I Tried Reddit’s ‘Skin Gritting’ Hack—It’s Satisfying, Gross, And Totally Exhilarating

First, you should understand exactly what this cleansing method is. “It’s a three-step method to remove blackheads from the skin,” says Dr. Rabach. “It usually involves an initial oil step to help soften the skin, then either an acid step (a BHA) or a clay mask and then finishing with an oil.” The key here is the facial massage of the oil that helps to remove those “grits” and gunk from your pores. And yes, it’s as gross as it sounds.

Search any social media platform for skin gritting (as long as you’re not squeamish) and you’ll see fans showing off all the gunk that they say came out of their pores. Reddit users swear by the trend and it’s gained speed all through TikTok. It makes sense. We all want that instant gratification. But we also don’t want to waste our time if the treatment is more complicated than it needs to be. That could be the case here but if you’re suffering from blackheads, it could be worth a shot.

The Skin Gritting How-To

Though the actual methods vary online, consensus seems to be that you’ll need at least three beauty products for this blackhead removal trend: an oil cleanser, clay mask, and an exfoliating acid. The choice of the actual product is yours, but you’ll want to choose ones you already use and trust on your skin. For the oil step, it’s best to use a legit cleansing oil instead of an oil from your kitchen. Dr. Rabach warns that ingredients like coconut oil can actually clog your pores, doing the exact opposite of what this technique promises to do.

Step 1: Add An Acid

After oil cleansing to soften and prep my pores, I went in with the acid. The idea here is that an acid will loosen up the aforementioned “gunk” in my pores. For this step, you’ll want to apply an exfoliating acid (think glycolic, lactic, or salicylic acid)—basically any AHA and BHA product—and let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes. Most Redditors call for a 2 percent BHA solution, but I chose to use YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE Kombucha + 11% AHA Exfoliation Power Toner, which will provide a similar effect. Why? Compared to BHA acids, alpha hydroxy acids (aka AHAs) are still pretty gentle at higher percentages. Still, since my skin is still pretty sensitive, I decided to leave my toner on for eight minutes (about half of the recommended time) to mitigate any risks of over sensitizing. I like to think my skin’s barrier is silently thanking me.

For the record, because my skin tends to be even more sensitive in the wintertime (thanks to LA’s bone-dry weather), this part felt a bit tingly—but it definitely wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling. Though it’s important to note that if you experience any stinging or severe reactions, rinse the toner off immediately and consider your journey complete for the time being.

Step 2: Layer On The Clay

Without washing off my acid, I applied a clay-based mask directly on top of my AHA acid in hopes of drawing the dirt within my pores up to the surface. I’m a sucker for anything rose clay, so I used the ORIGINS ORIGINAL SKIN™ Retexturizing Mask With Rose Clay and left if on for the 10 minutes specified on the packaging. I realized after the fact that this mask contained tiny exfoliating jojoba beads, so once it was time to rinse I took extra care to not to agitate my skin. As a little pro tip: If you struggle with removing clay masks like me (why is there always a tiny bit left in my eyebrows!?), a silicone scrubber will be your best friend.

Step 3: Oil Up, Wait, And Massage

According to Reddit, an oil cleanser is applied to the skin and left on for 20-25 minutes. With the logic that oil is attracted to oil, it will ideally bond to the excess sebum in your pores and lift once the massage begins. Oil cleansers are typically chosen here because they’re more viscous than your go-to hydrating oil and less comedogenic than your kitchen’s solidified jar of coconut oil. However, I worried that massaging a straight up oil cleanser might be too drying for my already dry skin, so I did a little internet sleuthing and mixing in a hydrating oil is totes okay. I am obsessed with all things YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE, so I played mixologist and added a few drops of their Superberry Hydrate + Glow Oil to my mixture. For a method that is based on instant gratification, there sure is a lot of waiting involved. So after passing the last 25 minutes with my usual TikTok scrolling, it was finally time for the massage.

This is where it gets gross—and fun. Using circular motions, I massaged around my face and focused on my usual areas of T-zone congestion: The bridge of my nose, smile lines, chin, and jawline. The first minute or so were underwhelming, but before long I felt something on my fingertips. And then another something. Could these be my elusive grits? Dr. Rabach isn’t exactly convinced.

My Final Skin Gritting Thoughts

“Masks and exfoliating acids will help dislodge blackheads,” explains Dr. Rabach, but there’s also a chance most of what’s coming out onto your hands while massaging is really just piled up product leftover from the serum and mask, mixed with sebum and some dirt and oil. It’s not as if literal blackheads are popping out, sadly. Insert my long-winded siiiiiigh.

Did my skin feel cleaner? Absolutely. Was it satisfying? Dear lord yes. Whether it was dead skin, dried clay, or actual grits, my skin’s texture felt soft and my pores appeared to be slightly more refined. Would I do it again? Yes, but not regularly. At the end of the experiment, I was pretty worried about causing irritation from the level of exfoliation my sensitive skin went through. And Dr. Rabach agrees: “The downsides are irritation from oils, acids, or masks and disruption of the skin barrier from using too harsh a product.” If you have dry skin, sensitive skin, acne, or rosacea-prone skin, this method might prove to be a little risky. Since I fell under several of these categories, I babied my skin with aftercare using the ultra gentle KATE SOMERVILLE Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream and skipping out on any actives (like any retinols or vitamin C products) for the next few days.

However, there are alternatives! You can choose to omit one of the exfoliating steps and just stick to either the acid OR the clay mask—rather than both. If you go for the acid, you’ll leave it on your skin and apply a lightweight moisturizer on top. A clay mask gets rinsed off before applying any other skin care products. Even without the facial massage, these products contain ingredients to unclog pores, slough off dead skin cells, and regulate sebum. It might not be instant, but it will be long-lasting. And that’s all we can really hope for.

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