24 Sep “Maskne” Got You Down? We’ve Got Your Back—and Face
You’re safe, keeping your social distance, and wearing a mask whenever you go out in public—so why are you being seemingly punished for it? At RefinedMD there has been an influx of clients struggling with “maskne,” a new kind of acne outbreak that is caused by wearing masks. Some clients already have a tough time with acne and are frustrated that the solution that finally worked is no longer effective when wearing masks. Other clients never or rarely struggled with acne until now. No matter what your unique situation might be, there is a solution for maskne.
Maskne Outbreaks
There’s also another kind of breakout happening right now, and once again it might feel like you’re being punished for being too good to your skin. In the initial months and weeks of lockdown, a lot of people stopped wearing a full face of makeup (or any makeup at all). Your skin got used to being clean and clear. Now that a lot of people are returning to some kind of normal, they’re going back to wearing makeup—and your skin is protesting. Even high-quality makeup that you’ve used for years might be causing irritation or blemishes. Not only do you have maskne, but your skin is retaliating entirely because it got so used to being makeup-free.
If one of your problems is your skin’s resistance to makeup after a reprieve, ease into the process. Putting too many topicals on your face at once, whether it’s makeup or skin care, can shock the skin. Think of it like your skin being on vacation for a few weeks. Just like you, it needs some time to readjust to life as normal. Make sure you double-check your makeup to see that it’s oil free and also avoid slathering on multiple layers of product if your skin isn’t used to it anymore. Slow and steady wins the skin care race.
There’s also the issue of weather to contend with. Maybe when you began wearing masks and opting out of makeup the weather was cool and you weren’t sweating much. Now, we’re in the midst of a dangerous combination: sweat plus masks plus makeup. Even the most acne-resistant skin can’t handle this deadly trio. Masks can make us sweat even more and traps the sweat and makeup inside and along the edges of the mask. No wonder you’re breaking out across the bridge of your nose and jawline!
Remember What Your Skin is For: Skin is the largest organ
Skin is the largest organ we have. It’s the protective barrier that keeps us safe from the outside environment, protecting us from UV damage, pollutants, humidity, and yes even the abrasiveness of masks and annoyance of makeup. The good news is that we (and our skin) get used to it. However, bear in mind that right now a lot of us have adapted to a makeup-free indoor lifestyle. Suddenly using makeup or wearing masks more regularly is going to take some adjustment. It’s only natural for your skin to protest, and it does so best with breakouts.
Most of us know that we’re never certain how our skin will react to new makeup even in the best of times. Start wearing makeup again with a face covering and our skin’s reaction is wildly unpredictable. Ideally, wearing makeup under our masks should be avoided for many reasons, most importantly because some studies have shown that it makes masks less effective. Makeup soils the masks, which minimizes air filtration. The purpose of a mask is to keep us safe from dangerous airborne pathogens, and debris (makeup) clogs the mask making it less effective since it can’t filtrate as well.
Here’s What to Do About Maskne
If you can, avoid wearing makeup on the lower half of the face when you know you’ll be wearing a mask. Bear in mind that masks can still cause breakouts, though, because they’re trapping heat and oil around the mouth and nose. Masks are also causing a certain type of rash in some clients, perioral dermatitis, which happens exclusively around the mouth. Check to see if any of the products you’re using, including makeup and skin care, are expired. This is likely to happen when you put them aside for months, as most products have a three-year shelf life. When a product expires, the ingredients separate and that can lead to breakouts.
If it’s been awhile since you got a new skin care regimen, now is the time to update and upgrade with a suite of maskne-fighting products. Connect with RefinedMD today to work with an expert and to create your own maskne-proof skin care approach.