Tips from an ex-esthetics school student: Battling maskne
Maskne, a term coined by Manhattan dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman, is acne that occurs due to wearing a mask for prolonged periods of time. This happens because of acne mechanica, which, according to Everyday Health, is “a type of acne or pimples that’s caused by skin friction, heat, pressure on the skin or when skin isn't exposed to the air.” Masks aren’t the only cause of acne mechanica, but due to COVID-19 and the need to wear masks to stay safe, many are suffering from the dreaded maskne.
USC Aiken’s campus currently has a mask mandate to keep COVID-19 cases low, so many may be struggling with skin. As a skincare junkie and an ex-esthetics school student, I’ve tried almost every dermatologist-recommended tip I could find. These are the tips that have helped me the most in clearing up my maskne:
Stop wearing makeup under your mask!
No one is going to see your chin and cheeks, so let it breathe without makeup. Feel free to use concealer, mascara, and anything else from the mask up, but keep the part of your face that is rubbing against the mask makeup-free.
Moisturizer and SPF are a must.
Even though we want to keep your mask area free from makeup, it is extremely important to still be using moisturizer and SPF. When skin is dry it can produce an excess of oil to overcompensate, which will in turn make you break out. SPF is something that we need to be wearing to protect our skin on a daily basis, face-covering or not. While wearing a face mask offers you additional protection from the sun, it won’t protect your skin completely so be sure to be diligent about SPF.
Get a silk mask.
This is my number one holy grail tip in the battle against maskne. Silk masks cause less friction against your skin than other types of masks, thus eliminating ammo for acne mechanica. Ever since I started using a silk mask, I’ve been able to completely get rid of my maskne. This is the one I’m currently using, and you can order it on Amazon.
