If you aren’t familiar with the term maskne yet, let’s fill you in. As the name suggests maskne is a term for acne, irritation or bumps bumps in areas caused by a protective facemask. Althoug many have taken to calling this maskne it actually has a technical term “acne mechanica”. With covid becoming a regular in our lives we are never outside of the house without a mask on. While masks are super important for keeping ourselves and others safe from covid-19 they cause the perfect environment for acne to form. The prolonged amounts of not letting the skin breathe in that area can lead to sweat heat and friction causing acne. Luckily since it seems we’ll be wearing these masks for a while there are many helpful tips that have been discovered.
So who has discovered these things you may ask. It seems with the constant search for a vaccine or end to covid there isn’t much room to worry about maskne. While masks are a current thing for many people in the world however east asians have had experience with masks long before covid. Not only are masks seen as a fashion statement in some parts of asia. It is also common to wear masks just to avoid a common cold. High pollution dust storms are also a cause for mask wearing in Korea. Long story short asians have been working out how to deal with maskne for a long time and have found some quite helpful tips. Below are some of the top tips to deal with maskne.
- Cleanse daily
While cleansing is a regular for most people it’s super important when it comes to maskne. With the mask covering your mouth and skin it makes it super easy for you pores to get clogged by sweat which is why cleaning to get any build up out of your pores is super important. If you’re used to cleansing twice a day (once in the morning and once at night) and you’re struggling from acne we recommend trying to cleanse three times a day (once after taking off your mask). This way your skin can immediately be refreshed from whatever has built up under your mask from throughout the day. The only downside to this is that over cleansing is a thing so it’s important to pay attention to how dry your skin is when doing this.
- Focus on keeping your skin hydrated
When you hear hydration when it comes to skincare you probably think of preventing dry skin or looking to gain dewy skin, while hydration helps with both of these it’s also effective at preventing maskne and acne in general. When your skin is lacking hydration it may cause the cells to produce more oil and sebum to make up for the lack of hydration. This in turn causes acne and breakouts. And on top of all this when you’re wearing a mask that oil gets trapped and that (along with any other moisture being caused from the mask) causes the perfect environment for acne.
So the simple answer to this is to simply keep your skin hydrated. Some studies have shown that water while being great for just about everything else isn’t super helpful when it comes to skincare. So we recommend a really hydrating product, face masks and cream moisturizers are perfect for this!
- Avoid using makeup when wearing your mask
Makeup is often shown to be problematic when it comes to acne but with a skincare routine and daily face wash it typically isn’t too big of an issue. However now that we are wearing mask makeup is one of the many changes in the world. When you’re wearing makeup you’re always running the risk of clogging your pores but when you’re wearing makeup under your mask this becomes more of a risk. This is because the makeup can become squished between your skin and your mask, the mask can then push your makeup deeper into your pores.
The simplest resolution to this issue is to only wear makeup on the top half of your face. If however you find yourself struggling with this make sure to use a primer which creates a barrier between your skin and the makeup. And make sure you’re removing your makeup at the end of the day and cleansing properly.
- Invest in a silk mask
Silk masks are some of the best masks to use if you can get your hands on some. They are not only much better for your skin but they also look super stylish. So why are silk masks so much better for our skin? First of all silk masks cause the least friction of all the different mask materials. Friction causes a type of acne mentioned before called “acne-mechanica”. Silk is also much more breathable compared to other masks, which helps prevent that moist environment that is perfect for bacteria growth.
- Clean your mask after every use
While you should be cleaning your mask anyways to clean off any germs it’s also effective to prevent maskne. Cleaning your mask is pretty self explanatory but it basically gets rid of any makeup, oil or bacteria that’s built up on your mask. It also sort of resets that moist environment the mask creates.
- Use benzoyl peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide is one of the many acne treating ingredients similar to salicylic acid. Benzoyl peroxide works great for clearing up acne by exfoliating and shedding dead skin cells and killing bacteria that is underneath the skin. If you’re struggling from maskne or acne in general, we recommend starting with a 2.5% formula of benzoyl peroxide. If you feel the 2.5% isn’t working for you, you can try a 5% but be careful because benzoyl peroxide can be a striping ingredient (always moisturise afterwards).
- Focus on strengthening your skin barrier
If you’re trying to solve skin issues you’ve probably heard of strengthening your moisture barrier, seeing as it’s super important for your skin. However if you haven’t heard about it let me fill you in. Your moisture barrier is the outer layer of your skin that protects you from UV damage and controls your moisture levels. Unfortunately the skin barrier can become damaged resulting in redness, peeling skin, acne itchiness or roughness.
Masks can be extremely irritating by the friction as well as the hot, moist environment caused by the mask, possibly causing a damaged moisture barrier. Luckily you can strengthen and heal your skin’s barrier. Using less stripping harsh ingredients such as chemicals, acne treatments or makeup wipes is the first step. The next step is making sure your staying hydrated drinking water, using stronger moisturizers and trying a humidifier can all help. Using a gentle moisturizer is also super important when it comes to a damaged skin barrier.
- Avoid touching your face
While touching your face should be one of the things on your don’t do list during the pandemic anyway, it can also help prevent acne. Touching your face is a great way to spread bacteria from your hands to your skin, which in turn can of course cause acne. While it’s difficult not to touch your face (trust me I know) it’s super important in preventing not only acne but also coronavirus.