How To Stop Maskne Breakouts From Wearing Face Masks For Too Long

“Maskne” or mask acne is a new common skin problem that many people across the globe are experiencing now as a consequence of the pandemic. Wearing masks can be a hassle sometimes – but to some people with sensitive skin, wearing masks means having to suffer acne breakouts or worse

Have you been going through a lot of skin problems that you suspect has been caused by wearing face masks? If skin problems, like acne and irritation, seem to manifest only whenever you’re out wearing a face mask – then that means that you’re a part of a big group of people all over the world who suffers from “Maskne”.

Although the word Maskne came from the combination of the two words “mask” and “acne”, it doesn’t have to strictly only be about acne. It’s sort of a catch-all term for any negative skin condition that is caused or triggered by wearing face masks regularly for long periods of time. Most people who are affected by this real phenomenon suffer from acne, but others experience even harsher and far worse symptoms.

A lot of people experience skin conditions that range from getting slight to moderate skin redness and irritation to getting severe rashes and painful blisters on the skin. There are cases too where people’s existing skin conditions get triggered when wearing face masks. A few examples of skin diseases that could get triggered by Maskne are allergies, Rosacea and Eczema.

The problem is that, although it’s extremely bothersome and in some cases painful, you can’t stop wearing masks just because of Maskne since it exposes you to an even greater threat to your health. But it’s not hopeless – there are ways to stop Maskne and promote healing on your skin and it involves creating a habit of proper face cleansing and choosing the right face mask for the job.

Face Cleansing Habits That You Must Pick Up Immediately to Stop Maskne Breakouts

Maskne breakouts are hard to deal with, especially if you have to regularly go out because of work. However, there are simple solutions to these skin problems that could stop or prevent Mask Acne but the solutions won’t instantly remove the mask. Your skin’s healing will start when you start changing your routine and adopting a proper face cleansing habit and proper mask-wearing too. Here are some of these good habits that you can start doing today:

1. Adapt a better face washing habit. The key to stopping and preventing Maskne is adapting a better habit of washing and cleansing to promote healthier skin by making it a part of your daily routine. Here’s a good face washing routine that can get you started on the habit:
   1. Proper Face Washing Procedure.
      1. Never wash with water that’s too cold or too hot, instead, wash with warm water that’s just the right temperature.
      2. Use a mild alcohol-free cleansing agent – apply it in a round motion around the face with the tip of your fingers.
      3. Rinse it with warm water again and lightly dab clean cloth on it – don’t wipe it with the cloth since that can cause friction and may cause irritation on your skin.
   2. Proper Face Washing Schedule. You must maintain the habit of washing your face three times a day.
      1. First, wash your face in the morning when you wake up with the face washing procedure mentioned above. Then, before going out to work – bring the necessary things for you to be able to wash your face in the middle of the day as well.
      2. While at work, you should also wash your face during break time. Make sure to wash in a secure place where you won’t be in contact with other people. Disinfect your hands before taking off your face mask – and wash off the alcohol or disinfectant from your hands before touching your face. Then, begin the proper face washing procedure mentioned above.
      3. Lastly, you must wash right as you come home. It would be a good idea too to take a full bath before washing your face to make sure that you are absolutely protected from any germs or bacteria that you might have carried from work.
2. Proper Face Mask Care Technique
   1. Make sure that your face mask fits properly and comfortably. It shouldn’t be worn loose because that can cause the face mask to move around on the surface of the mask and scratch the surface of your skin.
   2. Make sure that your face mask, if reusable, is washed and dried properly before use. Reusing your mask without washing will no doubt encourage bacterial growth in your face mask until it grows out of control on your face.
   3. If you wear disposable face masks, make sure to dispose of them. These face masks are, as it is in the name, designed to be disposed of after use. Reusing disposable face masks poses an even bigger threat to your health than just giving you maskne, it may expose you to the bacteria and viruses that contaminates your face mask.
   4. Give yourself a mask break. It is acceptable to take a break from wearing masks for every four hours during the day. You can take off your mask for 15 minutes at a time – however, always make sure that you’re isolated and that you won’t run into anybody with your mask off.

Choosing the Right Mask to Stop and Prevent Maskne: Cloth Masks vs Disposable Masks vs Copper Masks

Even if you try changing your habits and doing everything you can just to fix your situation, you may still end up not improving your condition because you still use the same face mask that’s causing problems in your skin. Building a good habit is essential but your situation will not improve if you don’t make all the necessary changes. Therefore you must, along with following the guidelines of proper face cleansing, top it all off with the most essential final step to skin healing and that’s choosing a proper mask and wearing your mask properly

Cloth or Fabric Face Mask.

The most common culprit of these Maskne breakouts is cloth masks or fabric masks because they retain so much moisture and therefore promote a lot of anti-micro bacterial growth on your skin surface. A lot of people prefer cloth face masks because they are clearly the most economical choice since they can be washed and reused but repeated reusing of cloth face masks will put you more at risk of Maskne.
Moreover, Cloth or fabric masks are not really that effective in protecting against COVID. The purpose of wearing masks is to protect yourself from that virus, so you need to wear a face mask that’s both effective in protecting against that and maskne.

Disposable Face Masks

Using disposable face masks is a step in the right direction but it’s not the most ideal and most effective choice. It might improve your condition if you actually dispose of your disposable face mask. Oftentimes it’s reusing disposable face masks that really worsen people’s conditions. Again, try not to keep reusing face masks, whether cloth or disposable, if they’re causing Maskne.
Sometimes though, Maskne could be triggered because your skin is allergic to the fabric of disposable face masks. So at that point, it’s better to wear a copper face mask.
There is one more reason why people must avoid using common disposable face masks. Disposable face masks can be quite rough on the skin especially when movement is causing friction, scratching the skin’s surface. People who have to wear N95 disposable face masks but get Maskne skin problems often try wearing a cloth mask below the disposable face mask. This could be a good solution but doing this would mean not being able to breathe properly for however long you have to remain outside wearing masks.

Copper Ion Fabric Face Mask.

For the best protection, you can get from Maskne, choose Spectral Body’s Copper Ion Fabric Face Masks because of how it can protect you with its anti-micro bacterial properties.
The growth and appearance of Maskne are caused by moisture and dirt build up in your mouth which encourage bacterial growth and the friction from when your face mask moves on your skin’s surface due to an imperfect fit, this means that Copper Ion Face Masks are the perfect choice for people that are suffering from maskne. It’s not only one of the best protection you can get from COVID 19 – the copper material is proven to kill 99.9% of germs. It can protect against maskne because it destroys bacteria and germs that build up from inside your mask due to the moisture from your breathing.  Furthermore, it is made up out of odorless, and soft fabric that’s designed to prevent any allergic reactions from the user – preventing yet another way in which Maskne can manifest itself.
It’s designed to provide a perfectly comfortable fit for the user – it is one of the only masks with an adjustable strap. Many times, the “one size” that’s supposed to fit all doesn’t actually fit at all. That’s why for a more personalized fitting, choose Spectral Body’s Copper Ion Mask.

All in all, the best way to get rid of skin problems is to have healthier skin. There are a lot of guides online as to how you can best take care of your skin with products that will work for the specific skin that you have. Having healthier skin also involves taking care of yourself. If you’re able to manage your stress properly, it will reduce the chances of acne growth.