As the name suggests, “maskne” is acne that is caused by wearing a mask. Not a lot of people, besides professionals that wear masks for long periods of time, knew this was an actual thing. However, with the current global pandemic of 2020, we’re all beginning to understand and see the struggle that can come from this unwanted side effect. Because of this, we have seven skincare tips that you can implement in your routine to help prevent “maskne”.
Having a clean and fresh face before you go to bed and before you put on your makeup is an essential part of any skincare routine. 2020 has caused an extra importance on this skincare step because of face masks. While it’s necessary to wear a mask in order to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, your face is going through a lot. Applying makeup, breathing into your face mask, as well as touching are three habits that can irritate your skin. This is why cleansing your face is even more essential to prevent unnecessary breakouts and blemishes.
We recommend washing your face two times a day. Once before you go to bed to remove all of the makeup and impurities that your face has collected throughout the day and once before you apply your makeup. These face washes can ensure that your skin gets clean and feels refreshed before a new day!
Dry skin can be a common symptom depending on a person’s type of skin as well as the season and living location. Adding a mask on top of these issues can cause some serious dryness from rubbing. A good moisturizer can give an extra boost of moisture and provide a light barrier between your skin and your mask. If this isn’t part of your routine, we highlighly recommend investing in a moisturizer to help keep your skin moisturized while wearing a mask.
Water is a huge part of our overall health but did you know it can also be beneficial for your skin? Your skin is a major organ made up of water and without enough it won’t function properly. Wearing a mask that covers your mouth can prevent you from making sure you’re consuming the proper intake of water each day.
When you’re at an appropriate place that allows you to remove your mask to drink, do so! You can also take advantage of your eating times throughout the day to make sure you’re getting some fluids in your system. It’s recommended that you intake eight glasses of water a day. If you haven’t been drinking that much, simply start out small and work your way up to the proper amount.
At times, the mixture of your makeup and face mask can create unwanted acne even if you’ve been drinking water as well as washing and moisturizing your face. When this happens and you feel like you’re still getting unwanted acne, we suggest giving your skin a break and skipping the makeup application entirely! Sometimes our faces need a little break from everything that’s on it and a day without anything can do works to get your skin feeling rejuvenated again.
If you know you’re having a chill day and nothing important is going on where you would want to wear makeup, give yourself and your skin a break. This can allow your skin some time to heal and bounce back.
If you’re a makeup lover and find it hard to give it up completely, simply focus your application on the upper-half of your face. Wearing a mask can be the perfect opportunity to focus your attention and experiment with eyeshadow, eyeliner, and eyebrows. If you want to use foundation, we suggest a lightweight, tinted moisturizer to keep that moisturized barrier we previously talked about.
Another huge component that can cause “maskne” is constant touching with or without a mask on. While this seems like an obvious tip especially during a global pandemic, it’s important to remember when it comes to your skin. We’re all guilty of fidgeting and adjusting our mask but we should strive to only touch our faces and masks when it’s absolutely necessary and as minimal as possible!
Just like you want fresh skin, your skin wants a fresh mask! Masks that haven’t been washed can have leftover makeup as well as other not so great smells and such. Putting them back on your skin can also cause unnecessary acne and blemishes.
Invest in some cloth masks that you can rotate out and wash! The CDC echoes this by saying that washing your mask after each use should be a part of your skincare routine. You can wash them by hand or in the washer and dry them in the dryer or leave them out to dry. It’s your preference on how to wash but wash nonetheless to prevent any that unwanted “maskne”.
It’s been a long time without some extra self-care from future professionals! As the Salon Professional Academy(TSPA), San Jose is gearing up to reopen, we recommend you taking a look at our esthetics services so you can prepare to book your quality service at an affordable price ASAP!
Do you love skin and have you already implemented these tips into your daily routine, consider learning more about what an education in esthetics can do for you and your future! Learn more by checking out these two blogs:
5 Things to Know About Being an Esthetician
What is Master Esthetics?