If aliens were to crash-land into a highstreet beauty aisle tomorrow, they’d assume that blackheads were the plague over which wars were waged. Because the industry is filled with products that claim to eradicate those black specks in your pores, but—as you’ve probably realised through trial-and-error—very few seem to work.
Unless, of course, you’re one of the 3,000 people on Amazon who has left a glowing, five-star review of the Vassoul Suction Black Mask, $14.49 (£11.36)—a peel-off mask that claims to “remove” blackheads and acne. “I didn't think that it's possible to remove blackheads from any peel-off mask, but I tried it, and lo & behold—IT WORK!!!!!” reads one review, while another writes, “I thought It was going to hurt so it was a nice surprise when it didn’t, and [I] did see that it removed some blackheads!”
So what makes this product so magical? Welp, if you’re asking a dermatologist, not much. “The only way to truly get rid of blackheads is to use a formula with salicylic acid or retinoids,” says dermatologist Mona Gohara, M.D., associate clinical professor at Yale University. And this mask has, uh, neither of those things.
The ingredients are a little confusing (the back of the tube in a photo includes a totally different set of ingredients than those listed in the product description on Amazon), but regardless, neither list includes anything that seems to “remove” blackheads. Though it might just remove the top layer of your face.
“Using a peel-off mask just rips off the top layer of skin and irritates your skin barrier, which, in turn, can lead to excess oil production and even more blackheads in the long run,” says Dr. Gohara. Fun!
So why all the rave reviews? Hey, it’s the internet, and the internet is a weird place. Also, the mask will give your skin a temporarily smooth, matte-looking finish after you take it off, but the short-term effects probably aren’t worth the risk of long-term damage.
Though it’s totally possible that a few people really did see a decrease in their blackheads, and you may also be one of them, you might be better off sticking with a few tried-and-true products, like my favourites, below.
How to treat stubborn blackheads once and for all — according to a dermatologist
Chloe Metzger is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, overseeing the editorial content and growth strategy of the hair, makeup, and skin space on digital, while also obsessively writing about the best hair products for every hair type (curly girl here; whattup), and the skincare routines that really, truly work (follow her on Instagram to see behind-the-scenes pics of that magazine life). She brings nearly a decade of writing and editing expertise, and her work has appeared in Allure, Health, Fitness, Marie Claire, StyleCaster, and Parents. She also has an unhealthy adoration for Tom Hanks and would like to please meet him one day, if you could arrange that. Thanks.
