beauty

Step aside black masks: 'skin gritting' is the latest blackhead removing trend.

Blackheads – it seems we’re willing to try anything to get rid of the little suckers, no matter how painful or confronting.

The latest method to surface? Skin gritting.

WATCH: We tried a popular blackhead blasting face mask. Post continues… 

Named so because you remove the visible “grits” (gunk) from your pores, skin gritting is the craze that’s got hundreds of fans on Reddit – and more than a few skeptics.

To remove blackheads, fans of the method follow three steps.

1. Clean your face with an oil cleanser.
2. Put on a clay mask and leave until dry, then remove.
3. Clean your face with an oil cleanser again – this time rubbing vigorously.

Problem-skinned peeps who’ve been trying this for years, say the result is “grits” being brought to the surface and sliding out of pores, with many sharing photos of the black dots that look a lot like little bugs.

People who've tried the method share their results. (Images via Reddit.)

However, others remain skeptical at just how effective "skin gritting" is at removing blackheads.

Reddit user Wireless Woman suggested the "grits" many people found were not blackheads, but balled up bits of leftover product and any surface grime left on the skin after the clay mask.

"I'm slightly suspicious about grits, I think my grits are just balled up product... I've never been able to get grits from doing massage with oil.

Another user said proper skin "grits" or blackheads were not completely black like they appear in a lot of user photos.

"It will never be completely, or even mostly, black. It will be a creamy yellowish white and it might have a small grey-ish tip on one end," wrote Asian Beauty.

Dermatologist Elizabeth Tanzi told Refinery 29 that clay was effective at removing dirt from pores, but warned that this specific method could irritate people's skin.

"People with sensitive skin should be very careful with this type of treatment, since the combination of clay (which can be drying) and rigorous exfoliation could be way too irritating."

Have you tried skin gritting? Did it work for you?