Not all superheroes wear capes. But in this case, they all wear masks. Whether you’re an essential worker donning the mask for hours and hours (thank you!) or masking-up before a trip to the grocery store, you’re helping to protect your community and your health by wearing face coverings.
But when the mask comes off, you may have noticed some new facial foes: blemishes, skin irritation, peeling, or redness around your jawline, cheeks, and mouth.
Those irritations in fact have become so common that mask acne has now been dubbed maskne.
Front line workers have been telling us from the very start that the increased hours behind the mask has led them to encounter skin complaints which they might never have faced before.
Why does it happen?
Typically, acne occurs when pores become clogged by sweat, oil, moisture, or dirt. These elements trap bacteria beneath the skin’s barrier, creating a pimple.
The difference between acne and maskne is one thing: a face mask.
Maskne occurs when sweat, oil and bacteria are trapped on your skin while wearing a mask, creating the perfect breeding ground for breakouts.
So how does the mask play into maskne?
Here are just a few ways masks can cause acne from a face mask:
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- Moisture – When confined beneath the fabric of a mask, your breath creates a humid environment. humidity is the enemy of clear skin. Breathing for hours with a mask on creates humidity. That humidity becomes a breeding ground for acne.
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- Bacteria – Sweat, oil, and makeup can become trapped under the mask and clog pores. And bacteria is constantly being reintroduced into your skin thanks to your hands. Every time you adjust your mask or even just put it on, you’re introducing pore-clogging oil and dirt into your pores from your hands. Those clogged pores can result in—you guessed it —acne.
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- Friction – As you go about your day, your mask moves around your face, damaging the skin’s protective layer, sometimes called the “skin barrier.” And without that protective barrier, it’s easier for bacteria and grime to settle into your pores and make pimple babies.
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- Warm weather – Heat and humidity can exacerbate acne, inside and outside the mask. Higher temperatures increase your face’s sweat and oil protection. And the more oil and sweat, the easier it is for bacteria to turn into blemishes.
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- Cold weather – Your mask can make maskne in heat or sleet. Cold weather can dry out your skin, making it easier for the mask to chafe the skin and break down and welcome pimple-causing irritants into your pores.
What can you do to treat it?
An Acne-Fighting Skin Care Routine
Wearing your mask helps shield you against health concerns. And like wearing your mask, fortifying skin care practices can protect your skin from maskne.
Try incorporating these rituals into your skincare routine:
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- Cleanse your face regularly – Washing your face morning and night can prevent the build up of bacteria, oil, and other pore-clogging elements. But stay clear of the super-drying acne face washes—after hours of rubbing and chafing, your skin needs a gentler formula to keep the skin barrier intact.
So repeat after me: A gentle cleanser twice a day keeps the maskne away.
Eminence Mangosteen Cleanser or Environs gel cleanser can cleanse impurities, environmental pollutants, and makeup from the skin without causing irritation. This formula’s inflammation-calming antioxidants also help reduce redness in blemishes.
If you already have oily/acne prone skin prior to wearing masks, Salicylic acid is often the friend to oil or spot-prone skin. If you’re finding that you seem to be getting more breakouts from wearing a mask, then it might be a good idea to introduce it into your routine regularly. Environ Sebu wash or Caudlalie purifying gel cleanser are suitable for use daily preferably in the evening to dissolve oil, SPF, or makeup that might otherwise block pores and lead to breakouts. You may find this drying on the skin so you can use it only in the breakout areas if so desired, or you may use it a few times a week to help clear up the breakout area.
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- Stay clear of drying products – When it comes to protecting your skin from irritations, supporting the skin barrier is essential. But drying products can make your skin more vulnerable to bacteria. That means taking a good look at your medicine cabinet and saying, “Hey, I think we need to take a break” to some of your products.
You might be overdoing it at home with face masks, scrubs, washes, and toners. Overdoing it will compromise the barrier.
Simplify your skin care routine and focus on calming, nourishing products instead.
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- Use moisturizer – We know what you might be thinking. “WHAT? You just spent half of this article telling me that oil and moisture cause maskne and now you’re telling me to moisturise? What’s going on here?”
I recommend moisturizing the skin regularly. Many people with acne or redness are hesitant to moisturize and think that will break out more. If you have dry skin, then you have compromised the skin barrier and will be more prone to breaking out and having sensitive skin irritation. Using the likes of Environs AVST or Caudalie Moisturising Sorbet will help moisturise without over loading the skin.
Using a light moisturiser helps to strengthen the skin barrier, preventing skin irritation from the mask.
You might be finding that your skin under your mask is feeling sore, dry, or irritated by the mask. The impulse might be to coat your skin in products with gorgeous textures in order to soothe skin, but keeping your skincare light under the mask is very important. Keeping skin hydrated is very important when it comes to protecting skin under masks. This might look like focussing on products which contain hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which help to draw hydration to the surface of the skin. Choosing a hydrating cleanser and serum can assist in keeping as much hydration in the skin as possible. Choose from Environs Hydrating serum, Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Caudalie’s SOS thirst quenching Serum, or eminence Firm Skin Moisturiser.
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- Hold off on makeup – Without your mask, your makeup is flawless, tasteful, and a great boost to your confidence. Your foundation, blush, lipstick, and other formulas can mix with sweat, oil, and condensation from your breath to make a heady pore-clogging environment under your mask. Take a break from makeup on the lower half of your face.
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- . If you hate the thoughts of going without make up change to a skin care make up like Jane Iredale which is a mineral makeup with skincare benefits. This make up is anti inflammatory which will help break down the breakouts while your wearing it! And it’s also buildable up to a full coverage! The pressed/loose powders are 4 in 1 which means they have foundation, concealer, powder and Spf.
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- Hand hygiene – If you haven’t been washing your hands… well, you really need to be washing your hands.
So, my best mask advice if you’re getting spots from wearing a mask:
🙌🏼choose a natural fabric,
🙌🏼wash it regularly,
🙌🏼keep your skin hydrated
🙌🏼use light skincare layers
🙌🏼 Introduce Environs Lacm mask
🙌🏼 Try Environs new anti pollution mask
For any individual skin routine consultations personal to your skin concerns and what’s best to treat them please do get in touch via
social media - skinandtonic.ie
email -info@skinandtonic.ie
I really hope you’ve enjoyed reading
Stephanie 💋