How to prevent and treat 'maskne'

It’s been a long five months of following the pandemic rules and recommendations. As if it wasn’t hard enough when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told us to stop touching our faces the masks ordinances that followed added another item to everyone’s leaving the house checklist. (Raise your hand if you've turned back to get get your mask.)

The issue is my friends, wearing masks to stop the spread of the unwanted visitor called COVID-19 has revived a little horror from our teenage years. Zits, pimples, and bumps are popping up around the mouth, nose, cheeks, and chin where your mask or face covering touches your skin. Shriek! The outbreak is known as mask acne or maskne. 

Health professionals have provided some insight as to why bumps and pimples have made a comeback. Stress levels are high because we are trying to maintain our lives during a pandemic. On top of that, wearing a properly fitted mask when you leave the house causes friction and the moisture can clog pores. 

To prevent or treat maskne we recommend taking the following steps in your skincare routine. 

• Wash your face with one of our natural soaps. We recommend Rehab, for acne-prone skin, Face- It for gentle cleansing or Sagging Jeans for combination skin. Wash your face in the morning and at night. 
• Apply one spritz of Aloe Mist Hydrating Toner which is known to minimize acne and soothe skin irritation. 
• Warm two pumps of Greens + Olives. One of the main ingredients, Ashwagandha, is commonly known to reduce stress.  

Taking care of your mask is another component of preventing breakouts. The CDC recommends washing reusable mask after every use by hand or in the washing machine. The life hack of hanging your mask on your rearview mirror and asking the sun’s rays to clean our masks for us is simply not enough. I know, we’ve all taken this short cut but could actually bread germs and cause maskne according to dermatologists. Throw away disposable masks as frequently as possible or allow them to air out between uses.