Avoiding Miserable Maskne

Maskne: a cute word created from the combination of two things that annoy teens the most- masks and acne. 

Now, we all know that wearing a mask in the midst of a global pandemic is a non-negotiable, especially when our colleges continue to prolong the mask mandates. While wearing our masks is responsible, we can often get plagued by a fun little thing called acne which only seems to get worse the more we wear our masks. So, here are a few of our best tips to getting ahead of maskne and reducing the chances of making it worse.

Actually wash your mask.

We know- this sounds like such a simple tip. We’ve been there and know how annoying it can be to find time to wash your mask every day, but not washing your mask is just as bad as not washing your face. Days worth of buildup from makeup, sweat, hot breath and spit (ew) are all lingering in your favorite mask when you don’t wash it. If you’re like us and would rather not wash the mask every day, make sure you own a plethora of different ones so you can rotate them.

Stop reusing your disposable masks.

Disposable masks are meant to be just that-- disposable. All of the same rules from our tip above apply here. When you’re done with the day, throw it away. Not only is it probably not the most Covid safe thing to do, but re-wearing your disposable masks over and over will have your skin screaming SOS.

Keep it hydrated. 

Wearing your mask all day protects you and others from contracting the virus, but your skin is slowly suffocating. Having your skin trapped all day is depriving it of fresh air and oxygen. The entrapment is slowly sucking the moisture from your skin, which is so not good if you want to avoid acne (hydrated skin = happy skin). Before you leave the house, apply a generous amount of moisturizer to your face to keep it glowing (even if the world can’t see it.)

Take advantage of the mask.

While it sucks that your peers can’t see your smile or new lipstick under the mask, they also won’t be able to see anything else going on under the mask. Woke up with a gigantic chin zit? Pop on a pimple patch and head to class. Don’t have time to do your favorite clay mask and go to the laundry room today? Slather the clay mask on, slap on the face mask, and go do your laundry in peace without getting weird stares. Think about it. Who’s gonna know? If you have to hide half your face, you may as well make it work in your favor.

Take breaks.

Schedule times in your day to be mask-free and give your skin a suffocation break. An easy way to do this is by making a point to do some of your daily routine outside where you can be maskless. For example, try studying outside instead of inside the library where you’re required to mask up. Of course, never remove your mask if you’re inside or when it’s impossible to social distance. But your skin will thank you for making time for these maskless moments.

It doesn’t seem like our days of wearing masks are coming to an end anytime soon. While that’s a bummer, be sure to take care of yourself (and your skin!!) during this ~unprecedented time~. Masks can definitely be annoying, especially when they’re causing unwanted visitors on your skin, but try to make the best of things and remember that we’re keeping each other safe in the process!

Cover photo from /kit·sch/