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Helpful Advice for Dealing with Maskne

Here’s the problem: Daily wearing of protective masks is undoubtedly causing its own unique combination of skin challenges. Over the past several months, I have seen many cases of “maskne”, which can present as dryness, irritation, inflammation and breakouts. The big question is, “how do I treat the area, when the answer to one problem might aggravate the other?”. Try not to stress over it… stress in itself can lead to break out ☹. My approach, always, is to first treat and calm the compromised, irritated skin. Angry, inflamed skin is in no shape to receive strong acne-fighting ingredients (e.g., benzoyl peroxide).

First, a tight-fitting face covering, pressure, and friction can lead to chafing and skin “rawness”. 

Second, body heat and moist breath that is trapped underneath the mask creates a humid, bacteria-loving environment that can be compared to a hothouse… perfect for growing.

Aside from nice full brows and lashes, there is nothing I want growing on my face, especially around my mouth! Add impurities, oil, sweat, and you have a perfect storm for bacteria and yeast to grow, irritation to develop, and skin’s pH to get thrown out of balance. Now what?

Let’s cover some commonsense rules that are worth repeating:
  1. Change or wash masks daily. Repeat use can just rub old oil and dirt into your skin. Even after a day off, once you start breathing into yesterday’s mask, bacteria and gunk go back to work. Ew.
  2. Do not wear makeup on the masked area. No one is seeing it, anyway!
  3. Give your skin a 15-minute break, every 4 hours.
  4. Avoid rinsing your face with hot water. Cool to tepid water is most soothing and skin friendly.

If skin is red, aggravated and uncomfortable, then protection and prevention should be your skincare priority, especially if your job requires mask-wearing all day, every day. The goal is to return the distressed barrier layer to a healthier state, so it can continue to act as a barrier to disease (thanks, epidermis!). Put aside your concerns about fine lines, hyperpigmentation or slackening skin, just for now.

It is extremely important to keep the face clean by using a gentle, fragrance free facial wash. Use fingertips and palms of your hands to cleanse and avoid brushes or washcloths. Double cleansing is fine and might feel especially good if you’ve just worked out or put in a 12-hour shift. Cleansers containing alcohol, menthol, granules or a significant percentage of acids should not be used on the effected area. Remember to keep water temperature tepid. Following with a spritz of toner will soothe and hydrate beautifully, so long as it’s fragrance and alcohol free. Look for calming ingredients like aloe vera and chamomile.

Hydration is key to restoring skin health. In the morning, apply a lightweight moisturizer after you cleanse. A gel, serum, or lotion provides hydration without any (or much) oil. If you wear a medical grade or stiff mask, there’s a greater chance for irritation where mask meets face. In this case, I suggest using an occlusive product to form a protective layer only where there is actual contact with the mask. Dermatologists might suggest Aquaphor. I’m a fan of Dermalogica’s Barrier Repair- it doesn’t have a lot of “slip”.

At the end of the day, immediately cleanse your face to remove impurities, sweat, salt from your skin. Safely exfoliate 2-3 times a week using a gentle AHA or BHA (glycolic or salicylic can be found in skin washes), except where skin is broken. If your evening will be a maskless one, it’s okay to use something a little more emollient where you’re feeling dry. Spot treat acne with a sulfur or salicylic acid product.
Realize that this is not the time to introduce new ingredients which could potentially cause an adverse reaction. For instance, retinoids are effective against acne and are known to strengthen skin, but even in the healthiest skin they should be added with awareness to your skin’s response. Check with your skincare professional if you’re just not sure.
Ingredients to incorporate into your maskne routine: hyaluronic acid (hydrates), ceramides (fortifies protective barrier), and niacinimide (acts as an anti-inflammatory). Oatmeal is calming, and often found in sensitive skin products. Consult your dermatologist if your skin seems unmanageable, even after following these recommendations. Have patience, keep wearing your mask, and above all, be kind to yourself.
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Self-Care

skin-care-washing-face

Self-Care

skin-care-washing-face

Self-care is NOT a bad word!  Too many of us are afraid to admit that we need time for ourselves; time to step away from all of our responsibilities and do something just for us.  Women, especially, regularly put others before themselves.  The question is: How can we be our best for the people who depend on us, if we feel ragged,spent, drained? Simply said, we can’t!  Five to ten minutes per day could be all we need to reverse the trend…

Something as easy as a regular skincare routine can be just enough to help keep you going. The time you dedicate each morning and evening,  for a ritual involving only YOU, is as valuable to your mental well-being as it is to your skin’s health and appearance. 

Committing yourself to it will add structure to your day, which is crucial in this uncertain and abnormal time! The experience of cleansing, toning, and  moisturizing can take you “out of your head”, as you focus on the activity at hand. Physically, massaging each product over your skin wakes up your senses and stimulates circulation. Mentally, your morning facial ritual signals the start of a new day; in the evening, it serves as a reward for all you accomplished, big or small, that day.

It’s been shown that by performing your skincare routine, you’re sending a message of “I’m worth it” to your brain. In the therapeutic facial massage, in the fragrance of a hydrating toner, in the soothing texture of your favorite moisturizer, and in the glowing face that looks back at you in your mirror, you will find both the energy to face the day and the comforting passage to a good night’s sleep. Skincare is self-care. Self-care is fundamental.

