There are two types of maskne that can occur when wearing face masks: contact friction and breakouts. They can occur at the same time and on the same person (meaning: not mutually exclusive skin concerns). But they do have unique triggers, and, therefore, they have different treatments. And unfortunately, the area that a mask covers—nose, mouth, and chin—are areas that tend to break out more anyway. So if you are an acne-prone individual, take extra precautions to keep skin clear. “I recommend washing the face before and after wearing a mask. A gentle cleanser is adequate, or if your skin is particularly oily or acne-prone, consider a cleanser with salicylic acid, which can penetrate into pores and gently exfoliate and remove sebum,” says King. “And use a light moisturizer that’s noncomedogenic, to support and bolster the skin barrier without clogging pores. Avoid heavy and potentially comedogenic products under the mask area.” Additionally, be sure to spot treat the area at night when needed. Using exfoliating and oil-balancing ingredients (lactic acid, glycolic acid, green tea, niacinamide, and retinol), focus on the areas affected by your increased mask-wearing. This is especially helpful for those who may be experiencing dry skin elsewhere—it is winter, after all—and aren’t in need of a full-face overhaul. Remember: You can be selective with your topical use! If you only need blemish care on the bottom half of your face, just pay attention there. And ultimately, some irritation may be unavoidable, unfortunately. This just happens when you wear a secure fabric on delicate skin or for long periods of time; because you can’t necessarily stop it from happening, your best bet is to soothe it after the fact. It’s comparable to hand-washing: Since you can’t change the drying nature of hot water and soap, instead you treat dryness with a hand cream after the fact. Take the same approach with your face-mask-induced irritation. So when you reach for a healing ointment, here are a few ingredient suggestions: Aloe vera is a super-hydrating anti-inflammatory (that’s why people love it for sunburns and the like). You can use it on its own via a face mask, as a spot treatment for the areas that are most irritated, or in a sensitive-skin-approved lotion formula. Colloidal oat and oat oil are more nurturing derm-approved favorites that you’ll see in many sensitive skin formulas. Finally, ceramides and fatty acids are incredibly healing for the skin barrier.
