We have been living with a face mask on for over a year now and it seems like we still have to continue this lifestyle for a while. Even though half of the face is covered but wearing a face mask seems to create more skin problems and we sure need to spend extra efforts on skincare routines. For oily skin and acne-prone skin, wearing a face mask doesn't help the skin condition but instead kind of worsen it. "MASKNE" is a term referring to acne/breakouts caused by wearing a face mask for an extended period Let's dig into how to avoid the formation of acne, breakouts, and lately "MASKNE"!
We know acne and breakouts could be caused by many reasons: humidity, temperature, bacteria, sebum, hormone, stress, and even skincare or make-up products. To start with, people with acne-prone skin should always use non-comedogenic skin products. Washing and cleansing our faces properly is also very very important. What does it mean by properly? If you wear make-up, be sure to remove your make-up first, then cleanse your face again. (meaning double cleansing!) Leaving make-up residue on our faces could lead to clogged pores and acne.
Choose the right cleansers for our faces is as crucial as cleaning our faces. Different types of cleansers provide different benefits to our skin, there isn't the best cleanser for everyone but only a cleanser that is good for you. However, there's one kind of cleanser that acne-prone skin (or all skin) should avoid: cleansers with harsh ingredients such as strong surfactants or strong exfoliating ingredients. Our skin, especially acne-prone, needs mild products (Shop our HALO Cleansing Balm here) instead of harsh ones.
Apart from skincare products, we also need to pay attention to other things that are in contact with our skin. The washcloth we use to wash and wipe our faces worth our attention. Washcloth touches our face day and night, however, it's the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. Wash your washcloth regularly, make sure the washcloth is fully dried between every use. Some prefer to use disposable washcloths but to reduce waste, we suggest having 5-10 washcloths in rotation, so the washcloths would be completely dried after every use. Remember this: you don't want to grow bacteria in washcloths and wipe the same washcloth onto your face.
When it comes to mask-wearing, imagine all the sebum, moist, sweat, make-up, bacteria are mixed and trapped inside that tiny area between the face mask and your skin, no wonder why a lot of us suffered from "MAKNE". If you have oily or acne-prone skin, the key to combat "MASKNE" would be "less is more". Use minimum but effective skincare, don't wear make-up (if you have to wear make-up, keep it light and use non-comedogenic cosmetics), change your face mask every 4-6 hours, and wash your reusable face mask after every use. You should also wash your face right away when you got home after a long day with a face mask.
With oily and acne-prone skin, it's easily tempted to keep the skin as dry as possible but you should know by now, it's always true. Our skin produces natural lipid as a barrier for protection, all skin types require these lipids to have healthy skin. When the skin is too dry, irritated, or inflamed, the skin is possibly producing extra sebum as a coping mechanism. For oily and acne-prone skin, hydration and moisturization are important and beneficial, patting facial oil (our SHIMMER Facial Oil is perfect for it!) as the last skincare step is also a game-changer to improve skin quality.
Dealing with oily and acne-prone skin is a long-term battle ad wear face masks every day makes it more challenging. But remember, as long as you choose your skin products wisely and maintain a good skincare practice, clear skin is on the way!
Enjoy the GLOW!