Wearing masks all day is saving lives and it’s causing some skin issues for many of you. 

I get it that this is becoming something that some of you can’t ignore anymore, and you’re looking for ways to prevent irritation and acne and all the other not-so-fun side effects of being a good human being and wearing your damn mask. 

Please keep in mind that I’m not an esthetician- I’m a clinical herbalist who has been in the making and using of natural botanical skincare products for over a decade, so I offer these insights from my own mind and experience. May it be helpful!

Cleanliness of Masks: first things first! Keep your masks clean! If you’re using the reusable cotton/silk kind of masks that are ubiquitously made now by all sorts of small makers, that’s awesome! Just make sure you wash them as regularly as you wash your underwear. Because you’re breathing into that all day, your skin is sweating into them all day, and if they’re dirty, they’re going to up the irritation factor for your skin. So get yourself a small collection of masks and rotate them very, very often. And wash them with a detergent that isn’t full of harsh chemicals, because the skin on your face is sensitive and you don’t want it getting irritated by that stuff. Similarly, if you’re using the disposable kind, you’ll want to swap those out at least every day. On hot days, maybe even multiple times a day. 

Material: from my experience, my favorite mask for breathability are the ones my friend made me out of 100% cotton. And apparently, they’re also really effective at filtering. It seems that in general, natural fibers are better for both breathability and filtration. So choose cotton or silk over polyester!

Cleanliness of Face: the same way you want your masks to be clean, you want to make sure you’re only wearing a mask over clean skin. Because dirty skin and clogged pores equals irritation. Wash your face in the morning and moisturize with a light, emollient oil. This way your skin is primed for the friction of the mask, and hydrated without being too densely covered. From my product line the best oils for this season and mask wearing would be: 

Handsome Serum (emollient and moisturizing but quickly and efficiently absorbed)

Sea Buckthorn Serum (repairing for pores and soothes irritations/breakouts while moisturizing). This is something I've guided several people to since opening the new shop, and they've all written back saying it's been majorly helpful!

Wide Awake Serum (usually recommended for eye area, but can absolutely be used all over. This is light and moisturizing and really great for sensitive skin- hence it being perfect for the eye area)

Makeup: don’t wear makeup under masks! Just don't. Even the nicer more natural face makeups do clog your pores, even if only slightly slightly, and the addition of a mask on top of that is going to cause irritation. The best situation for wearing masks is a clean face that’s lightly moisturized and nothing else. 

Skin Care: even with precautions, breakouts will still happen sometimes. I recommend doing a facial steam once or twice a week to open and clear out pores. Depending on your skin constitution there are different herbs that can be extra repairing/nourishing/helpful. Part of the Facial kits I’m releasing soon will have tins of herbs that are blended for different skin types. Soon, soon! 

I hope these tips help you and your beautiful face while you do your part to be a good human being and wear your mask!