Turns Out This Magical Overnight Acne Fix Might Be the Real Deal

Anyone with acne knows there’s almost nothing we won’t try to clear our skin for good, but it looks like the answer might already be sitting in our medicine cabinet.

According to one Redditor, who goes by the name Samstrayed, applying a clay mask as a spot treatment and leaving it on overnight significantly reduces the size and redness of large pimples and totally erases smaller ones. Whoa.

Since the post, a slew of other users have chimed in with their own clay mask acne-cure stories, leaving us to wonder if this is for real or just a made-up internet sensation.

Well, our questions have been answered thanks to reporters at Allure along with the help of Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and Sejal Shah,M.D., a dermatologist in NYC.

According to Zeichner, a lot of products labeled as masks (especially any containing volcanic ash or high levels of sulfur) can actually be more effective when used as a leave-on skin treatment. “It may take time for active ingredients to penetrate and give their effect, so a full face treatment left in place for several hours may be of benefit for many products,” he said.

Shah added that the Redditor’s mask of choice, Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask, contains multiple drying agents (kaolin and bentonite clays in addition to volcanic ash), so it makes sense that it would help dry up any excess acne-causing sebum.

Who knew? So next time you feel a pimple coming on, it can’t hurt to try dabbing a bit of your favorite clay mask over the sucker before bed and washing it off in the morning. Sayonara, zits!