Whether you’re an essential worker (thank you!!) who needs to wear PPE for hours a day, or a considerate citizen doing what you can to curb the spread of COVID-19, you might be noticing that maskne (mask acne) is becoming another staple of 2020. Facial coverings trap heat, sweat, and moisture against your skin, causing irritation and breakouts. Check out our tips for keeping your skin healthy and clear while staying protected under your mask.

Avoid makeup

If you are a makeup wearer, avoid wearing makeup on the areas covered by your mask. This tends to be an easy task since your mask will cover the entire area anyway! Makeup will combine with oil and the added moisture on your skin to clog pores. If you feel the need to wear makeup under your mask, go light, and only use non-comedogenic formulas. 

Wash & moisturize

To minimize breakouts, get in the routine of washing your face right before putting on your mask and again directly after you take it off. Then follow each cleansing session with a hydrating, non-comedogenic moisturizer to strengthen and protect the skin barrier. If it’s impossible to sneak in a wash, swipe a Dermala SCANTILY Pad across the area to kill bacteria, exfoliate the skin, and soothe with Aloe vera. Also, if you’re using reusable face masks, stock up on a few masks so you can always have a clean one ready. 

Exfoliate

Exfoliation should always be an essential step in everyone’s skincare routine, especially if you have acne-prone skin. The moisture, dirt, and oil that gets trapped under your mask can form a little plug at the tip of your follicles. A chemical exfoliant with salicylic acid will penetrate oil deep into the follicles to dissolve dead skin cells and open pores. For best results, apply the exfoliant after cleansing your face.