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"I wear a mask because it is the right thing to do, but this maskne is really bumming me out."
First of all, you are no less of a majestic land-mermaid (or merman) because you have acne, so let's get that straight right now!
Got it?
Good!
Having said that, it is also ok to want to manage the breakouts caused by wearing a mask. Yes, that is what maskne is, acne on your cheeks, chin, and jaw caused by wearing a mask. This is not a reason to stop wearing a mask, it is totally manageable let me tell you how!
To start, make sure you are washing your masks after every use. You can wash them in your bathroom sink with hot water and a little laundry soap every night if you only have a few masks. If you have more than a few masks you can put them in a delicates bag and wash with your weekly laundry.
Now onto the actual acne. As someone who has been battling breakouts off and on for 19+ years, I know a thing or two about what it takes to fight stubborn acne. The biggest transformation I saw with my skin was when I switched to clean skincare a few years ago. I found that my skin was a lot happier when I nourished it with the ingredients my skin craved. Contrasted with when I was stripping it within an inch of its life to wash off all the oil my skin produced throughout the day to balance itself out for the hard products I was using.
After much trial and error, here are my top 3 maskne fighting clean skincare secret weapons.
Face Wash
Your first step when fighting maskne is a good face wash. My personal favorite is Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser. This gel cleanser is powerful enough to wash off makeup (even my waterproof mascara) but doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry or tight. The formula is pH balanced to clean all skin types and contains antioxidants to battle environment pollutants.
Click here to get $15 off your first purchase of $50+
Brand Sustainability:
All Youth to the People formulas are cruelty-free, vegan, and biodegradable (meaning they won’t harm any water supplies they may end up in after they are washed off your face.) Their bottles and jars are all glass and their product boxes are made in a mill that is dedicated to practices that reduce landfill dependency and deforestation rates.
Night Serum
I recently added the Biossance Squalane + Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum and it has been a GAME CHANGER! I apply 2 pumps all over my face every other night and use a small partial pump as a spot treatment on an alternating night. I have found this not only reduces the number of breakouts I get but reduces their lifespan on my skin. This serum contains 10% Lactic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) great for exfoliating dead skin from the surface of your skin and boosts cell turnover.
Click here to get $15 off your first purchase
Brand Sustainability:
Biossance formulas are all cruelty-free, vegan, EWG, and do not contain parabens, synthetic fragrances, or PEG. All tubes and bottles are completely recyclable and all orders from their website are sent in carbon-neutral shipping. Their formulas are developed in a certified My Green Lab facility holding them to the highest standard for responsible use of energy, water, and waste. Biossance is also committed to being a zero-waste company by 2025.
Holy Grail Mask
My absolute favorite skincare mask is the Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansey Invisible Pores Resurfacing Clarity Mask. I have been using it for a few years and I am always amazed by how great my skin looks after. With both AHAs (exfoliates dead skin) and BHA (unclog pores) to fight breakouts and anti-inflammatory ingredients, this mask will leave your skin looking like you have the beauty filter on in real life!
Click here to get 20% off purchase of $75+
Brand Sustainability:
This product is vegan, cruelty-free, and contains no synthetic ingredients. This brand uses mainly glass and paper packaging and is committed to eliminating all virgin plastic from their packaging by 2025.
Cheers,
JetlagLeah
