How to Make a DIY Spot and Blackhead Face Mask
Learn how to prepare, patch-test, and apply a targeted DIY toothpaste and petroleum jelly mask to help clear clogged pores and blemishes safely.
⚠️ Read this before you start
Makeup and beauty mishaps are real. Your eyes, skin, and hair are not a car door — the damage is often permanent.
- • Patch test 24 hours first. Put any new product on a small patch of skin (inner arm) a day before it goes near your face. Cosmetic allergies are common and can be severe.
- • Nothing goes IN your eye. Scratched corneas from mascara wands and liner pencils are the most common makeup injury. Never use a product near your eye that is not sold for the eye area.
- • Lash and wig adhesive only. Never super glue, nail glue, or any household adhesive on skin, lashes, or scalp. These cause chemical burns and have sealed eyes shut.
- • No product substitutes. Hair spray, spray adhesive, and construction glue are not cosmetics. People have been hospitalized following internet beauty hacks.
- • Sharp tools cut and infect. Dermaplaning blades, cuticle nippers, and tweezers need clean hands and clean tools. Do not share them.
- • Chemicals burn. Dye, bleach, relaxers, peels, and removers: follow the manufacturer’s timing exactly, ventilate the room, and never mix two products.
- • Old and shared makeup carries bacteria. Do not share eye or lip products, and replace mascara every three months.
- • If it stings, burns, swells, or your vision changes — stop. Rinse with cool water and get medical help. Do not push through it.
This coach is AI and it can be wrong. It cannot see your skin’s sensitivities, judge a product’s ingredients, or diagnose a reaction, and it is not a dermatologist, doctor, or licensed cosmetologist.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Small mixing bowl
- ✓ Application spatula or cosmetic brush
- ✓ Soft washcloth
- ✓ Clean hand towel
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Plain white non-gel toothpaste
- ✓ Pure petroleum jelly
- ✓ Mild facial cleanser
- ✓ Warm water
- ✓ Gentle facial moisturizer
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Perform a 10-minute patch test on the jawline or inner forearm to check for chemical irritation or allergic redness before full application.
- • Do not apply toothpaste mixtures to broken skin, open wounds, or active cystic lesions.
- • Keep the mixture at least one inch away from the eye contour, eyelids, and lips to avoid severe stinging.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Cleanse and Prep Skin
Wash the entire face with a mild cleanser and lukewarm water to remove surface oils, makeup, and debris. Gently press a warm, damp washcloth against blackhead-prone zones for 1 to 2 minutes to soften sebum in the pores.
- • Skin surface is clean, matte, and free of visible makeup or excess surface sebum
- • Target pore zones appear slightly warm and softened from the damp compress
- • Using scalding water which inflames skin capillaries
- • Rubbing aggressively with a coarse towel
Conduct a Safety Patch Test
Dab a small pea-sized amount of toothpaste onto the inner wrist or jawline. Leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes to verify your skin can tolerate the active ingredients without burning or excessive redness.
- • A single small test dot placed clearly on the test patch area
- • Skin under and around test dot remains normal without severe flushing after 5 minutes
- • Skipping the patch test on sensitive or reactive facial skin
- • Using colored gel toothpaste containing high concentrations of artificial dyes
Blend the Mask Mixture
Dispense equal parts (about half a teaspoon each) of plain white toothpaste and pure petroleum jelly into the mixing bowl. Stir vigorously with the spatula until the mixture forms a uniform, creamy, semi-thick paste.
- • Paste is completely homogeneous with no unmixed streaks of clear jelly or dry paste
- • Consistency is spreadable and holds its shape on the spatula
- • Adding too much toothpaste, which makes the paste overly drying and irritating
- • Under-mixing, leaving clumps of pure petroleum jelly separated from the paste
Apply Mask to Target Areas
Use the spatula or a clean fingertip to spread a thin, opaque layer of the mixture strictly onto target areas such as the nose, chin, or forehead. Keep the application limited to areas with visible blackheads or congested pores.
- • An even, opaque white layer covering only the targeted T-zone or blemish sites
- • Clear bare skin margin of at least one inch around the eyes, lips, and nostrils
- • Spreading the mask over the entire face like an all-over hydrating cream
- • Applying the paste too close to the sensitive lower eyelid area
Rest and Remove Mask
Allow the mask to sit undisturbed for 5 to 8 minutes. Moisten the soft washcloth with lukewarm water and gently wipe away the mask using smooth, upward strokes until all residue is lifted from the skin.
- • All white paste and jelly residue completely cleared from the skin
- • Washcloth shows lifted mask material without heavy skin staining
- • Leaving the mask on overnight or longer than 10 minutes
- • Scrubbing vigorously to remove the sticky petroleum base
Soothe and Hydrate
Rinse the face thoroughly with cool water to refresh the skin. Pat dry with a clean towel and immediately apply a non-comedogenic, fragrance-free facial moisturizer to restore the skin barrier.
- • Skin is completely dry, calm, and evenly coated with a thin layer of moisturizer
- • No greasy residue or flaky paste visible on treated areas
- • Skipping moisturizer after drying spot treatments
- • Applying harsh alcohol-based toners directly after paste removal
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by JUST MIRIAM — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Application spatula? Clean fingertip or back of a clean spoon
- No Small mixing bowl? Clean ceramic saucer or small ramekin