5 TIPS to prevent and Alleviate Maskne

(This is a bonus tip!) The most common form of advice, unfortunately I could not follow. Polyester and synthetic fabrics keep the moisture in the mask and encourage bacterial growth. They can also be rougher on the skin causing more irritation. I was in a situation where my workplace was enforcing polyester masks that were branded for the company as a uniform. So this is a bonus tip. The rest of this list focuses on tips to help you no matter what type of masks you wear. That being said, please wear Cotton masks if you can! Synthetic fabrics will always cause more damage even with all of the tips below. If you follow everything in this post including wearing a cotton mask, I promise you will see more results than without. I tried all of this and it helped, but nothing helped more than telling my boss that I could not wear synthetic fabrics on my face and getting myself a cotton mask for work!! 💖 1. Wash Your Mask With Your Face Wash This will prevent irritation from strong detergents. 2. Change Your Mask Often Halfway through the day or more is essential, especially if you were like me and required to wear polyester masks at work. 🤦🏽‍♀️ 3. Put Coconut Oil On Your Mask This saved me while wearing polyester masks at work. Any high friction areas like your chin and jawline will thank you if you add some oil to alleviate friction. It's not a cure, but the antibacterial properties of coconut oil help to keep bacteria from being pushed into your skin and moisturizes so that less skin irritation occurs and less dread skin cells are flaking off into your mask and being pushed into your pores. I've been told this is a very comedogenic oil and not to use it. It helped me, but someone suggested Cerave Ointment Instead. I don't post about anything I havent tried, so if you try this let me know 4. Save Exfoliating and Skin Treatments for Nightime Only! Exfoliate before bed, only gently cleanse before wearing your mask all day! 5. Wear Pimple Patches It may seem like I am recommending that you reverse your routine. Well the truth is I am. Our enemy used to be our pillow, but now the masks are proven to be worse! Pimple patches are usually worn at night while you sleep, but are now essential to wear under your mask. They alleviate friction, keep pimples from becoming inflamed and also work as a preventative by keeping dirty oils and bacteria out of your pores. Even if you're breakout goes away, I recommend you use these by putting them on high friction points like your chin and jawline, and even in areas that get moist like under your nose! You can buy different kinds off of Amazon. Try what you want. I decided to go unmedicated. I tried the brand Liva Clean. They provide a pack of thin round patches that are different sizes, and also have a package you can buy that have slightly thicker, bigger squares. Please share any more tips you have! I want everyone to get through this! 💖 good luck glowies😊