How To Deal With Mask Acne

The pandemic has changed many things about the way we live, and wearing face masks is one of them. Overwhelming scientific evidence has shown that wearing face masks that protect our eyes, mouths, and noses can limit the spread of COVID-19.

But the most important thing coming between us and a deadly virus has the unfortunate side effect of producing acne. But since we’d pick pimples over COVID-19 any day, we’ll just have to deal with the new reality of dealing with mask acne. Thankfuly, dermatologists have gotten on the case and have some good advice to limit what has now been dubbed as “maskne”.

What is maskne?

Mask acne or “maskne” is a term used to refer to the higher incidence of acne or exacerbation of existing acne observed after consistent use of face masks.

These are the most common reasons why face masks cause acne:

1. Friction. The mask must touch the skin to create a protected bubble against virus transmission, but in doing so, the sides of the mask chafe it as we move, talk and breathe. There’s actually a term for this: acne mechanica. For those with existing acne, pressure and prolonged contact will likely make things worse.
2. Increased sebum production. Ordinarily, the warm air we exhale isn’t very hot, but when it’s confined into a small space, can create a microenvironment of increased temperature around our mouth, cheeks and nose. Studies show that per increase of 1℃, sebum production increases by 10%. You’re not supposed to touch your face while wearing a mask as this may compromise the protection it affords, so that oil just sits on your face for a couple of hours, possibly accumulating in your pores.
3. Humidity. The hot air we exhale and the body heat that emanates from our face is trapped. Our natural reaction is to sweat. The sweat, combined with the saliva droplets and water vapor that comes out as we talk and breathe contributes to moisture. Humid environments are a godsend to bacteria, allowing them to multiply quickly and potentially block our pores.

5 Tips To Minimize Maskne

If this is making you want to never wear a mask again, we feel you. But it’s important to know how masks contribute to acne so that we know how to minimize it. 

Use a well-fitting right mask made of natural material 

A mask is primarily a piece of protective equipment. How effective it is at preventing the entry (or shedding) of the virus is a function of its fit and its material.

Wearing a face mask that is too tight can be painful, especially if worn for hours. When it digs into the skin, it causes irritation and friction, which is something we do not want. But wearing a mask that’s too loose isn’t a good alternative either. Firstly because it offers poor protection against the virus, and also results in you readjusting with your mask more often. Again, irritation and friction.

A good face mask should be snug but comfortable. It doesn’t dig into the skin, but it doesn’t move around so much either. Chafing is kept to a minimum and you have good protection against the virus.

Dermatologists suggest natural materials to minimize friction against skin. 100% natural cotton is a good option for those who just go out for essentials in places where social distancing is maintained.

But those who go to places with a higher density of people, or those who are more likely to be exposed to the virus may need masks made of more protective material. In this case, you can line the inside of your mask with cotton gauze or facial tissue. This creates a barrier between your skin and the rough-textured material of your mask.

Practice proper mask sanitation

After a couple of hours of use, you can expect your mask to be crawling with bacteria and full of moisture and sweat. Take care to remove it by only touching the straps, as the virus may have landed on the outside, and bacteria has probably grown on the inside.

Wash it after every use with fragrance-free detergent. You can see what people with eczema and other sensitive skin conditions use to get an idea of brands you can use. Detergent marketed for babies works too.

If you’re outside and have a couple of minutes in a safe environment, take the opportunity for a mask break to let your skin breathe. It’s best to change a disposable mask every four hours. But if your mask is not disposable, you can put a new layer of gauze or facial tissue to help separate your skin from the now bacteria- and moisture-laden mask.

Change to a gentler, simpler skincare routine

If you’ve been wondering why the skincare routine you’ve been following for months without a hitch is suddenly powerless to stop new breakouts, know that you aren’t alone. Mask wearing--and let’s be real, all the other stresses caused by this pandemic--are likely culprits.

Let me explain it this way: You know the feeling when you have your period and things that wouldn’t normally tick you off suddenly cause you to explode? Your skin may be going through the same thing. Hours it spends chafing against your mask can make your face much more sensitive. The same products it once tolerated very well now cause negative reactions that may lead to acne.

The solution? To treat your skin as gently as possible. Use products that are labelled “mild”, “gentle”, “noncomedogenic”, “does not clog pores”. As much as possible, take a break from using products that can irritate the skin, including exfoliants, peels, and retinol- or acid-containing products.

Instead, make your day skincare simple by sticking to the essentials: Just a mild cleanser and a non-comedogenic moisturizer that fits your skin type. For the acne-prone and oily, you’ll do best with a light gel moisturizer. Normal-skinned folks should use a moisturizing lotion. Those with dry skin should use a cream-based moisturizer.

Having a bare bones regimen isn’t just good for your skin, it also leaves you with less to worry about during this already worrisome time.

Put petroleum jelly on irritated skin

If you have developed irritated patches of your skin from wearing ill-fitting or poorly-made masks, you need to protect those from further friction.

To help those painful spots heal, put a layer of petroleum jelly before you sleep at night. This will help soothe the irritation caused by the friction and enhance the healing process. And make sure to change your mask to prevent further damage!

Skip the make-up

One of the many minor inconveniences that the pandemic has brought upon us is the wasting away of our make-up products. Since we’re mostly at home, there is no need for cosmetics (except maybe a little for the occasional online meeting).

As much as you would want to use your extensive collection of foundations, tints, primers, and setting sprays, your skin would thank you for leaving them on the shelf for now. There may be irritating ingredients in your makeup that will push your mask-sensitized skin over the edge. But if you cannot do without makeup, try to shop (online!) for non-comedogenic, oil-free products. 

But there are still ways to express yourself with cosmetics. You can put makeup in areas that are not affected by maskne. Play up your eyes or get your brows on fleek, to still give you the oomph you need to get you through your day. Just make sure to stop if you see a zit brewing!

Conclusion

Wearing face masks is a reality we have to accept if we want to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the virus. The inconvenience is minor when we think about the consequences of going without it.

But while it will be some time before we can go back to living mask-free, there are many things that we can do to limit its effects on our skin. By being gentle and minimizing any other sources of skin irritation, we can minimize spread of acne while minimizing the spread of COVID in our communities.