Wearing a face mask for a large part of the day will leave your skin less than happy. We all know what happens when our skin becomes unhappy…it breaks out, causing “maskne”! It’s best to keep your skin under control before a breakout occurs. This is especially important for people with acne-prone skin.
Two reasons why a face mask can cause a breakout
- Wearing a mask can trap sweat, oil, moisture, and bacteria on the skin, causing acne
- Face masks can cause irritation by rubbing against the skin, damaging the skin’s protective barrier
In healthy skin, there are normal amounts of bacteria, yeast, and sebum. These organisms overgrow when pores become clogged because of excess sweat and moisture from the mask. This leads to pimples or acne cysts. It can also worsen the pimples that are there already. This type of acne is called “acne mechanica”, which includes any skin issues caused by pressure, rubbing, friction, squeezing, or stretching the skin.
Preventing maskne
Whether you are experiencing maskne or not, implementing these steps may help prevent future breakouts.
- Wash your face regularly
- Wash your mask after each use
- Skip your makeup
- Use a proper skincare routine
Washing your face removes oil and dead skin cells. It is something that you should do often. We recommend that you wash your face before your put a mask on and again when you take it off. Reusable masks should be washed between uses (a fragrance-free detergent works best).
Choose carefully what you put on your face. Non-comedogenic makeup allows your skin to breathe freely. The right skincare products help fight existing acne and prevent future breakouts.
Top products
TO KEEP MASKNE UNDER CONTROL AND ULTIMATELY, HAPPY!
1. Cleanse your skin with a Salicylic base face wash
iS Clinical Cleansing Complex retextures your skin to give you a smooth, blemish-free complexion. White willow bark exfoliates and breaks up pore-clogging oil to boost cell turnover and tighten the appearance of your pores.
2. Exfoliate your skin twice a week
ZO Skin Health’s Dual Action Scrub provides a dual-action exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and excess surface oil that can lead to clogged pores. Dual-action exfoliation; targets surface oil and bacteria; calms and soothes the skin.
3. Use an acne fighting serum
iS Clinical Active Serum is a fast-acting, long-term, results-oriented formula that decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, visibly evens skin tone, and is excellent for blemish-prone skin. It contains Salicylic Acid and Glycolic Acid.
4. USE A RETINOL
ZO Skin Health’s Wrinkle + Texture Repair is a retinol product that speeds cell turnover, preventing dead skin cells from clogging the pores and visibly improving skin tone and texture.
Don’t forget to hydrate your skin! dry skin can actually over produce oil, causing more acne.
