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" We love DIY spa treatments, but this one is out there: YouTube beauty vlogger Michelle Phan posted a video where she raves about a face mask made of unscented kitty litter. Yes, seriously. Phan says she gets a $2 bag of litter and mixes it with a little water to create a cheap face mask that she claims moisturizes and clears the skin. We&amp;#039;re really skeptical about this, so we asked Rebecca O&amp;#039;Sullivan, an esthetician at Chicago&amp;#039;s Sine Qua Non Salon, to tell us more about this questionable DIY facial. &amp;quot;I would not put kitty litter on my face,&amp;quot; O&amp;#039;Sullivan says. &amp;quot;Some brands of kitty litter contain aluminium silicate, the same ingredient used in glass-making as well as housing insulation. Plus, it&amp;#039;s a known neurotoxin for humans.&amp;quot; Phan stresses using unscented kitty litter to avoid the added chemicals, but even the purest of kitty litters can tear your skin. &amp;quot;Facial skin is more sensitive and thinner than the rest of the body,&amp;quot; O&amp;#039;Sullivan says. &amp;quot;You may notice some skin tears, breakouts, and even premature fine lines. Any type of scrub that is not a &amp;#039;rounded&amp;#039; shape has a tendency to cause these issues.&amp;quot; As for the clearing effect Phan felt on her skin? It comes from the sodium bentonite clay in the litter, but there are much safer ways to get the same feeling. &amp;quot;I would recommend an natural mud/clay mask, without added chemicals like aluminium and deodorants,&amp;quot; O&amp;#039;Sullivan says. Her fave? The Herbal Clay Treatment by Eminence. Want more from Meagan? Follow her on Twitter. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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