Enter a whole new skin concern: mask acne, aka maskne.
With the same air being breathed in and out with no opportunity to escape, masks create a humid environment that causes the skin to produce more oils, which in turn causes breakouts, irritations and redness.
In most cases, maskne is the result of clogged pores. You already have oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells on your skin. But when you wear a mask, these substances can build up more and block your pores.
A mask also traps humidity due to your breathing and sweating, which may increase the risk of acne.
You may think that only those with acne-prone skin or sensitive skin would be prone to maskne. Unfortunately, anyone can experience skin irritations from wearing a mask. So, even if you’ve never suffered from acne but are now noticing pimples appearing, don’t despair.
This condition will eventually be a thing of the past. But, until it’s safe to go out without a face covering, we’re here to help you prevent and treat!
During the pandemic, continue following your regular skin care routine to keep your skin healthy. This includes cleansing your face, once in the morning, once at night, before going to bed and after sweating or wearing a mask.
A gentle cleanser can help remove excess oil, sweat, and bacteria. Avoid cleansers that contain alcohol or perfume. These ingredients can cause irritation and make it harder for your symptoms to heal. Our favourite? The O Cosmedics Gentle Antioxidant Cleanser.
Super boost your cleansing game with the O Sonic! The bristles or filaments on sonic cleaning heads oscillate or vibrate at a ‘sonic’ speed.
The tiny, rapid movements will agitate the lining of the pores to clean deeper and dislodge impurities and sebaceous plugs, whilst still being gentle.
Makeup residue and pore impurities are removed, all while gently exfoliating the skin. The sonic technology claims to use the skin’s inherent elasticity to optimise cleansing without abusing the physical properties of the skin.
So no pulling, dragging or stretching, providing the amplitude and frequency of the sonic technology is correct and strong enough to open the pores but weak enough to avoid stretching of the skin and collagen fibres.
Skip heavy makeup while you’re treating maskne. Beauty products such as foundation, concealer, and blush can clog your pores and prolong healing. Instead opt for a lighter weight product that provides some coverage.
Our favourite is Suntegrity 5-in-1 as it also provides you with your SPF coverage. Because while a face mask covers a large portion of your face, it is not designed to protect against UV from the sun, so it’s paramount to continue putting on sunscreen to your whole face (and other exposed areas of skin)!
CLINIPREP removes makeup and excess oil. It’s an incredibly gentle antibacterial face cleanser, with no alcohol or any other ingredients that could cause stinging, sensitivity, irritation or dryness of the skin and eyes.
CLINIPREP contains a unique high purity, stable version of hypochlorous acid (HOCI) that reduces skin ageing, promotes the growth of new skin cells over wounds and stimulates immunity to germs.
Use it anytime you want a clinically clean face, hands, and body. CLINIPREP is an ideal at-home antibacterial face cleanser and toner to reduce the appearance of acne and problematic skin concerns.
Here at Nicola Quinn, we pride ourselves on making you feel your best self. So, when your skin is breaking out and feels sore and irritated, we want to help! Luckily, we can have several facials that will ease your skin and your mind…
Ginger & Me Radiance Facial
$110 – 45 minutes
This facial will combat the adverse effects of environmental toxins (and premature ageing of the skin). A perfect choice when searching for a facial that will refresh your irritated skin. Following your treatment, your skin will feel more balanced and more radiant than ever before. What’s more, you’ll also enjoy a facial massage during the treatment.
O Cosmedics Facial
$149 – 45 minutes
Regain skin youth, health and radiance. Choose the Oxygenating Enzyme Peel for intense oxygenation and skin pick me up. Oxygen facials help improve blood circulation to the face, which can help skin look bright and plump and calms acne. Oxygen is known to accelerate wound healing and may also kill certain bacteria.
If your Maskne is getting you down and your not sure what steps to take, pop into the Spa and talk to us or send us a message on social media. Because we want to you feel your best self.
