Skin Gritting: Does it Really Work?

I hate the tiny black pores on my nose and forehead. Although they look like blackheads, they aren’t, and you shouldn’t be picking at them like they are. These are called sebaceous filaments, and they are pores filled with dirt, oil, and sebum. Trying to pick at them with your nails, tools, or even that weird pore vacuum I’ve seen on the internet, can actually make your skin worse and may cause permanent damage in the long-term. 

So when I learned that there is a method online which you can do 1-2 times a week to magically deep clean these pores without damage, I was intrigued. Blogger 50 Shades of Snail created a method to drastically reduce the appearance of pores on the face which seems to have worked for many others. This process has since been called “gritting” or the “acid-clay-oil” method. There are 5 very simple steps to follow before your skincare routine:

1.    Apply a 2% beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) product to the affected areas and wait for 20-25 minutes

2.    Apply a clay mask on top of the BHA and wait until it dries

3.    Wash the clay mask off with lukewarm water and pat your face dry

4.    Apply a cleansing oil and wait for 15 minutes

5.    Gently massage your face for two to three minutes until you feel small grains coming out of your pores and wash. Follow with your regular skincare routine.

After trying the process a few times over the span of a month, here are my thoughts on the method…

Did it work? 

No, it didn’t quite work as I was expecting it to. I didn’t get many grits coming out of my face and my sebaceous filaments haven’t significantly decreased in appearance, which was disappointing. I did see some improvement around the areas that I rubbed more frequently, such as the sides of the bridge of my nose. However, I do find that my face as a whole has felt smoother and has a glowy look for a few days afterwards. 

Is it worth the time?

This process was quite time consuming. For someone whose skincare routine takes around 20 minutes total per day, taking over an hour at night is quite a bit for me. It was nice to take some time to take care of myself and my skin in the evening, so I do think it was worth it every few days. A lot of the process is also waiting, so it is easy to do something else in the meantime. 

Would I recommend trying it?

If you have issues with sebaceous filaments, it can’t hurt to try. This method has worked for many different people, and it might work for others. I did see positive results in terms of general skin appearance, it just did not give me the results I was hoping for. 

What should you know before trying this?

Firstly, many of the products are very drying. Clay masks and BHA draw out oils from the face, and can therefore be damaging to your skin if used improperly. Make sure to wash with lukewarm (not hot) water to help minimize drying the skin out. Finishing with a serum and moisturizer can also help add moisture back into the skin after the routine. 

Also, if you use other products, particularly other acids, retinoids and vitamin C, the combination of products may make your skin red and inflamed. Always make sure to check and see if products may react with each other, and do a skin test for irritation before trying any new products.

This is also a process that is meant to be done once or twice a week, not daily, and will also cause excess drying and irritation if done multiple times in a row.

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