This Mask Hack Made the Pores on My Nose Look Smaller

I recently heard about a face-mask hack in aFacebook groupdedicated to a skin-care line called Sabbatical Beauty. Its followers are seriously dedicated, and they don't just talk about the brand's products but share great tips as well. As I was scrolling through the feed, I noticed some people were talking about a substance they called "grits."

A user swore that when she used the brand's cleansing balm followed by its charcoal mask, and then went back for one more round of the cleansing balm, she felt a grit-like substance coming up from her pores. OK, so that's satisfying and cool, but is it legit? I tried the trio of steps for myself and didn't feel grits of any sort, but was extremely impressed by the results. My pores, particularly on my pincushion of a nose, looked almost nonexistent the next morning when I went to apply my foundation.

If you're anAllurereader, by now you know that oilcleansing balmsandcharcoal(作为一个美容成分)趋势。油净化rs are increasingly replacing basic gels and foams because they clean like no other (remember, oil mixes with oil, so it's more effective at lifting excess oil and dirt than water and soap are), and they leave your skin feeling nourished post-wash. Charcoal, though it sounds dirty, has the opposite effect when used inside clarifying face masks—the activated charcoal acts like a magnet that attracts and absorbs dirt and oil, kind of like a mud or clay mask on steroids. The process makes sense—cleanse, extract dirt, then cleanse again—but the grits? I wasn't so sure.

Joshua Zeichner, an assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, says there isn't a cleansing process that produces these "grits." From my experience, they might just be dead skin cells from the wash. But don't get me wrong, the treatment really did work wonders on my skin. It felt as smooth as a baby's bottom (I'm not exaggerating), and my pores looked like they do after a heavy-duty facial. The regimen is truly a great way to clean your skin, says Zeichner. He says the process is similar to what he advises his patients—combining good cleansing with exfoliation.

So if summer weather has you feeling clogged, consider this mask hack. I really enjoyed the two products I tried from Sabbatical Beauty: the Rose Cleansing Balm and Bethany Charcoal Mask (convenientlysold as a pair). The brand offers a small batch of products that are not made in a commercial lab and are rich in high concentrations of active ingredients. But per Zeichner, it's more about the cleansing strategy than the products. Just make sure you have a solid 30 minutes to spend on this process because it takes some time. In skin care, among other things, you reap what you sow.

DIY Hacks That Can Ruin Your Skin: