COVacne! The Scourge of the Year
Most people call it "maskne", of course, but I call it "COVacne" because it's obvious to me that more is involved than just the physical wearing of masks. There is no question that friction and heat from mask wearing play the greatest roles, but there has to be meaning in the fact that for so many the acne also gets bad in areas otherwise designated as "hormonal"; the jawline, sides of the chin, inner cheeks, and lower central forehead. Stress must play a roll, too!
What to do?
There are two things going on in COVacne:
1. Oil over-production from:
a) stress hormones and
b) pore lining responses to friction and heat
2. Chronic inflammation in pore linings from:
a) stress hormones and
b) pore lining responses to friction and heat
We need to control oil and bring down inflammation. Thing is, normally a major part of bringing down inflammation is taking away the object that's being all irritating and bothersome. That's not possible when it comes to masks right now.
The best we can do is control inflammation as much as we can through cooling the skin with ice-tapping on individual blemishes every night, or a cold towel for a few minutes over larger breakout areas, and actively calming with the right ingredients in our skincare.
 |
| Instructions for Ice Therapy from Daniela's Facial Studio. Relevant products are available at www.daniela.com. |
We also have to take care that our products are not too stimulating, even if they were totally fine back in what my friend calls "the-time-before". This means products should have no citrus or peppermint oils (I can promise that my Citrus-C Toner has very, very minimal citrus, but it would be totally ok to switch temporarily to my Soothing Hydration Toner until we no longer have to wear masks every day, but you don't necessarily have to). We want to avoid too many botanicals in one product if you happen to have seasonal allergies (e.g. pollen, grass, trees), because I believe the body can react to botanical ingredients in this case with sensitivity, and if you have very oily skin it's better to go with a more gentle foaming wash than your usual stronger wash - you can always control oil by adding clay mask an additional day per week.
Related: Allergies and Adult Acne
Speaking of masks!
What I've seen around the internet of solutions to COVacne have mostly been centered on three main ideas:
- Killing bacteria, which I don't believe is really the main problem in the formation of acne underneath the mask. Heat and friction are. Bacteria will only become a problem after inflamed pores have become so swollen that an air-free environment develops inside pores and acne bactera become free to proliferate.
- Providing some sort of barrier between the skin and the mask including applying either petroleum jelly or Aquaphor® to skin that will be underneath the mask, which I don't agree with at all because with heat being part of the problem, the last thing we want is to suffocate pores. Even though petroleum jelly doesn't clog pores, it can block them, preventing proper emptying of the skin's own oil and dead skin cells (which make up blackhead material). Well, I have a much better idea for this, which I will get to in a moment.
- Focusing on the fabric of the mask, namely using silk instead of cotton or paper. Takes care of the friction, maybe the heat. This is actually a very promising idea, one that I'm looking into.
What about the stress??
Well, basically, stress breakouts here would be treated the same as when they've occured at any other time, which is with cooling, calming, and oil control. We can take care of everything at once in one swell foop! :)
Can we make this easy and simple? YES!
Here's what a simple anti-COVacne regimen would look like:
AM
Wash, Tone, Serum (massage in well), slather SPF, apply FerroRosa ShineFix Blotting and Setting powder evenly over your entire face (especially if you're oily), then a little more over breakouts. Next, apply a light coating of powder to the inside of your mask, concentrating on parts corresponding to your breakout areas. Then, using your finger, q-tip, or small brush, add a little extra powder to the inside edges of the mask and the elastic bands. You may find it helpful to repeat application in the middle of the day. Experiment.
 |
| FerroRosa ShineFix Powder A unique, oil-control, anti-inflammatory powder featuring tapioca starch, calamine, zinc oxide, and other soothing ingredients, with a slightly beige tint. |
PM
Wash, Tone, Serum (massage in well), nighttime lotion (unless otherwise directed if you're using an acne medicine, please feel free to consult with me). Before bed, apply a thin layer of Daniela's Overnight Acne LotionMask, which is available in a 1.7oz airless pump, perfect for being able to apply small amounts of LotionMask one pump at a time wherever you need it - no need to only spot treat, since this lotion is oil absorbing, moisturizing, and calming, all at the same time. That means you can smooth this onto entire larger areas for prevention, not just treatment!
 |
| Overnight Acne LotionMask Absorbs oil, calms and hydrates, all at the same time! |
Apply enough to see the product on your face while still being able to see your skin underneath. Leave on all night. In the morning, rinse very well before washing with your cleanser. It should rinse easily without having to use something like a washcloth. Anything you miss will be cleaned away completely by your cleanser. And that's it!
If you don't see any improvement after a few days of this routine, we should talk about what skincare and makeup products you're using. Also remember that if your stress is super high, your acne clearing may become more of an uphill battle, and you acne will need stronger measures. Contact me!
Next Week : Announcing another amazing new product! Hint: No more worries about what's getting onto your face from your hands or arms! Stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment