Charcoal masks are killing your skin with overuse, dermatologists want you to know.
Perhaps you’ve seen the video testimonials of the social media darling product. The ones where you watch beauty bloggers paint their faces with the goopy, black, tar-like substance waiting for it to harden and dry. This is when the money shot comes in. The slow, sensual peel back unveiling all that the mask has taken with it: blackheads, whiteheads, tiny hairs and yes “impurities,” whatever that means. These videos sit comfortably on people’s timelines, next to pictures of food, selfies and pets.
The fascination of prying off every last morsel of loose material on one’s face has become an addiction for some, and surprisingly, are not really that good for you, says Dr Low Chai Ling, from The Sloane Clinic, which has offices in KL and Singapore.
Dr Low says “When the mask is removed, it strips off the outermost layer of skin and oils that protect the skin from the environment.” The pain and effect is akin to waxing, and over waxing your face can lead to redness, irritation, and the burn like effects may lead to permanent skin damage. Yes. Pigmentation, sensitivity, redness that will live on your face forever.
If you can’t resist a good bit on pore-porn, Low says not to use it more than once every two weeks, and if you have a skin condition like eczema or sensitive skin, just don’t use it at all.
In the meantime, keep watching those nasty vids, and beware, a whole darker world exists on YouTube should you type “pore + extraction” into the search bar.
