How to Prevent Maskne Naturally
Photo: Unsplash
Maskne = Mask Acne. Our new normal that comes with wearing masks. I started experiencing sensitivity, irritation and acne as soon as the mask mandates started in New York City. But even if you don’t have sensitive or acne prone skin, you might be getting maskne. Luckily, there’s natural ways to prevent them.
Some Maskne Causes:
type of the material the mask is made from
the mask rubbing against the skin
condensation from breathing under the mask
wearing makeup/heavy products on your skin underneath the mask
re-wearing the same mask without washing it
The list goes on. Since we’ll be wearing masks for a while, I’m rounding up some natural ways to prevent getting rid of those pesky maskne below!
Tips to Prevent Maskne
Wear a silk mask
Wash your mask every day
basically consider your mask as your most intimate clothing item – you WANT to wash that thing every day. You want to use a non-toxic, unscented and fragrance free laundry detergent, as any harmful chemicals such as these can cause irritation. I like this one from Seventh Generation
Keep your skincare simple
don’t wear any makeup if you can, especially not on the area of your face that’s covered by the mask. Don’t layer on a ton of skincare, just use a lightweight oil or moisturizer, and SPF. Also, skip the lip balm/gloss/lipstick.
Ditch the disposable masks
disposable masks are TERRIBLE for the environment (they are plastic, which NEVER degrades) and contain harmful materials (plastics, formaldehyde etc.). Inhaling these particles and having them right on your skin & by your eyes is definitely not a good idea.
Calm your skin in the evening
nighttime is the best time for your skin to regenerate. Make your evening skincare routine very nourishing, calming and use your breakout healing products at this time.
Exfoliate once or twice weekly
in order to get rid of old skin cells that are accumulating on top of your skin (which cause acne in general), you want to exfoliate once or twice a week, preferably with a chemical exfoliator (AHA/BHA serum). It will leave your skin refreshed and new – less prone to breakouts.
And now, let’s get to my skincare product recommendations! Keep in mind, these have worked for ME, and may or may not work for you. However, I have sensitive, acne prone and combo skin, which is super hard to please, so chances are, these products have a good probability of working for you too!
Morning Routine:
Moisturizer: Honest Beauty Hydrogel Cream*
Photo: Unsplash
Oil: Indie Lee Squalane Oil OR Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Oil*
Sunscreen: MyChelle Sun Shield Liquid SPF 50 or Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30
Evening Routine:
Oil Cleanser: Pai Light Work Cleansing Oil
Foaming Cleanser: Kora Organics Foaming Cleanser
Resurfacing Serum (use 1-2x/week): Mad Hippie Vitamin A Serum
Moisturizer: Pai Chamomile & Rosehip Calming Day Cream*
Oil: Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil*
*either use the oil or the moisturizer, not both – unless you have extremely dry skin.
*this post contains some affiliate links and if you purchase something from my link, I will receive a small commission from the sale, which helps support this blog. Affiliate or no affiliate, you are getting my honest recommendation – I would never recommend something I don’t like and haven’t used and loved myself.