If you get a sweet satisfaction from looking at the gunk you get on nose pore strips, then you are SO going to love this viral trend. It’s a new technique to remove blackheads through a special, three-step cleansing method that brings all the gunk (which they’ve nicknamed “grits”) to the surface of the skin.
It all started with this Reddit thread. And soon everyone was trying it and posting pictures online. It’s gross but gripping at the same time, like watching Dr. Pimple Popper. You want to stop… but you can’t.
I mean take a look at this photo.
So how do you do skin gritting?
Clean skin with an oil cleanser.
Apply a clay mask. Wash off.
Then, apply the oil cleanser again, but this time rub really hard to get all the “grits” out. Theoretically the oil cleanser will loosen the blackhead plugs.
But is it really the best way to get rid of blackheads?
“Massaging the oil cleanser in will help loosen blackhead plugs and physically encourage their removal somewhat, but the concern is that vigorous massage will irritate and inflame sensitive skin, so do it gently,” says New York dermatologist Rachel Nazarian MD.
Unfortunately, not everyone gets the same results. Some Youtube bloggers tried it and found nothing. And defrmatologists say that the rubbing can irritate the skin.
Your best bet is to use clay masks, or cleansers that contain glycolic acid or salicylic acid. But if you want to try skin gritting, go ahead! It may work for you!