What is Maskne and why does it happen? According to Dictionary.com, Maskne is acne or other skin irritation that results from wearing a mask, especially a medical, N95, or cloth face mask. Wearing a mask for a prolonged period of time brings heat, friction, and occlusion of the skin. When that is combined with a moist environment from breathing, talking, and sweating, it breeds an environment for breakouts. Luckily, we have some tips about how to manage this and overcome those irritating Maskne breakouts.

Do’s and Don’ts for Preventing Maskne: 

• DO wash your face: Washing your face keeps it hydrated. Using a gentle cleanser will help to ensure that you have a clean face before wearing a mask. We love using the PuriFY Cleanser to keep our faces clean and bacteria-free.

• DO apply moisturizer: It is essential to keep your face moisturized when wearing a mask because it acts as a barrier between your skin and mask material. The Intense Recovery Complex increases skins moisture level by 150% after 24 hours and by 95% after four weeks.

• DON’T wear makeup: Wearing makeup under a mask will cause clogged pores and breakouts. Makeup also dirties your mask. If you really feel the need to put something on, we recommend the Hydratint BB Cream as it works mostly as a moisturizer but with a slight tint to help even out your complexion. 

• DON’T forget to wash your mask: This is key. If you are wearing a cloth mask, (which if you do it should be cotton) then you have to wash it after every use. Make sure you are using scent-free laundry detergent to keep fragrance off of your mask. 

We hope these do's and don'ts help you out when dealing with Maskne. To hear Dr. Shirazi talk about Maskne and her specific recommendations for keeping it under control, watch this YouTube video of her on The Doctors TV Show! You can also shop our Maskne Kit. Dr. Shirazi put this kit together with all the important products to help you get rid of Maskne!