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THE EYES HAVE IT

Since a protective mask is and will continue to be part of our every day wardrobe, much more focus will be on the eyes. Accentuating your eye shape and color with shadow, lashes, and liner can make your eyes pop, but before all that it’s super important to treat and maintain the skin around the eyes. This tissue is delicate, thinner than in any other area, and doesn’t have the advantage of lots of tiny oil reservoirs to keep it supple. On top of that, the area around your eyes never gets a rest! Your eyes are in constant motion, even while you’re in the deepest sleep. For these reasons, the periorbital area is the first to show signs of premature aging. Nobody wants that! Some very basic advice to you is to drink more water… water truly is your body’s best friend! Eat foods rich in essential fatty acids, or use a fish oil supplement (if it’s safe for you). Don’t smoke! Use sunscreen. Don’t rub or tug on your eye area. This is all common sense, but bears repeating.

Then, consider exfoliating the delicate eye area. Why? Regular exfoliating can soften lines, brighten skin and boost the efficacy of eye creams/serums. It could also help eliminate milia, and allow for smoother application of make up. What to use? Rarely is a scrub gentle enough for the eye area. Most granular products can cause microscopic tears in the fragile skin. Instead, use specific products that include chemical exfoliants such as glycolic, lactic, or mandelic acid. Vitamins A and C are effective, and also have antioxidant properties. Remember, always use a gentle patting motion and never apply products directly onto lid or up to lower lash line- instead, tap along the surrounding bone. Products can be used daily, depending on intensity. Always read instructions! Keep a check on your skin’s reaction, and take it slower if you see signs of irritation or flaking. Use sunscreen daily.

On the subject of targeted ingredients: When you’re choosing an eye serum or cream, consider your main concerns. What follows is a list of ingredients you’ll often see, and it will help you navigate when you feel like you’re drowning in options. My clients’ most common complaint is lines/wrinkles, so let’s start with smoothing and plumping those. Many of the following ingredients do double duty, which makes them common to lots of eye products: hyaluronic acid; vitamins A, C and E; peptides; oils such as Marula or jojoba. They soften, moisturize, and protect. For reducing puffiness, look for caffeine and green tea along with vitamins C and E to help reduce the dreaded “bags“. Dark circles can make you look tired, so to brighten the under eye area you’ll want your serum/cream to contain ceramides, cojic acid, vitamins A, C & K. in addition, retinol is a potent ingredient for brightening, smoothing, and stimulating collagen production; it can however be irritating, so use it sparingly at first, then build up to more frequent use.

Nothing can replace a good night’s sleep, so do your best to get ample zzzzzs. Again, drink plenty of water and limit your consumption of caffeine and alcohol. Try your best not to rub your eyes, even if itchy allergy eyes are driving you crazy. Use your products. Be kind to the delicate eye area, then open up your make up kit and have some fun!

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Summer skin

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Summer skin

sun-protection-on-the-beach

DONT NEGLECT YOUR SKIN THIS SUMMER!!!!!

School busses have stopped rolling, people are hitting the beaches, and summer has officially begun! We love the warm sun, the sparkling ocean and ahh, the swimming pool! A chilled rosé in air conditioned comfort at the end of the day is bliss. I’m the first to long for summer as soon as temps dip below 60 degrees. I’m also passionate about skincare, so my head is out of the summer sand and filled with information that I want to pass along.
Bottom line, I want you to take extra care while you’re having fun this summer! If you have kids, do the “future-them”, as well as yourself, a favor.
  • A tan can be beautiful. Vitamin D is good for us. The warm sun is relaxing. Heads-up: Sun is damaging, even to protected skin. UV exposure is responsible for as much as 80% of the visible changes attributed to aging. Ugh. Don’t skimp on the sunscreen! Apply, apply and reapply!
  • Salty ocean water is dehydrating. It is beneficial in that it opens up pores and removes toxins from the skin. It can also heal cuts or abrasions. Heads-up: salt water exacerbates dryness. Rinse that sea water off and use a moisturizing sunscreen as soon as possible after you stroll out of the waves.
  • Chlorine does a great job of killing the bacteria that would definitely keep you out of the pool! Heads-up: Chlorine is drying, irritating, and strips the skin of natural oils. While it’s comforting to know that the pool is clean, your skin pays a price. Again, rinse off asap and apply moisturizer (with sunscreen).
  • Air conditioning feels amazing, as it draws uncomfortable humidity out of the air and turns hot air to cool. Heads-up: Your skin is also losing its moisture and that air conditioned atmosphere is throwing your skin’s healthy balance out of whack. Stay hydrated, inside and out, to boost the moisture in your body and skin.
  • Wine. A cold beer. An icy margarita. They sure can speak to you when you’re in vacation mode! I love a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc, honestly, any time of year! Heads-up: aside from undermining our attempts to avoid junky food, alcohol saps the body of moisture, dehydrating skin, causing puffiness BUT deflating skin cells. What to do? Drink water, stay away from the more sugary drinks, and embrace moderation.
Where is this all leading? To me! A timely, deep-cleansing, antioxidant-boosting, hydration-replenishing facial can improve your skin’s condition and boost its element-fighting ability, so you can look as beautiful and youthful in September as you do in June!