Two years on and we are still managing covid -19, face masks have been used world wide to control the spread of the virus but some of us are suffering constant acne breakouts from hours of mask use.
As stressful as it is, we have compiled a quick guide to help you ditch the maskne (mask acne) to feel more comfortable and regain your confidence.
10 tips to help ease the anxiety around controlling maskne
- Wash your face regularly , we highly recommend washing your face at least morning and night with a gentle cleanser. It’s also important to ensure all makeup is removed before going to bed.
- Use a gentle calming cleanser that is void of alcohols and harsh fragrances as these can dry out your skin and flare your acne. Often most acne sufferers benefit from an oil cleanser , this helps fool the sebaceous glands into secreting less oil.
- Keep your skin care routine simple, eliminate some layers of products if needed to reduce pores blocking. Resort back to the basic cleanse, tone and moisturise for 28 days and see if this helps.
- Take a break from makeup such as primers , foundations and concealers as these can clog your pores and lengthen the time it takes to heal from a break out. If you can’t go without make up we recommend switching to mineral makeup as these are usually natural and light weight.
- Wear a soft fabric mask where possible as these are less irritating, ensure you wash fabric masks daily and throw out disposable masks after use (cut the strings to save the sea life and please think about your plastic use).
- Wash and change your pillowcase weekly because it’s the perfect place for bacteria to reside and contribute to worsening acne.
- Spot treatments are useful if you happen to have specific large, inflamed blemishes. Using an acne spot treatment can help calm redness and reduce the break out . If you choose to use daytime acne treatments, apply after cleansing and toning in the morning.
- Medications such as steroids, and the contraceptive pill are also known to cause acne. We recommend checking in with your doctor if you have started any new medications as a precaution.
- Drink plenty of water and ensure you are eating a balanced diet, we also recommend checking in with your stress levels and ensuring your hormones are functioning as per normal. With the outbreak of covid -19 many people are experiencing stress which can increase your cortisol levels leading to breakouts.
- If you are unable to manage your maskne and you have implemented some positive changes as mentioned in this blog we recommend you go and see a medical professional regarding your skin. Sometimes professional advice is needed to control specific types of acne.
Rest assured you are not alone, most mask related break outs can be successfully treated at home. Time and patience with a little self love goes a long way when treating acne.