Hello Lovelies!
What a year it has been! Who’d have thought we’d have been forced to stay inside our homes for months, to then having to wear face masks wherever we go! Nobody could’ve predicted it! Everybody has their own Covid-19 story, with everyone struggling in different ways: loneliness, loss of friends/family, job losses, mental health struggles… the list goes on.
Recently in the salon we have had a lot of people saying how their skin has started to breakout a lot more since wearing their face masks, which got me thinking that there must be a reason for this. So I popped onto Google and had a good research…
“Maskne” refers to the development of spots and blackheads due to wearing face coverings because of Covid-19. This is identifyable as it only occurs in the places covered by the face covering, rather than all over the face like regular acne.
The constant rubbing of material on your skin leads to dirt, bacteria and oil easily clogging up the skin/pores. Face coverings are designed to limit airflow to stop the spread of Covid-19. This however then causes naturally shedding skin to get trapped on the face, causing imperfections. Trapped oil and sweat also get trapped underneath the face covering which can clog the pores, causing maskne.
There are a few ways to help reduce Maskne, but obviously, everybodies skin is different, therefore it may take more time for one persons skin to get better than it does another. The best way to prevent a flare up of maskne is to ensure you either throw away your disposable face mask after every single use, or wash your reusable mask after every single use. If you do not clean/get a new face mask each time you put one on, all of the bacteria and oil from the first time you wore it will still be on the inside of the mask, and will then be sat on the surface of your skin, slowly penetrating your pores which in turn will lead to impurities appearing on your skin.
Another way to prevent maskne is to have a good skin care routine, which should be done at least twice a day. Make sure you cleanse, tone and moisturise to extract any of the impurities and oils which may be sitting on the surface of the skin.
Getting your hands on a properly fitting silk face mask will also help. Silk is the best material because its more breathable and a softer material on the face. Making sure your face masks fits to your face perfectly will help reduce any rubbing on your face which may cause breakouts or irritation to the skin.
A standard laundry cycle is enough to wash the coronavirus off a cloth face mask. The water temperature in the washing machine doesn’t matter as long as you use detergent. Popping your mask into a dryer after you wash it adds extra protection because the highly concentrated heat is enough to kill most microorganisms.
You cannot wash a dispoasble face mask very successfully, so throwing it away and using a new one each time is the best way to keep protected.
- Cleanser. Choose a skin cleanser specifically formulated for blemish prone skin such as The Body Shop Tea Tree Cleanser (The whole Tea Tree range is available to buy in the salon). These products often contain Salicyclic Acid, Zinc, or Benzoyl Peroxide, so look out for these ingredients whilst looking for a cleanser to buy.
- Non-Comedogenic Mosituriser. Use one of these light, gel based moisturisers as they help prevent the formation of blackheads. Moisturising the skin daily will maintain the barrier function of the skin.
- Exfoliant. Using an exfoliator once a week will help strip the skin of any dead cells and any excess oils.
- 4. If your maskne is severe, go to the doctor and ask to be prescribed a retinol product to use on the skin before bed. This helps to unclog pores, reduce blackhead formation, prevent whiteheads and also calm inflammation.
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After a long, hard year, the last thing we want is to be suffering from bad skin: another problem 2020 has thrown at us.
Stay safe
Team Revive x
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