Tips for Treating and Preventing Maskne
As men and women around the world continue to wear masks for protection from Covid-19, our skin has been slowly paying for it. Today, we’ll provide you with some tips for treating and preventing maskne.
What is Maskne?
In order for a mask to work properly, it needs to be tight-fitting. This becomes especially crucial for medical workers. The unfortunate consequence is that this can cause acne, redness, irritations, and further skin problems.
How Summer Made Maskne Worse
This past summer gave us new problems that made maskne even worse. Higher temperatures and more humidity are the two main reasons that masks lead to skin damage. The friction that results from wearing a mask leads to flare ups of several skin problems, including acne and eczema. The friction and pressure of the mask will be exacerbated by more heat combined with sweat, and this can lead to chafing and similar irritation. This may even lead to problems with pore congestion, and that can lead to an overgrowth of yeast.
How to Prevent Maskne
The most important thing is to continue practicing your skin care routines. It’s optimal to have one in the morning and one in the evening. It’s also crucial to wash your face before you put on the mask and afterwards.
By nourishing and cleansing your skin every day, your skin barrier will have the optimal conditions for maintenance and repair. It’s important not to skip the normal cleansing stage since it removes debris, but you’ll get rid of more pesky germs if you wash your skin regularly.
Be Gentle on Your Skin
When choosing a cleanser, be sure to look for one that is gentle on the skin. The goal is to get a cleanser that will remove oil and dirt, but won’t disrupt the skin’s barrier. However, if your skin is a little more on the oily side or you struggle with acne, try a cleanser that also gently exfoliates. This type of cleanser can help to remove sebum and stop pores from getting clogged in the first place. We recommend using a gentle exfoliating cleanser such as the Better Bean Clean Face Coffee Cleanser to remove any dirt or debris from the skin surface, and clean deep down into pores. You may also wish to try a beauty device such as the Spark Photon LED Beauty Tech which provide blue light therapy function which is known to reduce redness and inflammation.
Hydrate Your Skin
The hydration of your skin begins on the inside. You need to drink water often to keep your skin healthy, and this is the most often ignored tip even though it’s the most accessible. Moisturize your skin as well, but of course, don’t overdo it. You also don’t want there to be too much moisture as we discussed earlier.
How to Treat Maskne
Many of us will have worse maskne due to the summer having just passed. Those who are suffering from inflamed areas on the face as a result of maskne might find relief in the form of Hydrocortisone. Some people even use old school petroleum jelly to help with this.
Maskne and Makeup
Most dermatologists agree that it’s best to avoid the makeup if you’re going to wear a mask for an extended period of time. If you must apply makeup, please keep it to a minimum as it’s simply fuel to the fire of maskne and be sure it’s Non-Comedogenic, which Ipsy lists the top 7 they’ve come across here. Let your skin breathe as much as it can.
