By Elise Lucas, Licensed Esthetician 

Maskne is the 2020 skin pandemic. What is this trendy term “Maskne“? And why is it called a 2020 skin pandemic? The newly coined term maskne was birthed when wearing masks started equaling more acne.  Maskne or the technical term, acne mechanica is real! It is a type of acne caused by friction. Pre-pandemic, it seen mostly with sports that use helmets like football, hockey and baseball).

Now we are seeing maskne because the masks that we are all wearing are rubbing against our faces all day and mixing with dirt, sweat, oil and bacteria. Frontline works are most prone to maskne. They are not only wearing masks all day, but usually multiple layers of masks.  Adding more fuel to the fire, the typical treatments for acne can leave the skin too sensitive for the constant friction of the masks.

Treatments for the 2020 Skin Pandemic

Treating maskne – the 2020 skin pandemic is tricky because we can not remove the main source, our masks. However, there are ways of treating your skin with the source still in place.  I will list some tips and ingredients you will want to include in your regimen to treat and prevent maskne below.

Tips for clear pandmeic skin

• Wear a clean mask everyday(treat it like your underwear)
• Hand wash your cloth masks with a unscented detergent or soap(no softner)
• Do NOT wear make-up under your mask(you can wear it on the upper part of your face and no one will know)
• Take your mask off whenever you can and let your skin breathe (such as when you are in the car alone)
• Let your serum and moisturizer dry before you put your mask on
• Treat maskne with a gentle cleanser, a benzoyl peroxide spot treatment and a hydrating moisturizer 

Putting these tips into practice will greatly reduce or maybe even prevent future breakouts. You might avoid the 2020 skin pandemic.

Need recommendations on skincare products with great ingredients?

Look up:

Esthetique Facial Spa 

Andrelle’s skincare 

Neauxla Beauty