The latest skin care trend comes with a doctor's warning.
Those popular charcoal peel-off face masks may actually be peeling off layers of your skin.
They say beauty is pain, and with this face mask, it may be true.
This charcoal mask claims to remove impurities in your skin.
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When it dries, you literally peel it off.
Kathy Merrill had never tried this type of mask before, but offered to test it out for us.
"It's very thick and tarry. It's sticky, so I would imagine it would get all kinds of gook off my face," Merrill said.
The charcoal masks are trending on social media sites and the one Merrill used is made in Taiwan.
"I feel like a layer of my skin has been ripped off," Merrill said.
And that's exactly what Dr. Jonathan Kantor said is happening.
"You're removing that protective layer, so you're increasing your risk of infection. You're increasing your risk of developing inflammation," Kantor said.
In addition to that, Kantor looked at the ingredients and said some could cause allergic reactions.
"You can find a lot of these ingredients in glue, but you can find a lot in bubble gum as well," Kantor said.
Destiny Smith also tried out this skin care trend.
She said it had a strange stench and feeling.
"It feels like paint," Smith said.
We waited 30 minutes for it to dry before the peeling process could begin.
"Oh my God, this is really painful," Smith said.
It was so painful, it made her eyes water.
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"Can you see it pulling my skin?" Smith asked.
We also found pieces of hair stuck to the mask.
"It was painful taking it off, but my skin feels great. I love it. I would do it again," Smith said.
Kantor wouldn't recommend these masks to local women and he said if they are used enough, they could cause chronic irritation.
"The risk is not worth the potential benefits," Kantor said.
Both Smith and Merrill said they had experienced minor irritation, but felt that their skin was noticeably softer.
"Woman will go to great lengths to get good skin and it's shocking what we'll do," Merrill said.
Kantor also warns these masks are especially dangerous in Florida, with all the sun, which could cause pigmentation.
He said the masks can increase your chance of cold sores if you’re prone to them.
Kantor suggests if you do try these masks, stick to those made in the U.S. and do not use do-it-yourself masks.
Cox Media Group
