Maskne. Yes, It’s a Real Thing. So We Can’t Dismiss It.

Maskne. Yes, It’s a Real Thing. So We Can’t Dismiss It.

It’s an annoying sign of the times. Plain and simple: Maskne is a skin irritation, a breakout that comes from friction between your face mask and your skin. Technically, it’s something called acne mechanica and athletes who wear chin straps and helmets have had it forever.

Dermatologists tell us complaints about dermatitis, acne and other skin issues have reached an all-time high and even the American Academy of Dermatology has weighed in on it, telling us that the condition isn’t exactly surprising since the friction causes inflammation and irritation and that leads to clogged pores, which leads to lesions --- like bumps and pimples and redness. It also can break down the skin barrier, which is meant to protect skin against bacteria in the first place and keep hydration in.

All of that makes troubled skin worse but dry, sensitive skins and even normal types are having problems.

And since wearing a mask in public has become our “new normal”, maskne stands to be around for a while. So, the best way to treat breakouts you have and face maskne head-on begins with: 

1. Wash Your Mask frequently to cut down on the amount of dirt and bacteria that hangs around on the fabric and gets transferred to your face.

2. Wash Your Face at night with a cleanser that purifies and clarifies by unclogging pores, controlling oil and exfoliating with BHA’s, all without stripping moisture levels. One that’s a star is PURIFYING CLEANSER. It does the job with Salicylic Acid, Thyme, Sage, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus extracts -- anti-bacterial, antiseptic and anti-fungal agents that really work. In the morning, you can also cleanse with HERBAL WASH. It’s a soap-free, foaming gel cleanser that comforts and quiets the skin with botanicals and feeds hydration to the skins’ natural moisture barrier.

3. Activate and create a barrier between your skin and the mask. For this hyaluronic acid is a gem, particularly one of a low molecular weight like the long-lasting HA ingredient in ADVANCED HA. It also adds 3 DNA repair enzymes for fast-track repair.

4. Hydrate and instantly enhance moisture retention because what’s more important now than ever, your skin barrier needs to be preserved, upheld and strengthened. DAILY MOISTURE RESCUE does all that, all day and adds a healthy dose of Copper Peptides and DNA repair enzymes at the same time.

5. Exfoliate gently at night with a glycolic acid to unclog pores and daily residues. One that’s super satisfying is our SERIOUS GLYPEEL. The beauty of it: it’s also a humectant, so it draws water into the skin.

6. Treat with a go-to: Retinol. Because it’s an acne-fighting, antioxidating ingredient and peels back dullness simultaneously, dermatologists have reached for it for years. One of the most novel and hard-working ones is INTENSIVE RETINOL SPRAY. And it’s gentle enough to use twice a day.

7. Protect with an Oil-Free Sunscreen and one that rapidly absorbs. One with mineral blockers, DNA repair enzymes and an antioxidant complex like no other. The perfect one to reach for is SILC SHEER 2.0, is perfect and keeps inflammation in check because zinc [oxide] is a naturally anti-inflammatory.