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There is a home-remedy for blackheads, using egg white. Does this truly work to remove black heads? Is there any proof of this being a successful remedy?

From crunchybetty.com:

  1. Use Egg Whites to Pull Out the Gunk

Frankly, this is one of my least favorite ways to get rid of blackheads (I don’t particularly like the way eggs on my face smell, and it hasn’t been as effective as the other ways for me). However, hundreds of other people swear by this method, thus I include it for your consideration. It’s a prime example of how one crunchy remedy may work for one person, and not at all for another. You never, ever, ever know until you try.

dishap
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  • "I heard" is a bit bad claim. Do you have any source of anyone claiming it? I tried to find a StackExhachange more appropriate for just asking about health, body and medicine, but closest was fitness and biology, they are all kinda off as well. – Wertilq Apr 01 '13 at 09:20
  • Since a dermatology tag was there so i asked the question.How can one evaluate so much on the topic as per your suggestion. – dishap Apr 01 '13 at 09:46
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    Skeptics is about making a claim, and the having it proven right/wrong. The claim is preferred to be from a public person, or from a book/paper etc, IE something you can refer to. – Wertilq Apr 01 '13 at 09:51
  • I am not getting as to what is wrong in my above claim as it was not usefull for me but for several people it works as i had heard many times. – dishap Apr 01 '13 at 09:55
  • Yes I totally agree it can be useful for other people, but can you flesh out a bit from where you heard it? Is it a folk cure? Is it something you thought of yourself? Did a doctor tell you about it? – Wertilq Apr 01 '13 at 09:59
  • @Wertilq http://www.crunchybetty.com/5-natural-ways-to-remove-blackheads Seems notable enough for me – Mad Scientist Apr 01 '13 at 10:52
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    okay I added your reference to the question Fabian, and tried to improve the question, making it clearer. – Wertilq Apr 01 '13 at 11:57
  • @Wertilq @ Fabian Thanks for improving the question . I heard it from many people as a folk cure. – dishap Apr 01 '13 at 15:59
  • @disha The point is that you should provide **proof** of somebody **notable** claiming that *egg whites can be used to remove blackheads*. **Hearing** something or **thinking** something is not notable enough. When you cite a notable source, such as a newspaper, you will ideally also link to it with a URL. Read more on this [in the FAQ](http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/faq). –  Apr 01 '13 at 16:16
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    @coleopterist But if it's "common knowledge" or a big enough and widespread myth/fact, then it should get some room here as well. – Wertilq Apr 01 '13 at 16:21
  • @Wertilq I agree. That said, most things (as seen with this question) can be substantiated with links of some notability. The reader might not necessarily know or understand that something is common knowledge. –  Apr 01 '13 at 16:28
  • @coleopterist i read it in a magazine 4-5 years back whose name i didnt remember because at that time i was not in the need of this remedy. – dishap Apr 01 '13 at 16:29
  • @disha All it takes is a google to see if others are making similar claims and include them as sources, if notable. In fact, Google should always be your first stop. You can also mention that you read it in a magazine once—the more information you provide, the better. –  Apr 01 '13 at 16:32

1 Answers1

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No proofs of it working, but several examples of it working.

Searching around the net a bit, I am not finding much else than reviews of people trying it out. The reviews are mixed, but overall positive. If anyone can find something more conclusive feel free to post it.

The reviews varies from things like:

this made my skin look irritated and red raw and gave me a few really nasty pimples! it has however made me realise i might have a mild egg allergy

To things like:

This is a great DIY mask that lightens your scars, tightens your skin, and soaks up the oil in your pores. The greatest benefit from this mask is, it makes you less oily if you use it every day! Like, you will get less oily during the day!

Overall are the reviews positive.

http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=105144/Egg_White_Mask_for_Acne_Skin/0/Masks

A four part youtube video with a girl testing it out over a longer period. She starts using other things than just egg white for the 4th video. This is by no means any proof, just that she tested it with positive result. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PtVYab4SNw

In fact I can't really find any conclusive proof. I can find examples of people testing it and for some they claim it to work, and others have problems with it.

Who should use and how often

Planetgreen.discovery.com says that an egg white mask is perfect for adolescents. It works best on oily or combination skin. An egg white acne mask can be used once or twice a week. Those with sensitive skin should test a small area of skin before applying the mask all over the face.

Avoid consuming or using this egg mask if you are allergic to eggs.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/79620-egg-white-acne-treatment/

This is the most serious page I can find about the topic. And for anyone trying it out they give out some guidelines, and how to do it.

Step by step explanation how to utilize it, to remove blackheads.

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Blackheads-Using-an-Egg

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