Maskne: How To Treat & Prevent It
If you've constantly been wearing a mask throughout this pandemic, you've probably experienced some form of maskne, or acne that is caused by wearing a mask. This type of acne, also known as acne machnica, occurs due to friction, pressure, or occlusion from the mask. People find that this happens especially along the jawline & cheek area where the mask lays. If you've experienced this & want to learn more about how you can both treat & prevent it, keep on reading!
First thing's first, it's important to prevent maskne from developing in the first place. You definitely want to focus on hydration. As someone with combination oily skin, I like to reiterate in my posts that I love hydrating products because they help balance my oil production. If my skin is dehydrated, it can stimulate my pores to overproduce sebum, which can then occlude my pores, causing breakouts. I love recommending hydrating products that are also helpful in strengthening your skin's lipid barrier. Ingredients to look out for include glycerin, hyaluronic acid, squalane, ceramides, & fatty acids.
Going back to the topic of clogged pores, you also want to use products that are non-comedogenic. I learned this the hard way. I trialed a new physical sunscreen on a day I was working a 12-hour shift. When I got off & removed my mask, I noticed that the area of my face that was covered by the mask had bumps all over because the physical sunscreen was basically an occlusive. Now that I've learned my lesson, products that are pore-clogging are now a BIG no-no on days where I'm wearing a mask for a prolonged period of time. Some practices you should adapt to ensure that your pores are clear include doubling cleansing (read blog post on cleansers here), incorporating chemical exfoliants (read blog post on chemical exfoliants here), & avoiding using products that are occlusive, such as physical exfoliants or makeup.
Going back to the topic of clogged pores, you also want to use products that are non-comedogenic. I learned this the hard way. I trialed a new physical sunscreen on a day I was working a 12-hour shift. When I got off & removed my mask, I noticed that the area of my face that was covered by the mask had bumps all over because the physical sunscreen was basically an occlusive. Now that I've learned my lesson, products that are pore-clogging are now a BIG no-no on days where I'm wearing a mask for a prolonged period of time. Some practices you should adapt to ensure that your pores are clear include doubling cleansing (read blog post on cleansers here), incorporating chemical exfoliants (read blog post on chemical exfoliants here), & avoiding using products that are occlusive, such as physical exfoliants or makeup.
Now let's move on to how to treat maskne. With active breakouts, you want to use products that are not just anti-bacterial to fight against bacteria, but anti-inflammatory as well to calm & soothe the skin. You can definitely use a variety of products, such as cleansers, toners/essences, serums, treatment masks, & spot treatments to help with this. Ingredients you want to look out for include AHAs/BHAs/PHAs (refer to blog post on chemical exfoliants above), to target bacteria, while ingredients, such as niacinamide, centella asiatica, green tea, turmeric, & chamomile, to target inflammation.
A third (optional) way to help decrease the likelihood of maskne is by wearing a silk mask. This is one solution I haven't tried just yet, but I did want to mention it because I've heard it can help as it causes very little friction, which can help reduce breakouts associated with mask-wearing. I recently purchased silk pillow cases to start with from LilySilk. This brand also offers silk face masks as well as clothing, bedding, & other accessories. If the pillowcases work out for me, I might just purchase the face masks too!
That's all for my suggestions to help prevent & treat your maskne! As always, please be kind to yourself while on your skincare journey & consult with a dermatologist for your skin concerns. These are tips & products that have worked for me. Everyone's skin is different & can require different things. Find what works best for you & understand that that takes time.
*Some links are affiliate links. You as a customer pay no more or no less when using my affiliate links, only that I make a small commission off of purchases made through those links.
