5 Tips To Combat A Common Ailment Due To Frequent Mask Wearing
What is Maskne? If you have been out and about wearing your mask throughout the year, you have probably noticed differences in your skin. Extra sweat and oil, or just general feelings of being dirty and yes maybe even acne. Acne? Maybe you haven't had acne since your teenage years, but here it is. What is happening? Well it feels obvious looking back on it, something is touching your face for large parts of the day that is filling with your sweat and breath. Your mask collects sweat and bacteria and causes all sorts of not nice side effects on your skin including clogged pores, black heads and white heads and yes, even proper acne. What can you do though? It appears we will be expected to wear masks for quite some time, so how do we combat the issues we are facing with wearing the masks? Here are 5 tips on how to combat the new and dreaded maskne.
1 - Wash your mask often, experiment with materials
Though we all should be washing out masks daily, we all know we are not doing it as well as we should be. Perhaps we forget the mask again and end up using the one in the car or perhaps it didn't dry as quickly as we had hoped. Whatever the excuses, if you can't keep up with washing a mask you can always switch to disposable surgical masks or invest in 7 masks, one for everyday.
Another thing to consider is the material of your mask. Our skin will react to different materials differently but in general out skin likes 100% cotton the best. Try switching your mask out to a cotton one. You can also keep note of the masks you wear and your skin's reactions to see if you can find a correlation.
2 - Up your Skincare game
It might be time to head to the drugstore and grab some acne medications. The good news is, that skincare really has improved since we were in high school. Opt for a deep and gentle cleanser followed by a toner that works with your skin type. If you have an outbreak, look for products with salicylic acid for white heads and black heads and benzoyl peroxide for pimples. If you really feel like your skin needs a deep cleaning, look at weekly or biweekly face masks that combat oil and acne. You can place these masks over the problem areas while leaving more delicate or unaffected areas alone. If it feels like these things still aren't helping, head to the dermatologist for a treatment or prescription.
3 - Keep the skin clean under the mask
Once you have the mask on for the day, you aren't really seen without it on by the general public. So if you are one to wear makeup, only apply to the top half of your face, allowing your bottom half to breathe better without having extra product on your face. The same goes for moisturizer and sunscreen. Though, I would never suggest skipping either product for anyone, using a lighter application and letting the product fully absorb into the skin before putting on your mask will help combat skin ailments from mask wearing.
4 - Change mask styles
Though all masks should cover your nose and mouth, there are several different shapes of masks to choose from. If you notice you get skin problems along the areas where masks hit directly, consider investing in a few styles of masks that will allow some parts of your face a break while other parts take the hit. Keeping the contact point changing will help your skin have a chance against the acne. You can also alternate with face shields or other innovative facial coverings.
5 - Change immediately after exercise
If you are going to sweat in a mask, be it from exercise or errand running or just being outside, be sure you change your mask to clean one once the activity is complete. This will help keep the bacteria off your face and allow your skin to breathe. It is also not a bad idea to cleanse the skin after the sweating, just be sure you don't start overwashing your face. Washing your face more than twice a day can cause irritation which can lead to more oil production and even more acne.
While it looks like we will all be wearing masks for an unknown amount of time, mask wearing doesn't need to contribute to skin problems. With these five tips you will be able to get your skin back while keeping up with mask protocols in your area. Reach out to us at info@bullionite.com with your comments or questions.