Applying raw egg white on face for skin that is smooth, glowing and poreless- sounds like a typical “natural” beauty treatment you can easily find and read about online. In fact, this was a beauty tip that had gone viral on the internet about 10 years ago. I was a frequenter of a once-popular beauty forum when a poster began posting about using egg whites on her face. The person claimed that, when used daily, egg white was causing the dead skin cells on her face to peel off to reveal the most gorgeous skin she’s had since infancy- fine lines and pores diminishing; old acne scars fading on a daily basis. Shortly after, people on the forum began jumping on the “egg white mask” bandwagon. Positive progress reports and pictures were posted on the forum daily and it seemed as if the entire forum was singing its praises.
Suddenly, glowing reviews were replaced by negative reactions. People began flooding the forum with questions and concerns about breakouts. It started with a pimple here and there followed by a frenzy of clogged pores. People tried to convince each other (and themselves) their skin was “purging” but it soon became clear that having clusters of fresh acne wasn’t leading to the perfect skin they envisioned. I witnessed this unfortunate incident unfold in a matter of months but the people who experienced negative side effects continued to nurse their broken-out skin long after that. When they finally got their acne under control, it left acne scars that etched their face for years thereafter.
I have no doubt that the egg white mask yielded wonderful results for the poster who started this trend. I’m sure she was trying to share something wonderful and didn’t have bad intentions. Problem is the majority of those who tried this had broken out severely. For that reason, I have to give this beauty tip a NAY. If I recall correctly, proponents of this mask claimed that egg whites provide a good source of vitamin A to the skin so it has a similar exfoliating effect as Retin-A (although I just looked up the nutrition content of raw egg whites, it has no vitamin A). What was most mind-boggling: raw eggs contains harmful bacteria that shouldn’t be ingested; why people thought it was okay smear a harmful bacteria-based medium on their skin is beyond me.
As a huge advocate of natural and Do-it-Yourself skincare, it’s crucial that I share an example of how “natural” doesn’t always equal safe and effective. It is becoming increasingly difficult to decipher between the good and bad of natural skincare and I want to do my part in unraveling that mystery.
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27 comments:
i tried egg yolk on my face before and that was not a good idea! :(
Hi Kimmi,
Aw, I bet :/ I don't know how people drink it raw either.
Farmgirl
I agree with you. Everyone's skin is different and not all methods works on the same type of skin. This is very similar to the aspirin mask where some people got their skin burned and scarred. Thanks for bringing this to light.
Kristie, you're right. Aspirin mask didn't work for my face either.
Farmgirl
"...Natural doesn't always equal safe and effective..." WOW! this is definitely a slap in the face for me. Thanks for the wake up call. I really am obsessed with all things natural. what ever it may be i will jump on and try it out. I really do take the "natural" part of anything for granted and think, "oh its natural it wont do any harm" or " its organic, what can go wrong". I guess i infatuate on how 'natural' is really so very good for you i lose sight and respect of how powerful nature can be, weather its good or bad. Thanks again for that slap, i really did need it.
Hi Lillian,
I completely understand where you're coming from. I, too, have a false sense of security when it comes to "natural skincare". It's only through obsessive research and testing that I come to learn the good and the ugly. That is what inspired me to create my blog!
Farmgirl
Thanks for this informative post! I write about DIY beauty treatments for my blog and I recently tried an egg yolk mask myself, enjoyed it, and noticed a minor difference after... but I didn't think about the bacteria issue. I've now updated my blog, theskindetective.com, with a link to yours.
Hi Kendra,
You're so welcome! At any given time, our skin may have microscopic tears and it just wouldn't be good to expose raw egg to it. This is especially important for acne-prone skin because a popped pimple is essentially an open wound.
Farmgirl
ooh i can see whyy this is not good for acne prone skin.
Totally, Sheryl.
What was weird about the egg white mask fiasco was that many of those who broke out had ever suffered from acne before the mask :( I shudder just thinking about it.
Farmgirl
Hi!
