How wearing a mask affects your skin and what you can do about it

Much to our regret, masks have been with us for some time now and they will still be around for a long time. It is a necessary measure: they protect us and help contain the spread of the virus, but it causes endless discomfort to our skin . Luckily, we can put means to alleviate the effects they cause on our skin, taking proper care and using 'mask-friendly' cosmetics.

How do masks affect our skin?

The state of alarm is taking its toll on the largest organ in our body. Added to the psychological effects of the situation is poor nutrition, lack of exercise, closed and poorly ventilated places. And the mask is the icing on the cake, visibly worsening the entire area that is in contact with it. After all, a mask is a synthetic element that has to be in contact with our skin for many hours a day . And they also have a rough finish that favors the appearance of dermatitis, acne, redness and dryness .

Masks + heat = death combo

If our skin was already doing well with the masks, add the heat that is beginning to hit almost the entire Spanish geography. The area of ​​the face that is in contact with the mask, by spending many hours in a humid and warm micro-climate, it can develop more problems than it would in a kinder season. These itching, pimples and other discomforts that we mentioned before can worsen and also add other 'guests' such as the proliferation of fungi and bacteria .

What effects do they have according to skin type and their solution 

All skin types suffer from the use of masks since their ecosystem is suddenly altered and it must be repaired to return to normal. However, there are some skin types or conditions that suffer more from its use and special attention must be paid to its care. We review them.

Dry Skin

Heat and masks cause the delicate fat-water balance to break in dry skin and the proportion of lipids decreases considerably. This type dries out even more, accentuating the feeling of tightness and even favoring the appearance of flaking. If your skin is dry, give it full nourishment with products that contain very emollient and repairing oils : jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil. Follow this routine for dry skin , there you will find the products that can work best for you.

Trick : Use the Super Seed Oil as a night mask. Apply two pumps all over the face and neck, massage gently and let its powerful action repair your skin while you sleep.

Oily or acne-prone skin

If this is your skin type, you will have to be disciplined with cleanliness to avoid the appearance of blackheads and excess oil. Activated charcoal is your best friend again, use the Active Charcoal facial soap morning and night to cleanse your face and the Time to Reset Clay Mask occasionally. 

The fluid, fresh and zero fat textures are the ones you should choose to hydrate your skin. And it includes active ingredients with an astringent action that help reduce blemishes, such as white willow bark, present in the Balancing Day Gel . Check the entire routine for oily skin here .

Trick : Increase your active carbon mask moment from one to two times a week.

Mixed skin

Actually it is not a type in itself, but the combination of two or more skin types. It will tend to become unbalanced more easily with the combination of mask and heat. Oilier areas will produce more oil and drier areas will dry out more. 

As in other skin types, the skin barrier must be rebalanced, protected and restored . Before putting on the mask, hydrate the area well with a Moisturizing Day Cream , which helps maintain an optimal level of hydration, balances and soothes the area. When you remove it, wash the area well with a mild product and hydrate again.

Tip : Before putting on the mask, apply a drop of Super Seed Oil to your driest areas, it will create an invisible film that will protect the area and prevent irritation from appearing 

Sensitive skin

It is not a typology, but a skin condition and it brings us to more than one here. It is characterized by being a skin that reacts easily to external aggressions and whose skin barrier  it is weak and prone to compromise more often than non-sensitive skin. If under normal conditions it is already very reactive, with the increase in temperatures and the use of masks, the symptoms of sensitive skin are considerably aggravated . 

It is fundamental to protect the skin barrier so that it does not deteriorate, hydrating the area very well and using soothing active ingredients such as calendula, present in the moisturizer for combination skin. Aloe vera, the base of a large part of our cosmetics, is a powerful moisturizer that also contains mucilage , a substance that creates a protective film on the skin. 

Tip : Avoid exfoliations for a while. Once a week, apply our Spa-All-Day Clay Mask . Clean your face with a non-aggressive product and preferably do not require rinsing (leave-on)