I love protection: sunscreen, seatbelts, sunglasses. Wearing a face mask is just another form of protection. #letsbefrank
But face masks can also cause skin issues like breakouts, irritation, and inflammation. I’m not talking about your Glow Mask, babe. I’m talking about the other kind of face mask.
Here’s how to deal with breakouts from face masks, so you can stay protected.
Firstly, what is maskne?
Acne from wearing masks. Mask acne. Maskne. Get it?
What causes maskne?
Wearing a mask creates a hot, sticky environment on your face. Sweat, oil, and moisture build up and clog your pores. The result? Tiny volcanoes erupting around your chin, cheeks, mouth, and nose.
So, what can you do to prevent maskne?
- Clean your mask.
Wash it in hot water immediately after you wear it. It’ll help stop bacteria spreading. And keep it from smelling like the bottom of your laundry basket.
- Keep your face clean.
Wash your face when you take your mask off, too. For extra clean skin, double cleanse to make sure you’re removing oil-based impurities like makeup, excess oil, and sunscreen, as well as water-based impurities like sweat and dirt.
What to use: double cleanse with my Anti-Makeup Cleansing Oil & Charcoal Face Cleanser. My Anti-Makeup Cleansing Oil is made with nourishing oils to cleanse and soften skin, while my Charcoal Face Cleanser is made with charcoal to draw out impurities hiding in your pores.
- Get rid of dead skin.
Dead skin is a key culprit in breakouts. And like my approach to clothing, less is more. The more dead skin you have, the more chance you’ll end up with blocked pores and breakouts.
What to use: my Original Face Scrub gently buffs away dead skin building up under your mask.
- Restore your skin barrier.
Face masks rub and tug against your skin. Not my chosen form of friction. They can mess up the delicate balance of your skin’s barrier, causing dryness and irritation. Moisturising properly on the other hand can help nourish & protect dry, irritated skin.
What to use: my Caffeinated Face Moisturiser. It’s a lightweight formula, so it’ll moisturise without clogging or weighing down your skin more than it already is.
- Try another kind of mask.
Face masks can cause inflammation, uneven skin tone, and you guessed it, even more breakouts. Active ingredients are your BFF, like glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acid. Glycolic and lactic acid are two AHAs that exfoliate and even your skin tone. Salicylic acid is a BHA that’s gentler on breakouts than physical scrubs. It goes deep into your pores, clearing the congestion that causes breakouts.
What to use: my Brightening Vitamin C Mask is packed with both AHAs and BHA to gently exfoliate, keeping your skin clear, soft, and even.
- Take a break.
Stay safe, stay home, and let your skin take a breather. No face masks, no makeup, no picking your pimples. However tempting that last one may be.
And remember, I’m right by your side. We’ll get through this together, babe.