If you have a front-facing service job, or have needed to leave the house for errands or otherwise, you’ve probably started wearing a mask very regularly. You may have also started experiencing what beauty bloggers have termed “maskne.” This mask-related skin care problem is a serious concern for many people, especially essential workers. Here’s what you need to know about it.
What Is Maskne?
The term “maskne” comes from a portmanteau of “mask” and “acne.” Essentially, it describes the acne that some people can start seeing due to wearing a mask regularly. When you wear a mask, you’re making it more difficult for the skin around your mouth and nose to breathe. That can clog your pores and make you more prone to acne. However, there are some things you can do to avoid this problem.
Tips and Tricks for Avoiding Maskne
View this post on Instagram
Instead of just accepting maskne as an inevitable part of life, there are ways you can avoid maskne. Consider taking a few of these tips and tricks seriously. If you introduce even a few of them into your daily routine, you can seriously reduce your rates of maskne.
-
Wash Your Reusable Mask Regularly
When you’re wearing a reusable mask, it’s crucial that you wash it on a regular basis. Every time you wear your reusable mask, you’re getting bacteria, oil and dirt from your skin on the mask. Breathing into the mask also causes bacteria to collect on the inside of the mask. Not only is it better for your acne to wash your mask on a regular basis, but it’s also better for your health as a whole, which is why you’re wearing a mask.
-
Replace Disposable Masks Every Day
If you instead choose to wear a disposable mask, make sure you’re using it as a disposable mask. You shouldn’t be reusing disposable masks every day. Instead, you should replace the disposable mask with a new mask every day. This helps you avoid problems with oil and dirt from your skin and bacteria from your breath.
-
Wash Your Face in the Morning and at Night
In your day-to-day life, you may not have created a routine of washing your face both in the morning and at night. However, it’s crucial that you wash your face before and after you wear your mask. Washing your face before wearing your mask reduces the bacteria and oil that collects on your mask throughout the day. Washing it after wearing your mask removes any dirt that may have accumulated on the skin, especially underneath your mask.
-
Have a Skin Care Routine
View this post on Instagram
Skin care routines are always important, but they’re even more important when you’re wearing a mask most of the time. Keeping your skin healthy will reduce your risk of acne overall, which means it will also reduce your risk of maskne. When you have a great skin care routine, you’ll be at lower risk of maskne overall.
-
Use a Silicone Insert That Keeps Your Mask Off Your Face
There are silicone inserts you can buy to minimize the amount the interior of your mask touches your face. With these inserts, your mask will only touch your face around the edges. That makes it much less likely that you’ll develop maskne all around your mouth. These silicone inserts can be extremely helpful for people who have to wear masks for a significant portion of the day.
-
Buy a Mask Made From Hypoallergenic Materials
Some masks utilize less hypoallergenic materials than others. There are some masks that utilize materials that are more hypoallergenic, bacteria-resistant, and generally better for your skin. If you find that you’re particularly prone to maskne, you may want to buy one of these masks instead of using more common and more irritating masks.
Conclusion
As you can see, maskne can be a problem, but it’s a problem you can fix! No matter who you are, it’s possible to reduce your maskne. If you want to keep your skin looking as fresh and clean as ever, you might want to consider a visit to a Tricoci University of Beauty Culture clinical salon. Here, you can get extra help with skin care from people who want to keep you as healthy as possible.