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What Causes Mascne and How to Treat It

If you have noticed an uptick in red bumps around the areas of your face that your mask covers, you are probably dealing with what has been dubbed “mascne.” What exactly about a mask causes these acne breakouts and what can you do to treat it? Let’s take a look.

What Causes Mascne?

Even if you are someone that is known for near perfect skin with minimal breakouts, you can still find yourself breaking out in those pesky red bumps on the lower part of your face. And while masks are an important part of keeping us safe, dealing with the irritation of acne can be an unfortunate side effect of daily mask wearing. 

There are a few reasons why you can develop mascne. The main reason is that bacteria loves a warm, moist environment. Because masks are designed to keep saliva and other droplets emitted when we breath, talk, cough or sneeze, your mask is trapping all that warm, moist air against your skin. The growth of bacteria on your skin can then lead to dryness, acne and even sensitivity in the area. 

You may also find that the detergent you are using to wash your cotton face masks is too harsh for your skin. However, it is also important to wash your reusable masks as it too will hold onto that bacteria in the fibers, allowing them to continue to seep into your skin. To keep your cotton masks clean and free of bacteria without being too harsh on your skin, try using a gentle fragrance-free detergent to see if it helps.

Treating Mascne and the Benefit of Facials

Even with ensuring your detergent is mild and your cotton face masks are clean, you can still develop mascne thanks to the warm and moist environment wearing masks creates. To combat mascne, there are a few tips and one major treatment that helps. 

First off, it’s important to remember that drying out your acne can actually lead to more breakouts. Keep your face clean and moisturized and don’t over-exfoliate. Be sure to wash your face before putting on a mask and after you take it off.  

Most importantly, it is key to ensure you are using the right products for washing and treating your skin as well as getting a facial to clean out all that bacteria and gunk in your pores. Treating skin is in our blood and we wanted to do even more for our clients! That is why we became Face Reality certified. This allows us to “dig deeper” into the acne process and help you select the right products and skin care treatments for you. We are even capable of performing virtual skin care consultations!

And when your skin needs that extra attention, we offer customized facials to meet your unique skin care needs! We offer 30 and 60 minute facials with the ability to add on extra services including AromaTouch Technique, Nano Needling, Microdermabrasion, Chemical Exfoliation, Dermaplane and Acne Zap treatments. 

To book your next facial with us or to have a virtual skin care consultation, use our online booking tool or visit our contact us page.