Have you noticed you're suddenly breaking out when you didn't before? Getting blemishes and acne from your mask is extremely common. Read this blog and I will give you all the tips and tricks for getting rid of your new unwelcome friends.
Why am I Suddenly Getting Blemishes or/and Acne?
We have noticed a lot of complaints of suffering new bouts of acne. Sadly with all this mask-wearing, it has caused a haven for acne-causing bacteria. If you have played any sports you know this type of acne isn't new. Padding and helmets keep sweat and dirt in your pores for long periods of time. Acne-causing bacteria thrive in climates such as this. And with summer and our increase in opening up while still keeping others safe by wearing a mask during the hot summer months it is creating a lot of problems for us.
However all is not lost, there are lots of things you can do to heal the acne and prevent new ones from forming.
Mask Changes
Change your mask regularly. Of course, depending on what you're doing will depend on how often. If you notice you're sweating a lot or at the gym then make sure to cleanse your face and then use a new mask.
Spray a gentle salicylic toner into the mask periodically throughout the day. This will kill the acne-causing bacteria so it won't give it time to multiply.
Make sure to wash the cloth masks after wearing them for the day.
Skin Care Changes
You may want to change your skincare for your changing skin. Switching to a sebum clearing cleanser will get rid of the excess oil from your face. And using a toner if you don’t already will help with cleaning out your pores.
Double cleansing your skin morning and night will make sure that all the dead skill cells, pollutants, debris, and oil are removed from your skin. This means it won't get trapped under your skin when your skin resurfaces itself during your REM sleep.
Get a blemish clearing cream or serum. There are so many out there! Certain things to look out for are AHA and BHA’s.
AHA stands for Alpha Hydroxy Acid which treats your surface skin, examples are glycolic acid, citric acid, and lactic acid. They treat the blemishes on the surface as well as blackheads, fine lines, and dark spots.
BHA stands for Beta Hydroxy Acid and it treats deeper into the skin targeting the acne that is below the surface such as cystic acne. Salicylic acid is the only example of BHA. These acids will also increase your cell turnover. What this means is your skin renews itself faster, which keeps skin sun damage to a minimum and also lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
AGEbright Clearing Serum
Mask Treatment. Mask treatments have been all the rage lately. We have all seen that black peel-off mask that causes the user pain and the chance of losing your eyebrows (not surprisingly it is awful for your skin, and causes a lot of damage). Pick a mask that is specifically designed for blemishes or healing. Clay masks are renowned for this and have been used for hundreds of years for their healing properties. They are perfect for absorbing excess oils which make them a great option for acne sufferers. You may also want to look at a mask that is also exfoliating it will remove the dead/damaged skin cells, debris, pollutants, from your skin revealing your fresh young skin underneath.
Important to note: An exfoliating face mask will not be as effective as facials designed for exfoliation. Hydrabrasion, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, all require training as they are stronger than over-the-counter products. Exfoliation face masks can be used as a between your services but they are not strong enough to replace them.
A facial might also be just what you need to help your skin. Pick an exfoliation facial such as our hydrabrasion to get rid of all the dead skin, debris, makeup buildup, etc. It is the perfect way to press the reset button and will allow any blemish treatments you are using to penetrate deeper and to be more effective.
As you can see lots of ways to tackle this little problem so do not stress (as stress makes it worse). Also do not pick at your blemishes the last thing you need is scars + more acne. Picking at pimples spreads the acne-causing bacteria to other areas of your skin. So it is best to kill them with a good cleansing ritual and serums designed to tackle these bad boys.