‘Why did I breakout more during quarantine?’
‘Has my skincare routine stopped working during the lockdown?’
‘What’s going on?!’
You asked, and now we’re here with answers.
Everyone has been wondering what’s causing their breakouts this past couple of months since the virus outbreak. While there is no literal correlation between the virus and the condition of your skin, there is a new change in your routine that’s causing these breakouts.
YOUR FACE MASK IS CAUSING MASKNE!
Maskne is breakouts caused by wearing face masks, a common practice we’ve all taken in our lives to protect ourselves from the virus. Maskne or mask acne is the result of the continued wearing of face mask which results in breakouts around the nose and chin and the general surface area of your face that the mask covers.
How Does Maskne Happen?
Cause #1
Maskne firstly happens because of the congested and humid condition your skin faces upon the prolonged wearing of face mask. The build-up of water vapor and heat tends to disrupt one’s pH level allowing for bacterial infections which soon manifest as breakouts.
Cause #2
On top of that, taking off and wearing masks repeatedly also increases contact between your hands and face and this is especially problematic for your skin if your hands have not been properly cleansed.
Cause #3
Constant adjustments and long hours of wearing masks increase friction between the strings of the mask and your face hence triggering irritation.
How Do I Know If I Face Risks Of Maskne?
The telltale is pretty obvious. You will start feeling itchiness in the area where your skin is covered with a mask. This is an indication that bacterial infection may have occurred and your skin is merely reacting to it. Another indicator is redness around the area where you mask covers. This is a sign that your skin is starting to have bad reactions from the face masks.
Ways To Treat Maskne
1. Cleanse your face before and after wearing masks with CLEAN HANDS. This is very important to ensure you don’t further exacerbate your face condition.
2. MOISTURISE! We cannot emphasize this enough. If you’re cleansing your face often, you’re also drying your skin out further. Do balance your skin’s pH levels by moisturising more frequently. Extra tip: moisturizers with niacinamide may be particularly helpful in treating maskne.
3. We’d also advise using products that will help combat acne such as salicylic acid, sulfur, and benzyl peroxide.
Should I Just Change The Type Of Mask?
Well, we’ve considered this option and ultimately deduced that a breakout is better than an outbreak. While using different materials on your skin such as silk masks may prevent maskne, it, however, most definitely will not protect you from the virus. Our personal advice is to obey to health professional’s mask suggestions and do what’s necessary to reduce the occurrence of maskne and this includes:
Replace or wash your masks often
The buildup of makeup, lip gloss, pollutant, sweat, oil, and other bad juju on the face mask will cause breakout so be dedicated to making sure only clean masks come in contact with your skin.
Use appropriate detergent
If you’re using reusable masks, be sure to use a gentle detergent to avoid further irritation. The use of bleach may be necessary to ensure masks are properly cleansed.
Mon Chéri Tips
Tip #1
Mon Chéri Acne Balm for effective acne treatment.
Mon Chéri Acne Balm is one of the products that we’ve identified will help recover maskne. Its balm-like texture will provide a protective layer between the mask and your face, reducing the frictional impact that we’ve mentioned earlier in the article. In addition, the tea tree leaf oil in the balm will counter bacterial production on your face and prevent pimples from developing into a full-blown breakout. The Mon Chéri Acne Balm also contains peppermint oil that will help reduce irritation and provide relief to itchiness that occurs from maskne. Lastly, this acne balm also contains niacinamide that will ensure your skin is moisturized on top of working on dealing with the maskne itself.
Tip #2
Mon Chéri Hydrating Acne Essence for acne scar.
If your skin has developed a massive breakout followed by scars and does not show signs of slowing down, we’d suggest the Mon Chéri Hydrating Acne Essence for immediate results. The Hydrating Acne Essence is especially appropriate for those with sensitive skin as it is formulated with ingredients that are gentle to the skin. The hydrating acne essence will aid in containing face breakout and recovering damage that has occurred from the breakout. With hydration as its benefit, even and plump skin tone can be expected as this product contains hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid.
Summing Up
1. Always wear a clean mask
Or you could carry an alcohol-based spray to sanitize your mask if constantly cleaning a mask or replacing one is not feasible for you. Be sure to allow the alcohol to dry first before wearing the mask.
2. Apply moisturizer or balm to protect skin
It’s all about protecting the skin surface from the mask and preventing friction.
3. The gentler the better
We know you’d like to kill the acne in the most vicious way possible but being gentle is key in dealing with maskne. Opt for fragrance-free moisturizers and oil or lotion based cleansers.
Now that we’ve solved the mystery behind your breakouts, we also hope we have provided you with sufficient information to get your skin back on track! We wish you the best of luck!