Omg, I started reading your blog and I couldn't stop...I even jotted down stuff I need to get now xD I finished your entire blog in...3hrs...(I found this blog through a soompier...but I forgot who...^^;)
On topic, I never did like it when my mom came up to me and just slathered my face with egg whites...never liked the smell as it dried. Now I have another reason to dislike it! xD
Thanks for sharing your knowledge~
Hi Kmywy!
Oh welcome and it just makes me so happy when my readers can find helpful info to take with them! As always, let me know if there are any topics you like to read about and I'd be happy to look into it ;D
Farmgirl
;D Your mom is funny! My mom used to force me to rub ginger on my brow so it'd grow fuller- the things they come up with! The brow/ginger thing did not work by the way.
Farmgirl
My mom didn't use ginger on me...but she totally has bottles of ginger shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom that she uses. I never tried it, but I don't think it works either xD Else I would've used it by now...I have super slow growing hair :( Makes it hard for me to change my hairstyle at all.
Kmywy
I think raw egg smells too much to put on my face ><
plus I'm all paranoid about 'salmonella' from chickens already haha!
Oh btw, I tagged you if you don't mind :)
http://gurlythings.blogspot.com/2010/07/would-you-rather.html
Hi Kay!
Oh I'm paranoid about salmonella as well so I totally know what you mean.
Farmgirl
Wow, I've had everyone tell me about egg whites, but never considered the harmful bacteria living in the egg (like the yogurt, I was put off by the smell of raw egg). So glad I never tried it!
I've been using egg white mask for about two months now. I was really desperate for better skin since I had bad skin all through high school-- so I kept at it; three nights a week. My skin now looks great-- smoother and fresh; someone even asked me if I had foundation on. I think it works. I'll report back when it stops working.
Iv been doing the eggwhite mask For months and it has worked wonders. And it doesnt smell.
HI, just spot this article of yours by chance. I have tried the egg white mask for some time- and it did leave me with fresh and better-looking skin.......though, I do have goosebumps about using it further since I read this post. I wonder if those who break out actully using the egg yolk mask? Because the ones I find from googling around seems to talk about egg yolk mask, not egg white mask..... now I never try the egg yolk mask and all sources of egg white mask claim to leave out the egg yolk part. Maybe this is the crucial difference between those who break out and those who didn't? After all, people tend to avoid eating egg yolk because of various reasons while no one ever say the same thing about egg whites.
What do you think of it?
The egg white mask is awesome! My pores were minimised instantly and my skin was brightened! Love it!!!!! Only thing is that I don't fancy the smell of the egg :S
Visit my blog for before and after pics!
just dropping by to say hello
I just started using an egg white mask. So far so good. I have never had problem skin as far as acne goes (& I even sleep in my make-up most nights!), but I was looking for a way to minimize my pores. I figure as far as bacteria goes, egg whites can't be any worse than Botox! (which I have never done because I can't imagine injecting a bacteria into your skin)!
Thank you for this post, it was well written and raised some good points but I disagree with the comment about "raw egg whites having bacteria shouldn't be ingested so why would people put it on their face." I'm not arguing that there isn't harmful bacteria, it's just that there are many things we put on our face and skin that should not be ingested. Branded cleansers, toners and moisturizers will all yield harmful results if we ingested them but that doesn't stop us from using and enjoying the benefits of them. While I have never used the egg white mask, I think that it is definitely possible that is has and will continue to work well for some people. Everything has pros and cons and we are all different so as with other skin care products I suggest testing on a small portion of your skin and waiting a day or 2 to see if there are a negative reactions. Everything is NOT for everyone...and we know this :)
I LOVE EGG WHITE FAST MASK! IT'S THE YOLK PPL THAT WILL BREAK OUT YOUR SKIN..SO MAKE SURE U DON'T HAVE YOLK CAUSE THAT WILL BREAK YOUR SKIN OUT! I USE THE ORGANIC EGG WHITED IN THE CARTON, THAT WAY THERE IS NO WORRY ABOUT THE YOLK GETTING IN THE WAY!
Well, I've never tried egg white alone as a mask. But when mixed with other ingredients such as avocado and cucumber, it's pretty good.
I too have had good luck with the mask... praise God! I use egg whites, but after you must moisturize your face. I use aloe v. Gel, because my face is already oily and I don't want to break out.
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