Maskne: Breakouts caused by wearing masks

Rather than a new normal, I prefer to call it a new reality, as “normal” has very little to do with the current situation we’re all living at the moment. Over the last few months, due to the continuous use of masks and other PPE, many of us have started to suffer from seriously stressed-out skin – Redness, irritation, and what some are calling ‘maskne‘, breakouts caused by wearing masks. If for you the struggle with maskne is only too real right now, you’re not alone. Here are a few tips on how to get your skin back under control.

The clinical term for maskne is ‘acne mechanica’ and it is caused by friction and rubbing of the skin by outside forces. Any friction and irritation can push bacteria into the skin, creating micro-tears, which allow easier entry for bacteria and dirt. Combine this with the heat, sweat and breath that also get trapped inside your mask, and it’s the perfect breeding ground for not only an increase in sebaceous secretion and hyperkeratinisation, but also inflammation, pimples and extreme dryness. In other words, our protective skin barrier is compromised and weak.

Although they can upset the skin’s microclimate, causing breakouts and irritation, face masks are an essential must for time spent in public spaces and they are here to stay, so we need to adapt our skin care accordingly to keep any form of irritation to a minimum. Here at Twelve Beauty HQ, we’ve recently seen a surge in people suffering from breakouts contact us via our free online skin consultation service, which is one of the reasons why I decided to put together this blog post! So, let’s have a look at our recommended 3-step routine designed to remedy maskne or breakouts caused by wearing masks:

Step 1: Clementine Cleansing Balm. A fantastic product for removing blackheads (which are considered to be precursors to acne) and for a deep skin cleanse. The oils it contains have the ability to penetrate pores and dissolve all the residue inside (dead cells, dirt, pollution, oxidised sebum, spf or other skincare products). Remember to leave it on for 5-10 minutes so the formula can penetrate your pores and dissolve all the impurities, before gentle removing with your Twelve muslin cloth.

Step 2: Apply 3 or 4 drops of Ideal Rebalancing Level Serum. This particular serum contains Epilobium extract, which grows organically in the Alps. Both Epilobium and the polysaccharides in the formula are rich in certain antioxidants known to help kill off “bad” bacteria, whilst stimulating the growth of “good” bacteria – Thus keeping your skin’s microbiome in balance.

Step 3: Finally, remember that your skin’s barrier is hydrolipidic, meaning it contains both water and oil. This is why we recommend using a correctly formulated moisturiser, like Nutritive Repair Emulsion, together with a good facial oil to bring healing nutrients to the skin. If it feels like too much to do so during the day, remember to use Intelligent Frontier Facial Oil at night. Both products are high effective at calming, repairing and restoring skin, and whilst you may think that oil treatments are big acne no-no’s, our facial oil can balance out skin and strengthen it against external stressors like friction and bacteria.

And last but not least, don’t forget to change or wash your mask frequently, try to reduce stress (easier said than done sometimes, I know!), and remember that the key to healthy, balanced skin is consistently following a beauty routine correctly adapted to your skin’s needs.