Self-taught beauty expert Michelle Phan claims pasting kitty litter on your face will shrink pores, prevent acne and leave skin feeling “extremely soft”.

Michelle Phan, 25, from Boston, Massachusetts, who produces online make-up tutorials for a number of big brands including Lancome, reveals that kitty litter are made from bentonite clay – the main ingredient in most purifying facial masks and body wraps.

In a homemade video – which has attracted over 745,00 hits as of today – Michelle Phan sets to work using a $2 bag of cat litter and warns viewers to opt for the unscented variety “because scented versions might have harmful chemicals that can irritate the skin”.

“Open your brand new bag of kitty litter,” Michelle Phan chimes while scooping out two tablespoons of granulated clay into a small mixing bowl.

She notes that a bag of litter will probably last over a year if used for cosmetic purposes only.

After adding a splash of water Michelle Phan squirts in some Aloe Vera, and gives the muddy-looking concoction a stir.

After all of the ingredients are combined she places the mask into the microwave to cook for 20 seconds.

“You just want your mask to be warm not hot, this will help dilate the pores,” Michelle Phan explains.

Self-taught beauty expert Michelle Phan claims pasting kitty litter on your face will shrink pores, prevent acne and leave skin feeling extremely soft

Once baked the “flat and muddy” clay is ready for application. Instead of the pellets Michelle Phan only applies the murky water to her skin.

“Try not to directly apply the clay rocks onto your face, you just really need the water.

“The water contains enough of the clay particles for this to work. The clay rocks are way too rough for your delicate skin.”

Michelle Phan also warns to avoid the eye area and only use thin coasts because “less is always more”.

Once she’s finished applying the kitty litter mask she waits 15 minutes for it to dry and even has time to give her pet cat some affection in front of the camera.

“At this time you should start feeling a minty tingling sensation on your skin,” Michelle Phan says at the five minute point.

Once time is up Michelle Phan uses warm water to wash the white paste off before moisturizing.

She concludes: “It’s going to feel really refreshing… your skin should feel extremely soft. It just comes to show you the best stuff comes from the most unexpected things.”

Several other websites also recommend the bizarre treatment. The Vegan Beauty Review states that it’s “one of the best face masks you will ever try!”.

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