The “Maskne” Phenomenon

Hats off to all the frontline workers; surgeons, forensic scientists, anesthesiologists, fighter pilots, fire fighters and the myriad of professionals that have been wearing masks before COVID. We now understand your plight and appreciate your dedication to your job and the very special masks that you must wear to do it. For the rest of us, it’s been quite an experience. Perhaps you have experienced some of the pesky side effects of masking up such as irritated, inflamed, itchy skin and a newly coined term to accompany this phenomenon — Maskne.

Maskne [mask-nee]: Maskne is acne or other skin irritation that results from wearing a mask, especially a medical, N95, or cloth face mask.

Maskne is basically a type of breakout caused by friction, heat, and occlusion on the skin. Combine this with a jungle-like environment created by moisture trapped under the mask generated by talking, breathing, and sweating and you’ve got yourself the perfect situation for clogged pores and the proliferation of P. Acnes, the bacteria that causes breakouts.

Maskne Prevention

Luckily, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So, follow these easy guidelines to help ward off unnecessary mask-related skin complications:

  • Wash Your Face & Mask – Bad bacteria harboring in the mask will comingle with the good bacteria that make up the protective microbiome of your skin. This creates disruption in the balance of your skin making it more susceptible to a bombardment of bad bacteria and breakouts.
  • Shelve the Makeup – This is your opportunity to forget the foundation and give your skin a much needed makeup vacay.
  • Quench Parched Skin & Banish Breakouts – Maskne skin needs a little more TLC than just your run-of-the-mill flare-up. With Azul Blue Diamond’s Blue Tansy Maskne Mist, you can spray away irritation and breakouts with a blend of botanicals targeted to calm and heal mask-induced skin challenges. Blue Tansy helps to clear congested pores and reduce redness while Mallow calms over-sensitized skin. Backed by clinical testing, Poria Mushroom and Reed Grass effectively reduce inflammation and strongly support skin in dealing with external stressors. In addition to the benefits to your skin, you can spray the inside of your mask for an extra soothing, aromatic experience.

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