Asprin Mask Danger Alert
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

free skin care · Thu Jun 09, 2005 1:30 pm

I was reading a post on MUA about one woman's experience with asprin masks. According to her (she became very ill), her doctor and the United States National Poison Hotline, using it can pose a danger. I don't know what the proper protocol is about the copy and paste of another person's post so I will just include the link:

http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemID=14129/Aspirin_Mask/Unlisted_Brand/Masks/

Yet another issue to worry about? Has anyone experienced asprin related problems?

joani

free skin care · Thu Jun 09, 2005 1:47 pm

I find this very hard to believe. The aspirin mask I use has onlt one or two aspirins per dose. I once had a pinched nerve and was takin 4 aspirins evry 4 hours for 4 months. Aside from possible stomach upset my MD told me my ears would start ringing if I reached a possibly harmful dose. I think that this is just another Urban Legend.

free skin care · Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:10 pm

asprin is just salicylic acid.

and I highly doubt it would cause an ulcer in just one day!

where's our dr fouruk for the truth??

free skin care · Thu Jun 09, 2005 6:30 pm

I agree, Lianne. Aren't aspirins ulcer causing because they act on the stomach lining? I don't see how using it on your face would actually effect the lining of the stomach.

free skin care · Fri Jun 10, 2005 4:30 am

To actually absorb enough aspirin through your pores to affect your stomach or give you ulcers, you’d have to use hundreds upon hundreds of aspirin in your mask, 10 times per day over a period of many years. IMHO, that woman’s claims are just completely implausible. I agree that it’s either an urban legend or that poster was a troll just looking to stir up trouble.

Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:57 am

Sounds a bit weird....

I can't use the asprin mask myself but for a different reason. It starts to flake off as it dries and that tends to make me sneeze and also sometimes triggers asthma. No thanks! Speak to the hand

free skin care · Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:02 am

If you are allergic to asprin you should not be using asprin masks or salacylic acid. The post on the ulcer thing is pretty far fetched.

free skin care · Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:18 am

Actually, a lot of reviewers on MUA report that having problems with the aspirin mask flaking off and making them sneeze as the mask began to dry. Most of them found that they could resolve this issue by mixing the crushed aspirin with a “binding” ingredient like honey or aloe vera gel, rather than simply using just the ground aspirin and water, as this helped stop the aspirin particles from flaking off as they dried and flying up the nose, triggering the sneezing.

BTW, to me this is simply a matter of common sense, but I wanted to put it in writing anyway: If anyone has had an allergic or adverse reaction to taking aspirin orally/internally, then obviously you probably shouldn’t use that product topically on the skin, just in case. For example, if you’ve swallowed a couple of aspirin because you have a headache and it made you sick to your stomach or whatever, then it’s probably not a good idea to crush it up and rub it all over your face because the reaction you had by taking the aspirin orally might mean that you actually have an allergy to salicyic acid. Or if you have an severe anaphylactic reaction to eating peanuts or almonds, etc., you probably have no business grounding them up and smearing them on your face....

As I said, to me that’s just plain common sense, so please don’t be offended if you think I’m talking down to anyone or insulting one’s intelligence, but I know we have a lot of young members and/or those who are new to the whole skincare game, so it doesn’t hurt to put this warning down in black and white so that someone doesn’t inadvertently cause themselves irreparable harm. In fact, I wish there was a way to post this warning/disclaimer at the very top of the “~~~ DIY Skincare Recipes ~~~” sticky-thread as a general warning....(Mabsy – *can* this be done??)

Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:59 am

Thanks Carrie - I might try it with the honey. I think I still have some uncoated aspririn left.

There's no way I can put a disclaimer post after my initial post but I will edit my first post to add a generic disclaimer in there.

free skin care · Fri Jun 10, 2005 9:08 am

I agree with all that the post seemed a bit extreme, but I'm wondering why the poster felt the need to write such a convoluted fib. Was it to see her words in print? It wasn't that she was naming a specific product to, perhaps, inflate her own. Maybe she has something against the manufacturing of asprin!
People can be so strange...
As for allergies, yes, if you are allergic to anything that you ingest, you should not use it topically.
I promise not to fall for such myths ever again!
joani

free skin care · Fri Jun 10, 2005 9:19 am

Joani, at the risk of offending our resident doctors at the forum, I must say that I do think maybe the doctor didn't really know why this person was in such distress and just went with the topical aspirin causing stomach ulcers? I feel sorry for doctors, I'm sure they sometimes don't get the whole story, I mean, really, to have stomach ulcers suddenly is silly. Hey, but maybe if she already had bad ulcers the sa could irritate them or maybe she's allergic? I think Carrie's warning is really valid and thank you too for bringing this issue to our attention.

free skin care · Fri Jun 10, 2005 10:18 am

Perhaps if she was allergic to it, or if she had a pre-existing ulcer.
Otherwise, no. You swallow an amount that at least 50 times higher than what's absorbed into your skin.

IIRC, someone else had posted about stomach ulcers. I assume she googled aspirin and perhaps looked at the MSDS. Even microdermabrasion crystals look terrible and life threatening on the MSDS. Laughing

Psychosomatically, she felt she had it too.

Short of drinking sulfuric acid, nothing would cause ulcers that fast.

By the way, diabetes patients can use aspirin just fine, as can patients with low blood pressure, etc.

The doctor she saw wouldn't have said "Have you used aspirin recently?" That's a little too convenient.

The people answering the phone @ most Poison Control Centres are "Certified Specialists in Poison Information" which I assume means a nurse with a CPS and perhaps a few other materials. Maybe not even that. They employ a few toxicologists for "back-up" though.

If you're allergic, don't use it. If you have an ulcer, don't ingest it. It's unlikely to harm your ulcer if you put it on your face.

I can't wait until this 'myth' turns into truth and everyone is preaching the dangers of the aspirin mask. Laughing

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