Managing your Mask-Ne & Pandemic Pores
Mask-ne
Since the March of 2020, we’ve had to learn to live with another cause of skin irritation and acne that many of us hadn’t experienced before. The use of face masks quickly swept around the globe as not only a viral precautionary measure, but more recently a fashion statement. Unfortunately for some, what lays beneath the masks after such frequent use may be something less than fashionable. It has even coined it’s own name… ‘Mask-ne’. So while we’re encouraged to wear face masks, we also need to be taking extra special care of our skin.
How does it happen?
What is it about a piece of material over our lower face that causes this annoying issue? It’s a mixture of a few things, namely the carbon dioxide we exhale, trapped micro-organisms and an overproduction of sweat and sebum. Exploring these causes, carbon dioxide isn’t necessarily bad for the skin but may be detrimental by means of decreased oxygenation. Then we have micro-organisms in the form of bacteria and fungus which both thrive in warm, moist conditions, making your mask the perfect breeding ground. In small quantities, this could be fine but allowing bacteria to sit and rub on your face all day is a quick way to irritate your skin and cause acne. Moving on, the heat from an individual’s breath can cause an overproduction of sweat and sebum that clogs pores. This is made worse if an individual chooses to wear makeup under their mask. But I suspect that by April of 2020, most of us had revelled in the realisation that we could get away with not wearing any makeup from the eyes down. I hope that we also know by now that we shouldn’t wear the same mask twice unless it’s reusable in which case it should be washed everyday. If not, do read on.
How can we manage it?
Luckily, we don’t have to allow mask-ne to become a part of our new normal. There are a few simple things we can do to maintain our skin’s health while wearing masks. One of the easiest things we can do is stay vigilant with a twice daily skin care routine. Twice daily, thorough cleansing of the face ensures our skin can breathe and we remove any oil or microbial buildup. This goes hand in hand with avoiding makeup beneath the mask. Also as mentioned previously, surgical, N95 or other non washable masks are for single use only. They should not be worn twice in a row due to the risk of harbouring and growing harmful microbes. For those whom wear washable surgical masks, regarding the name, these should be washed between uses. Ideally, every day. Another thing that should be done is to supplement your skin with an antioxidant serum to protect it from irritation and free radical damage. Finally, during this time, it is also important to stay hydrated and to have breaks from masks when able (if appropriate).
Taking care of your whole body can feel like building an impossible shield around yourself since so many things may be harmful. But let’s not forget that our Integumentary system, our skin, is the largest organ of our body and our Immune system’s number one defence system. We should help our skin to help us. Cleanse; wash; hydrate; break and supplement!