If there is one thing that's been adding extra, quite literal, aggravation about daily mask-wearing, it's the breakouts caused by the mask - also known as maskne.

Now that wearing a mask has become compulsory in the vast majority of indoor and outdoor public places, it’s well worth investing a bit of extra time and effort into making the experience as pleasant as possible.

For many people, particularly those of us with sensitive skin, wearing a face mask can worsen existing issues or cause breakouts, rashes and other facial skin problems. This common side-effect of wearing a face mask has been nicknamed ‘maskne’. It’s important that we do whatever we can to overcome any concerns or issues that we have about wearing our masks so as to ensure we continue to wear them when needed.

The good news is that there are lots of ways that we can limit the extent of these mask-related skin problems. Have a read below to find out our top tips - with this advice on hand, you can be sure that you’re avoiding these irritating issues as much as possible.

First things first, what actually is maskne?

Maskne (‘mask’ and ‘acne’) covers the skin problems that many of us have been having as a result of wearing face masks every day. This could include suffering from a few extra spots, the development of more severe acne in the area of your face where the mask sits, or other irritations on your skin, such as rashes. You could find that pre-existing skin conditions are made worse by having to wear the mask, or that you spot entirely new flare-ups on your skin.

But what can we do to avoid maskne? Here are our Maskne Tips!

The best take-home advice that we can give is that keeping your mask clean and comfortable is key. So, without further ado, our top maskne tips are:

1. Find a comfortable mask material. Choose a mask that features a material which is both comfortable to wear, and offers the optimum level of protection. The breathable material will ensure the mask does not irritate your skin, but still fulfils its job requirements. Our Cambridge Mask comes up with material and filters that will give you a comfortable feeling while keeping yourself protected.
2. Consider the mask’s filter. The filter is an essential part of your mask, in terms of both the protection that it offers you and the way in which your skin reacts to wearing the covering. The filter protects wearers against the virus and bacteria and prevents this pollution from coming into contact with this area of your skin. If you’d like to learn more about our patented, state of the art filter technology, you can visit our information page here.
3. Choose a valve mask. You can also consider a mask with valve knowing that it plays a vital role in helping to reduce moisture (a key element in allowing viral and bacterial growth), as well as preventing excess build-up of carbon dioxide. It will help the air circulation and allow your skin to breathe better.
4. Choose a non-disposable mask. Don’t feel like you should have to resort to a single-use mask to avoid the maskne breakouts. Not only are these masks responsible for a huge amount of waste, but choosing a reusable mask with a good-quality filter would actually be a better option in terms of investing in some maskne skincare.
5. Wash your mask frequently. It might sound obvious, but this is an absolutely critical way of avoiding maskne. By washing your mask you are ensuring the removal of excess dirt, dust and makeup from your mask – all the nitty-gritty elements that will increase the possibility of having maskne! If you’re wondering how often you should be washing your mask and what the best to wash it is, have a read of our dedicated face mask washing article.

Adopting an anti-maskne skincare routine

Alongside incorporating these tips into your daily mask-wearing, you can also help to prevent these irritating breakouts from occurring by practising a good skincare routine. The best form of maskne treatment will be personal to you, as it will need to suit your skin type and the specific skin problems that you are attempting to deal with.

However, some affordable skincare practices that you can quickly and easily fit into your morning and evening include investing in a good-quality face wash, wearing lighter make-up on the bottom half of your face, applying chemical-free remedies like tea tree oil to any affected areas, and treating yourself to a cleansing face wash every now and then. We hope that this round-up of maskne tips will help you to make mask-wearing a much less stressful part of the ‘new normal’.

So, if you’re looking to treat your skin to a comfortable, breathable and high-quality mask, have a browse through our online shop. At Cambridge Mask Co., our masks tick all of the boxes - they protect wearers from the virus and are designed to keep your skin happy, too. Maskne worries will be a thing of the past.