Of all the ways the current health crisis challenged us, skin problems were not one we anticipated. It’s not just the stress-induced breakouts we’re referring to, rather it’s maskne: the unsightly bumps, dry and scaly patches, rashes and blemishes developing on your chin, around your mouth and basically any part of your face that comes in contact with your mask.
It is so important to wear a mask right now. Maintaining good mask hygiene by washing and changing regularly, and wearing cotton where possible will help the situation. Read on for more of my Mask-ne tips:
Prickly Heat can be caused by mask humidity, especially common if you are working in restaurants, pubs and cafes, where the environment is hot. A very mild over the counter antihistamine cream or steroid ointment usually calms this down very quickly
Dry skin occurs due to insufficient oxygen supply which means that our skin is less able to rejuvenate, resulting in dry, defunct skin cells collecting on the surface. Additionally, potential friction can make the skin appear rougher. Applying a barrier cream regularly beneath the mask over several hours will help protect the natural barrier. Apply before bed to heal overnight, too.
Red nose caused by the friction of wearing a face mask can potentially lead to sore, red noses – especially when masks are worn for long periods of time. You can calm this down by applying a cold compress once the mask is off, and before bed apply a soothing cream, ideally something that contains Vitamins A and E, to help reduce inflammation.
Acne - A rise in breakouts has seen the skin problem dubbed ‘mask-ne’ and is often caused by heat and humidity over the skin.This is known to trigger breakouts, due to reduced evaporation of sweat from wearing a mask, alongside increased serum production as the skin tries to deal with the unusual conditions.Remove the mask at intervals and spritz the skin with a water-based product to keep the face feeling fresh.
If you have a skin or skincare question please drop me an email, I'd love to help:
emma@emmacolemanskin.com You can also connect with me @EmmaColemanSkin for daily tips
