How to Prevent Skin Irritation While Wearing Mask?

Everyone knows that coronavirus has spread worldwide, so it is important for all of us to take preventive measures to protect the spread of coronavirus. Hence, you cannot avoid wearing a mask as it is one of the important things everyone can do. Wearing a mask can be challenging for many of you as it can be harsh or rough on your skin especially when you have sensitive skin. 

Wearing a mask can cause acne on faces to most of you dealing with sensitive skin. If you wear a mask for a longer period of time, you may get skin irritation which leads to acne breakouts, scars, and bruises as continuous use of the mask accumulate the oil and sweat on your face thus trapping your breath and creating an environment that causes rashes, skin irritation or any other skin infections. 

The reason for skin irritation may be due to no airflow on our face and thus causing moisture accumulation that is warm and warm condition causes skin irritation. Many people experience face mask-related problems like acne, dermatitis, rosacea, eczema, etc. as the skin around the nose, ears, and mouth are very delicate.

How to Prevent Skin Irritation?

To help this out or to prevent Skin irritation while wearing a mask, it becomes necessary to know the skin irritation causes and for the treatment of skin irritation one should follow the guidelines given below to prevent skin-related issues:

• Always wash your face with a gentle cleanser on a daily basis and moisturize it with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, dimethicone is the ingredient in moisturizers. Incorporate this in your skincare routine as per your skin type. Dry skin, sensitive skin are the major skin types that face mask-related problems. But basically, to avoid acne breakouts applying gel-based light moisturizers is recommended to the area covered by a mask to avoid skin chafing.

• It is also recommended to use gel moisturizers for oily skin people, lotions for normal and combination skin people, and cream moisturizers for dry skin people when using masks in hot and humid climates.

• Always make sure to wash your hands before and after wearing a mask as it can carry bacteria to your mask and through that to your skin causing skin infection.

• Many faces with dry skin and chapped while wearing face masks, and hence petroleum jelly is protected and cures your lips and skin from chapping and irritation of the skin. So apply petroleum jelly to your lips after washing your face, before going to bed, and before covering your mouth with a mask.

• Use products that are non-comedogenic and that won’t clog pores before wearing the mask.

• Try avoiding the use of makeup cosmetics as that accumulates oil and causes acne production on the skin thus irritating your skin.

• Use a disposable mask or three-ply masks made of soft and breathable fabric like cotton that does not irritate your skin. The mask should not be too loose or tight as it is the protective covering we use to avoid coronavirus keeping in mind the skincare that means one should not get rashes, itching, or causing acne breakouts due to type of face masks. Wear a face mask of a comfortable fit.

• The fabric face mask should be washed regularly with the proper washing tips. Face masks made of synthetic materials like rayon, polyester, and nylon must be avoided that causing rashes to the skin.

• Washing fabric masks is a must so that it removes any oil, products or contamination, or germs carried while wearing so that it may not be used unclean which can cause skin problems further. 

• If you face any other skin condition even while taking preventive measures it is necessary to get a treatment plan by dermatologists that can keep your skin condition under control.

• Wearing masks can also cause various skin conditions like rosacea or miliaria. Hence to avoid this skin condition, always wash your face with the skin type-based gentle cleanser and also wash the mask on daily basis with non-fragrance detergent.

• When you remove your mask, always exfoliate the face with an exfoliator to remove any dead skin cells and oil collected on your face.

• Wearing face masks for a long time can sore your ear and nose. This is caused due to rubbing of mask and skin thus doing friction between the two. Hence use gel-based products or petroleum jelly that help reduce friction and prevent skin irritation healing the wound and soreness near the ears and nose.

Take Away

Many skin problems are caused by the type of face mask you wear like wearing tight face masks may cause skin breakdowns. Face mask should be worn for a short period of time, if wearing a disposable mask, it should be changed after a few hours.

Avoid applying heavy makeup products that cause skin irritation and acne problems by trapping in the moisture on the area covered by face masks. Also depending upon skin type use moisturizers before and after the use of masks. Dry skin types need to moisturize with the cream while sensitive skin types should apply gel-based products to avoid any skin problems.