The CDC has affirmed that there is increasing evidence to show that cloth face coverings reduce the spread of COVID-19. So please, wear a mask. Protect your community.

I have to wear a mask at work unless I’m alone in my office. Unfortunately, I have found that wearing a mask has increased my likelihood of acne breakouts. Here are my simple tips for preventing and treating maskne (acne caused by wearing a mask).

1. Wash or change your mask daily. Your mask is constantly in contact with oil and sweat from your face as well as external dirt, dust, and bacteria. Disposable masks are not my mask of choice because of their environmental impact, but change them daily if you must use them. As for reusable cloth masks, wash them frequently! I like to have multiple masks so that I always have a clean mask to use.
2. Use skincare that actively prevents acne.  I’ve recently been enjoying Benton’s Snail Bee Ultimate Serum both as a nightly serum and to mix with my favorite NEOGEN Real Vita C Powder. It boasts snail mucin, bee venom, and niacinamide to repair skin, clear acne scars, treat hyper pigmentation, and calm and target breakouts. This serum also contains tea tree and camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf waters for even more acne-fighting benefits. Lastly, it has adenosine to prevent wrinkles, something I’m more and more concerned about as I get closer to 30.
3. Treat acne gently. You don’t have to obliterate your breakouts with tons of drying alcohols and toners. My current favorite spot treatment is the A’PIEU NonCo Tea Tree Tok Powder. It is an easy-to-use powder that has tea tree oil, madecassoside, and centella asiatica (Indian pennywort) to simultaneously fight and soothe breakouts. I tap some onto my acne and rejoice when it shrinks after just a few hours.
4. If, like me, you suffer from post inflammatory hyper pigmentation, I have a blog for that! Although some of the products I use for PIH have changed, my approach remains consistent.

Maskne is not a reason to forego wearing a mask. It is preventable and treatable. Please, wear a mask and prevent the spread of COVID-19.