for bacteria. Do you think it's possible to a spray bottle?? or woudl this mix most likely clog it (sounds like it) Also Famr Girl :) just wondering if IB Profen, Exedrin or Advil would work okay. Granted they are probably more expensive than the aspirin, but just in case I have nothing but the 3 aformentioned around the house and haven't had a chance to get to the grocery yet :). Thank you, Thank you! ~Dawn
PS - yes please find out what else is out htere! :) I love your remedies! :) They make so much sense!
What a fab idea and so cheap and easy to try
Interesting - I have such a problem with ingrown hairs in the summer, just might try this.
Thanks for this!! :)
What if you can't use asprin is there anything else that has same effect
Everyone,
MissGlamTan has a great point, please use w/ caution when applying to the face. Honey is another great base to mix with. Thanks MissGlamTan for suggesting that!
Farmgirl
Lostsentiments,
Hi hun!
1) I wish there was a way to spray it on, that is a great idea! If you only make small batches (must be used immediately; unused portion thrown away), you can thoroughly mix it w/ water and spray it on (avoid inhaling the solution). The reason why you'd have to throw away the unused portion is because without the proper preserving agents, it will promote bacteria growth. It will do more harm than good.
2) Actually, this will only work w/ uncoated aspirin- nothing else. The other meds you mentioned are not made of the active ingredient I mentioned. I've found one for you guys that is less than $2 for 100 tablets (simply follow the link).
Let me know if you have other questions hun :D
Farmgirl
I have a bottle of expired aspirin that I didn't want to waste so I mix two tablets with a little water as a mini scrub for my hands.
Leaves 'em nice and soft!
Hi Gingeyginge,
hmm, I haven't found anything else yet (in the med cabinet anyways). Another great product to try on ingrown hair is boscia Willowbark Breakout Treatment- it's great for breakouts AND ingrown hairs!
Farmgirl
Shopn'Chomp,
What a great idea. Try it on your feet too!! I bet overtime, it'll exfoliate dead skin cells for smooth feet and toes!
I love how everyone is getting so creative :D
Farmgirl
Hi Sarah,
you're welcome hun :D
Farmgirl
Youre welcome :) i just found your blog and loving it :)xxx
I've been troubled with scaly dandruff, and have found that treating my scalp with an aspirin solution really helps exfoliate. Again, apply with caution, avoiding the eyes, nose, etc.
Hi Annette,
That's great! Thanks for sharing :D
Farmgirl
Super clever...thanks for the tip!
Hey! Love the blog, there's some great tips on there!Come check out my blog sometime. I just launched a Miss World contest...feel free to enter! x
that's an interesting trick! thanks for sharing!
that is so cool. thanks so much for the tips. i love your other posts too!
Thank you ladies!
Farmgirl
Hi Brilliant FG, Two small questions. I was wondering if it was possible to use Asprin with honey as a face mask that you leave on for 5 or so minutes? Or should Asprin only be used as an exfoliant on it's own? Thanks Danielle :)
Hi Danielle,
If used on face, I would not "scrub" with it. Rather, leaving it for 5 minutes like a mask (just as you described it) would work better for the face :) And yes, honey would be a great base for the face mask :D
Farmgirl
Wow, I've heard of the aspirin mask, but didn't know about these other uses. This is a really informative post, I'm definitely going to have to try it for ingrowns!
This is interesting! I have a friend who gets bad ingrown hairs :( he's covered in tattoos and always gets them - I'll pass this on to him!
Thanks for sharing aspirin's other uses! Occasionally I use it as a face mask with honey. =)
THIS is brilliant!!
I'm so glad to know this....just in time for summer!!
Thank you!! :)
YayS! Just wanted to pop in and say first hand - this works wonders! :0) I "heart" it! ;) I wish it came in a bottle so you don't have to mix it up each time yourself, but whatever my skin is worth it ;).
Thanks again Farm Girl! :)
I use it to get rid of corns an callouses on my feet. I mix a crushed aspirin with a tiny amount of lotion, apply it to the corn and put a bandage on it..10 to 12 hours later you can literally pick it out!
Olga,
I like how you think!! LOL sounds funny but that is absolutely brilliant :D
Farmgirl
I'm taking it a step further :) my feet need some tlc and I thought why not lotion/acne my feet, wrap a (clean) grocery bag around them, put some socks over them and relax. I have it on right now :) I'll have to let you know the results :)
Thank you all for sharing !:) so much fun :)
Wow, that is brilliant! Thank you for sharing, lostsentiments :D
Farmgirl
alrighty! :D I realized I made a typo earlier the lotion/aspirin mix is what I put on my feet. :)
I waited an hour, took off the the socks and bags, I then rubbed my feet with the aspirin scrub still on to exfoliate the top layers that would sluff off. Rinsed. took a pumic stone to the parts that were a bit more stubborn ;). Cuticles on my toenails came off relatively easy as well (they can be tough sometimes! :p).
I haven't pampered my feet in so long! This was perfect! :D
I told my hubby once I got in bed last night and he said my feet felt smooth :). Needless to say, I was very proud of myself ;). lol
LOL, I love it! Sounds like this is just the treatment for me. I very rarely pamper my feet as well, but when I do I can't stop staring at my feet :D
Farmgirl
Thanks for sharing the link, but unfortunately it seems to be offline... Does anybody have a mirror or another source? Please answer to my post if you do!
I would appreciate if a staff member here at brilliantfarmgirl.blogspot.com could post it.
Thanks,
John
Hi John,
Are you looking for Tend Skin? The aspirin links are working above. If it's the Tend Skin you're looking for, I found a good price here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007RNBPM/ref=pd_luc_mri?ie=UTF8&m=A28754DYIEKMBD
Hope that helps!
Farmgirl
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