Top Skincare Tips for Mask and Face Coverings

Let’s face it, with the announcement that face coverings are now mandatory in shops in England, grabbing your face mask is as essential as grabbing your keys when your leave the house.

If you’ve already been donning a mask for a while, no doubt you will have already encountered a number of skin issues like an increase in acne breakouts (now nicknamed as “maskne”), rosacea, eczema and psoriasis. For the rest of us who are choosing a range of masks to go with our outfits, sadly we have these potential skin nightmares to “look forward to” but these top skincare tips will help keep those problems at bay.

Wearing a face covering may protect you from the virus but moisture from breathing whilst wearing one can be trapped on the skin and with the increasing heat and humidity, can cause congestion, excess oil retention and breakouts. Masks also trap sweat, dirt and oil too. Think of it as the perfect breeding ground for bacterial nasties that will exacerbate conditions like Rosacea. It is expected that there will be an increase in heat rash-like reactions because masks stop the skin breathing but also there will be those uncomfortable irritations due to the tight-fitting nature of masks and potential reactions to mask materials. 

And if the picture wasn’t bleak enough, the act of constantly adjusting and touching your face covering and therefore touching your face will transfer oil, dirt and irritants to the skin!

But fear not! These simple tips may not stop the odd pimple appearing over the summer, but will go a long way to ensure you have healthy, radiant skin right through until the Winter.

Moisture from breathing whilst wearing a mask can be trapped on the skin and with the increasing heat and humidity, can cause congestion, excess oil retention and breakouts.

• Use 100% cotton face masks that help regulate temperature and aid natural breathability of the skin. Cotton is also soft enough to be comfortable on sensitive skin.
• Hygiene is key – don’t forget to wash your face covering regularly, ideally at 60°c. Avoid using highly scented laundry detergents which may be a bit much for the nose but also can irritate sensitive skin. Clean or sanitise your hands before putting on your mask – there is no point touching your face whilst putting on your mask if your hands are not clean!
• Up your cleansing game – a good wash off cleanser cream/oil/wash or balm will remove all the toxins from the skin that have built up during the day, gently open pores and allow the skin to breathe again. Note that I say a wash-off cleanser, using wipes should be for emergency use only. Not only are wipes an ecological disaster but they also tend to smear dirt around your face rather than lift it off.
• Use a good nutritional face tonic like our 12 Bore Boost Mist should be as essential as your hand sanitiser. Mist on the skin to refresh and cool when it all gets a bit hot and sweaty underneath your mask. Look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid for hydration, niacinamide (vitamin B3) for reducing redness and soothing cucumber or aloe vera to ease mask related irritation and soreness.

• Reduce your make up for the time being. This is the time to ditch the heavy foundations and powders that can block pores. Use this time as a good excuse to give your skin a break and let your skin breathe. If you still feel the need to cover up, go for a lighter BB cream or tinted moisturiser.
• Let your eyes do the talking! For some of us, our made-up face is the one that we show to the world. If you’re going to feel a bit self-conscious because of your mask, go for a stronger eye makeup look. Go on, be bold! You’ll still look stunning, even if you can’t use your trademark lippy!
• Use a light moisturiser or serum and let it soak in before donning your mask. Heavy creams will only add to the build up of excessive oil production. Our Daily Defender Protecting Moisturiser is light enough for this.
• Avoid exfoliating face scrubs for days that you are knowingly going to be mask wearing. Whilst scrubs are great at removing dead skin cells, they also tend to increase sebum production. Excess oil, a humid environment underneath your mask and blocked bores causes breakouts.

We recommend your COVID survival kit to contain:

And finally… we’re pleased to announce that we have collaborated with Emma Brown Tweed and are stocking an amazing range of reusable country-inspired face coverings. Limited availability so once they’re gone, they’re gone! Click here to see the range.