Living through the pandemic and having to wear a mask daily may have caused your skin to break out more than usual. This is not uncommon. In fact, it has become such a norm that the term maskne has ben derived. Maskne in a nutshell is caused by friction of your mask against your skin, triggering skin inflammation and irritation resulting in breakout. The good news is there are skincare products you can use to stop them in their tracks and your skin back to pristine health.

What causes Maskne?

Everyone is prone to maskne these days but what exactly causes it? When we live in the tropics where it’s warm and humid all year long, the moisture from the humidity and your own sweat gets trapped in the mask. With the mask on while all this is happening, you can imagine our mask is like a seal over your face, keeping in all this heat and moisture be it a reuseable mask, N95 mask or surgical mask.

How to prevent Maskne?

1.      Review your mask-wearing practices

Find a mask that sits comfortably on your skin while still ensuring that the material doesn’t compromise on the level of protection. The mask should fit snugly without excessive friction or uncomfortable rubbing as this could irritate your skin.

You should be conscientious to change your mask regularly. If it’s a cloth mask you’re wearing, you might want to change it every time you’ve perspired excessively. This could come down to changing your masks 2 to 3 times a day.

If you’re wearing disposable masks, it’s recommended not to reuse them, and change them everytime they are dirty or if it feels moist. Good hygiene habits could just be all you need to keep maskne at bay.

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2.      Evaluate your skincare routine

Perhaps your range of skincare products pre-pandemic and pre-maskne worked really well for your skin but now that maskne is a thing for you, it’s time to take a good hard look at your skincare products and its ingredients to see if they’re really working for you.

 

Believe it or not, this is a good time to Marie-Kondo your skincare routine and stick to something simple and basic, such as a toner, serum, moisturiser and sunscreen.

 

Look for products that include ingredients such as

• Salicylic acid, perfect for encouraging skin cell turnover by gently sloughing off dead skin cells.
• Glycolic acid to clear acne, and even helps to reduce wrinkles, pores and pigmentation.
• Niacinamide or Vitamin B3 to clear clogged pores, calm redness and control your skin’s oil production.
• Benzoyl peroxide kills acne-causing bacteria and gets rid of dead skin cells, and works well for treating inflammatory acne.

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3.      Skip makeup

If you can, it’s recommended to skip makeup all together as this can cause unwanted clogs from the trapped heat and humidity. But if your really need to apply makeup, keep to makeup that’s above mask-level such as your eyes and eyebrows.