“Maskne” - Is it really acne & how can you clear it?
The new reality of wearing masks in daily life has brought with it some new skin issues. We here at Skin Theory have seen this first hand and cleared quite a bit of it- but not with acne product. Yep, Maskne is often not acne! So, we thought we would give you the 411 on Maske to help navigate this issue new to most.
So, what is Maskne?
Maske is caused by wearing a face mask that causes new acne, bumps under the skin or general irritation of the face area where your protective mask covers. The constant no-air, heat, humidity under the mask, friction and sweat cause our natural flora of our skin to be disturbed leading to host of conditons: acne, fungal folliculitis bumps (sweat bumps), irritation, and possible swelling, redness or ruddiness look to the affected skn. Masks can worsen skin issues that already exist or cause new ones.
To give some background, before Covid-19 masks, most often our clinic saw “Maskne” on athletes who wear helmets or protective face and body gear, such as in football and lacrosse. These athletes would often come in with bumps around their hairline and forehead from helmets, the chin from chin straps and the shoulders and back from shoulder gear.
With the daily use of Covid-19 masks, we are now seeing Maske on the nose, mid cheeks, upper lip and chin. It at first proved a challenge as it didn’t respond to acne products. But then we realized it was a close cousin of our friend fungal folliculitis. To combat this newfound "maskne," it’s important to understand the underlying cause - fungus.
What causes Maske?
We naturally have bacteria and fungus on our skin. When exposed to chronic humidity and warmth in combination with hair, the fungus on our skin can proliferate/breed. This then causes redness, bumps, sensitized skin. The same fungus is responsible for dandruff.
Maske is aggravated by fungus unlike acne which is made worse by p.bacteria (but not caused by it). Maske often won’t clear on acne products since they are most often anti-bacterial.
Maske is aggravated by moisture, friction and humidity which then causes a disruption to our natural skin flora. Hence, it can be made worse by occlusive moisturizers and creams.
How to avoid Maske
At Skin Theory, we feel “Maske” should actually be called “Maskullitis”. Why? Since Maske is most often not bacterial, it often doesn’t respond to acne products. In fact, sometimes it gets worse with acne products! Since it’s fungal in origin and loves fungus feeds off moisture. occlusive moisturizers, creamy SPF’s and creamy makeup can make it worse. So how can you avoid Maske?
Go basic with skincare. Less is more!
Swap out your creamy, occlusive moisturizer for a gel-based hydrator. We love Face Reality’s Hydrabalance. This 2 in one hydrator has natural lilac stem cells, a natural anti-fungal ingredient and is a thirst quencher for the skin - hydrating while not occluding the skin.
Swap out oil-based or creamy cleansers for a light-weight gel cleanser, preferably with anti-fungal properties. We love Vivant’s Mandelic Wash which combats fungal bumps while also offering brightening and pro-youth benefits. We also like Vanicream Z-Bar for more resistant Maske with its active pyrithione zinc ingredient.
Avoid use of products containing any oils.
Avoid creamy retinoids, they can make fungal conditions worse.
If your in need of an AHA in your routine, Rhonda Allison Mandelic Arginine is an alpha hydroxy with anti fungal properties. This serum brightens and smoothes skin while fighting fungal breakouts.
Replace your SPF with pure zinc SPF free of heavy oils. We use Face Reality’s Ultimate SPF28.
Switch you creamy foundation, concealer and blush to mineral-based powder makeup or a zinc-based cream makeup. We are absolutely obsessed with Illuminaire Mineral Cream Makeup! If you haven’t tried it you need to!
Swap your shaving cream for Mandelic Wash.
Replace creamy masks with gel based masks. We LOVE Skin Theory’s Moon Mask, a gel-based charcoal mask.
Change or wash your mask daily.
Wipe down helmets and chin staps with rubbling alcohol between uses.
Replace you pillow cases frequently.
How to treat it if you already have it?
If you do end up with maskne, keep in mind it can often make your skin hyper-sensitive so use caution when using any actives (AHA’s, BHA’s and retinoids). They often make it worse, especially retinoid-based products. Last, remember that no one solution works for all. Everyone’s skin is unique. If you need help with your Maskullitis, if its not clearing with the tips above, give us a call of book online with us. We can put you on the path to clear skin. You’ll want to schedule a consultation first so we can take the time to better understand your concerns, allergies, etc and come up with a plan for you to successfully clear it. :)
By Karen O’Reilly,
Skin Theory Owner & Lead Esthetician / Acne Specialist
Skin Theory is a specialized problem skin clinic located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.