Summer Skin: Is Maskne Keeping You in Hiding?

I’ve found myself wondering how we will all be looking back at the Spring and Summer of 2020 in our futures. Will this be in history books? Will we look back at this time as a giant, confusing mess of a situation? Will we look back and wish we had done more to prevent the spread of this novel virus – Covid-19………..

One thing I think we can all agree on, is there is a lot to say about wearing face masks, and everyone has their opinions on that subject! But I’m not showing up here to debate anything; I want to stick to facts! The fact is, regular use/wearing of face masks or facial coverings more than likely is causing your skin to behave in new ways! Am I right? As skincare professionals, we will see different responses in the skin. I’m going to cover all of them, and to hopefully make things easier for you, I’m starting each paragraph with its own little topic! I know you are excited to find where you fit (even if it is more than one paragraph!), so that you can start tackling the problems!

Skin Concern #1: I’m breaking out. Whew. If I had a nickel for every time #teamAG has been asked what to do about breakouts, we would be building a new location! So this clearly needs attention! I’m going to tell you what we have been hearing throughout the quarantine, and then what we have been seeing (& experiencing ourselves!) since returning to work! We hear from clients, “breakout,” but we need to look at what kind of breakout to best treat it. Is it actual pimples, in a cluster? Or just one or two pimples at random? Are the pimples hard and hurt, or is it a whitehead? Your best bets to treat these concerns will be similar: wash your face 3 times/week with a Benzoyl Peroxide face wash (like the Acne Face and Body Wash) as long as you are NOT allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide! You will also want to use either a 5% or 8% Mandelic Serum daily. If your skin is used to exfoliating acids, then twice a day is optimum! Are you only getting that random pimple? Then you will want to massage an ice cube or use a cold roller (jade, rose quartz, ice roller) twice daily, an overnight “pimple patch” from Patchology ™ (hydrocolloidal for the juicy whitehead, or a salicylic patch for those painful underground pimples!), and the Sulfur Spot Treatment twice daily until clear (especially the morning after removing a pimple patch)! Now. What have we seen the MOST of in the treatment room? That would be the super fun “non inflamed” breakout! It is smaller, it might turn into the occasional pimple, but mostly clogged pores, blackheads, and the small but firm white bumps. For this, once or twice daily Mandelic Serum, a moisturizer on that area ONLY at night (you can moisturize the top ½ of the face during the day!), and a gentle cleanser that is massaged in by the My Dermatician™ at night time! That is amazing to keep skin turning over, but it doesn’t over exfoliate and is insanely hygienic! Be sure to read the rest of this post for a few additional pointers!

Skin Concern #2: My skin feels irritated and is increasingly red! If this is you, and you are seeing a diffuse redness (not like a breakout redness, but persistent redness), we do not want to overstimulate the skin! You could still use the My Dermatician ™, but I would only recommend that 2-3 times per week, coupled with an oil cleanser, a soothing toner, and a gentle moisturizer (my fave is the Barrier Hydrator Fix from Bioelements! It truly soothes redness unlike anything I’ve seen!). After applying your moisturizer, be sure to use a roller over top, from the middle of the face, rolling out. This can be a rose quartz, jade, or ice roller. I do recommend a roller as opposed to an ice cube here, so as to not saturate the facial skin with too much water, and potentially dilute your moisturizer’s ingredients, after applying a moisturizer! For added benefit, you can also store the roller in the fridge or run it under cold water for a few! If your skin has become so red that it feels extra sensitive or it may be breaking down, you can also apply something occlusive like Vaseline in those areas, or even use a hydrocortisone cream with Vaseline over top (but please only do this for 3-5 days. If you feel like you need that longer, time to call the derm!) This would not be ok if you are using an N-95 mask, however. Stick to the Barrier Hydrator Fix in that case, and NO makeup, for certain! I also recommend the Recovery Serum from Bioelements to be used at night over top of the Barrier Hydrator Fix! They work beautifully together!

Skin Concern #3: I’m getting dark marks/brown patches from my mask! This occurs from friction and/or heat while wearing the masks. The body starts an over production of melanin in this area, as its way of trying to help/defend certain attacks. Hyperpigmentation doesn’t always have to be from the sun and UV exposure, like we once thought when I was early in my career. Trying to keep cool by removing the mask when possible (i.e during breaks, when alone in an office or storage area, etc.) and trying to keep your body’s core temperature down will be helpful! Do not use physical exfoliants during this time, as it will make it worse, and be certain to use a zinc oxide SPF anytime you are outside! (You know my favorite is the Ultimate SPF from Face Reality! I literally talk about it so much! LOL!) You will also want to strengthen the skin and further protect it with a Vitamin C product. If you are not breaking out with the mask, I’d recommend the VC 10 Daily Glow by Bioelements, but use it during the times you will not be wearing the mask for best results! (It is also a little hydrating, and I tell you why I don’t like extra hydrators under the mask when you keep reading!)

Added tricks and tips to consider: Do not wear makeup! Or if you do, only apply it from the undereye, up! I use a lot more eyeshadow than before with an extra couple coats of mascara, and apply my undereye concealer lightly then blend out! No need for anything else under that mask! Avoid over moisturizing the skin that is under the mask! Oils, emollients, even hydrators, occlusives (I bet you didn’t know that all of these things constitute professional grade moisturizers?! LOL!), they all become a magnet in this new mask environment, for bacteria! And (I hope you’re ready for these next 2 pointers!) where does the bacteria come from, exactly? If you have an existing breakout, that bacteria can become trapped, as well as bacteria from your nose, and………your mouth. It’s really gross if you think about it! I’m not a physician, and it would be reckless for me to give medical advice, so I’m going to point you in the direction of a Board Certified Dermatologist I follow personally! Her name is Dr. Shereene Idriss and you can find her on Instagram! She actually has a little “highlight bubble” on her page called COVID Skincare, with a lot of great info! (If you don’t have IG, I’ve used a lot of her pointers, coupled with our suggestions and specific product suggestions in this post!) One thing that she talks about, is for those prone to staph/MRSA infections anyway, to use something called Mupirocin under and barely inside of the nose. This would definitely be a convo for your doctor. Some other helpful hints, though, are to try and keep your mouth super clean! Brushing after every meal, flossing regularly, cutting back on sugary, unhealthy foods, etc. We are breathing directly into our masks all day, which creates a dark, warm, moisture filled environment. This is why we do not need to apply as many topical skincare products (moisturizers and oils specifically) to this region of the face. It becomes too much. Then, any bacteria from our nose and mouth gets trapped and can flourish under the mask. Also, acne bacteria specifically feeds on oil (there are some acne safe oils, but this is not the post for that conversation). It is one component to the making of a blemish! We would not want to encourage “over washing” of our faces, either! So twice a day, with gentle exfoliants (My Dermatician and Mandelic Serum) should do the trick! Some added skincare steps I would recommend doing 2-3 times weekly, would be the Soothing Clay Mask for oily and breakout concerns,  the Hydracalm Mask 3 times a week for the redness/sensitivity, or the Brighten-C mask 3 times a week for pigmentation! These are all from Face Reality, which means they are completely acne safe!

WOW. Hopefully that didn’t feel like information overload! Can you see why skincare is not so straightforward in an answer most times?! Haha! Hopefully this truly helps your skin and your confidence to deal with this concern. My last 2 simple pieces of advice on this topic: avoid going on unnecessary trips or errands so that you can avoid the mask in the first place, and don’t forget to drink a lot of water!!!!!! It’s best for your skin, your body, and your mental clarity during this summertime mask season! Be sure to let me know if this has helped you in anyway!