9 Tips to prevent acne caused by face mask
How to treat and prevent maskne
I want to start off by saying thank you for doing your part and wearing your mask. If your skin is paying for it don’t worry, I am here to tell you exactly how to prevent mask acne or like the cool kids say it, maskne.
Your skin will no longer suffer from your selflessness in protecting others by wearing a mask. I know, I’m smiling too. If it’s not too forward I must say you have a great smile!
Want to skip ahead and see what face mask you should buy to prevent maskne?
If you are someone who already deals with acne, this pandemic isn’t making it any easier for you to have clear skin.
Don’t worry, you are going to learn some great tips to not create even more acne for yourself down below.
If you are completely lost with what to do if you are someone who deals with acne, even without this pandemic thrown in the mix, here are some great tips to follow to get clear skin.
Of course, you should visit a dermatologist, but this can be a good starting point.
Just to be clear mask acne caused by the pandemic isn’t foreign acne. The cause is the only thing that is different here. Which we will go over down below how to prevent it.
Table of contents
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser
What face mask is best for acne?
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE I GET A COMMISSION FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser
It is important to wash your face before wearing your mask because you don’t want to carry any oils, dirt, or bacteria from your face to your mask.
Equally important if not more so is washing it correctly. Washing your face seems like a pretty obvious thing to know how to do, but it isn’t.
In order to make sure you are actually cleaning your face appropriately you should follow these face washing tips.
You should also wash your face after you wear a face mask to clean any dirt, oils, or bacteria from any oil, sweat or saliva you might have released.
Yea, I made that face too. When I realized this I wanted to clean all of my face masks right away, but don’t leave yet, I have a few tips in mask cleaning and mask wearing down below.
Use a gentle nonfragrance cleanser to not irritate your skin, since the bottom half of your face is being covered it can cause dryness in that area.
If we are cleansing our face with our regular face wash it can lead to irritation it wouldn’t normally.
A great gentle cleanser to use is are
Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser
or
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.
They are great for most skin types
Here are other face cleansers depending on your skin type.
Pin for later
Spot treatment for acne
If a pimple does pop up then make sure to only treat the affected area.
My favorite spot treatment is balance me congested skin serum as it never fails to dry my pimple out overnight.
Use retinol at night
Retinol can also be a good product to use since it helps prevent breakouts. Since retinol can be very drying, I would recommend using Olay’s Regenerist retinol24.
It is a moisturizer with retinol which isn’t harsh on your skin. This retinol really is amazing, check out all the benefits Olay’s retinol24 has to offer.
Related
Use a gentle moisturize
After you have washed your face you want to apply a layer of fragrance-free moisturizer.
This allows your face to stay hydrated and it also creates a barrier between your skin and mask, reducing dryness which can lead to irritation.
You want to look for a moisturizer that is light and won’t clog your pores. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramide.
Neutrogena Hydro boost with hyaluronic acid
Aveeno facial moisturizer for dry and sensitive skin contains feverfew which is amazing at calming irritation
Elta MD AM Therapy for normal to oily skin. It contains hyaluronic acid.
Elta MD PM Therapy for normal to dry skin. It also contains hyaluronic acid.
Avoid wearing makeup
The goods news is that since half of your face is covered you only have to put makeup on half of your face.
You are saving both time and money, it’s a blessing in disguise. If however, you feel you have to wear makeup (You are beautiful without it, I promise).
Or just like wearing makeup then look for makeup labeled non-comedogenic or makeup that says it won’t clog pores. Clogged pores = acne.
If you wear makeup underneath your mask then please please wash your face after you retire the mask for the day and don’t reuse this mask. More on this next.
Wash your face mask
If you are using a reusable face mask don’t wear it two days in a row without washing it first.
You don’t want to carry any dirt from your mask, especially if you wear makeup underneath your mask to lay on your face.
When it comes to washing your face mask look for a hypoallergenic detergent. Using your regular detergent that you use for your clothes can irritate the skin on your face.
According to Elizabeth Mullens, dermatologist at Uptown Dermatology, the dyes and fragrances from your detergent can leave residue on your face mask that can irritate your skin.
Some great hypoallergenic detergents are
What face mask is best for acne?
To prevent maskne you want to wear a face mask that fits nice and snug on your face, not tight. The less moving around your face mask does, the less it will irritate your skin.
If you constantly have to readjust your face mask because it fits too tight or it moves around too much you can be carrying over germs from your hands to your face and mask which can lead to acne.
Look for a mask that has two layers of fabric and that it is soft and breathable.
According to ADD good type of fabric for your mask is cotton. Avoid synthetic fabrics such as nylon, polyester, and rayon.
If the part of your face mask that goes behind your ears irritates your skin then look for some that ties behind your head.
Cotton 2 layer face masks
Take a break every few hours
To allow your skin to breathe remove your mask every few hours. Make sure you are practicing social distancing when you do so to protect yourself and others.
Stress acne
If none of this helps then you might be experiencing acne due to stress. The number one cause of acne is stress.
The uncertainty of the pandemic can bring stress to anyone, and unfortunately our face can pay the price.
According to busywifebusylife when you are dealing with stress, your cortisol levels increase which leads to your oil glands to activate.
With all this oil production mixed with dead skin cells and bacteria result in acne.
Related articles
Selfcare for when you are stressed
How to feel in control during a pandemic
Ideas for selfcare during a pandemic
How to prevent maskne final thoughts
To prevent maskne make sure to wash your face before and after wearing a mask. Don’t wear your mask without washing it.
Use a gentle moisturizer and at night use retinol. If a pimple does pop up just apply a spot treatment and try to keep calm.
I know wearing a face mask can be tiresome, annoying and at times it may feel useless. It’s not.
You are being selfless by protecting others if you happen to be carrying the virus. Together we can stop the spread.
This won’t be our reality forever, especially if we keep practicing social distancing and mask-wearing. We got this!
Related articles
The correct order to apply skin care products
9 ways to prevent face mask skin problems
Pin for later
