The pandemic has taken a toll on all of us in numerous ways, but perhaps one of the more annoying and unexpected effects has been mask acne or, as it’s now more commonly known now, “maskne.” While masks are an effective way to help slow the spread of COVID-19, they’re a new challenge to tackle in your skincare routine. Breakouts around your mask are not an inevitable part of life in the pandemic. There are ways to avoid and treat maskne. Here’s what you need to know about mask acne prevention!
What Causes Maskne?
Whether at work or school, most of us have grown accustomed to wearing masks for many hours a day. As you wear a mask, you’re sweating and breathing in a confined environment while the fabric rubs against your face. Face coverings trap bacteria, allowing buildup on your skin. This can clog your pores which eventually leads to pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, or all of the above.
All that sweat and heat can also create dry, itchy patches of skin. While a tight-fitting mask maximizes protection from the virus, it also causes chafing which can lead to irritation. In short, masks can cause new skin problems or exasperate your existing ones.
Healthy Habits to Prevent Mask Acne
Keep It Clean
Having exceptional hygiene is vital to prevent mask acne. That means cleaning your face daily (or even multiple times a day) and cleaning your reusable masks after each use. This eliminates the dirt and oil that may be trapped on your face and prevents leftover oil and bacteria in your mask from ending up on your face. If your masks are disposable, make sure you toss them after each use.
You’re hopefully already washing your hands frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this is also key to avoid too much bacteria from ending up on your face. You should avoid touching your face as much as possible, but if you’re going to do it, at least make sure your hands are clean first!
Whether you’re washing your clothing or your masks, use gentle, fragrance-free products. Anything that’s too harsh could end up irritating your skin and cause a breakout.
Limit Makeup Wearing
While the idea of going bare-faced can be intimidating for some women, it’s one of the most effective ways to eliminate maskne. This is because makeup clogs your pores. If you’re dead-set on wearing makeup, at least try to go foundation-free. This way, you won’t be wearing makeup on the area beneath your mask which helps with acne prevention.
Eat and Drink Wisely
It’s also important to consider how other factors may have an impact on your skin. For example, many of us have developed unhealthy habits in the pandemic like binge-eating junk food and drinking lots of alcohol. Try to avoid processed foods that are high in sugar as these can cause your skin problems to flare up.
Excessive drinking also impacts the appearance of your skin. Alcohol dehydrates you and can cause inflammation. If you want to maintain youthful, flawless skin, limit your drinking and turn to H2O instead.
Reduce Stress
The last year has been incredibly stressful for most people. In addition to the typical stresses of day-to-day life, everyone is feeling the added weight of a global crisis and the way it has changed life for everyone. Unfortunately, stress is yet another cause of acne. Work on finding healthy ways to cope with stress like journaling, meditating, listening to music, getting fresh air, and participating in teletherapy to reduce stress and prevent acne flareups.
The Perfect Skincare Routine for Preventing and Treating Maskne
Even if you implement all of these steps, you probably won’t be able to prevent maskne 100% of the time. Perfecting your skincare regime will go a long way to help with your maskne struggles. To prevent and treat maskne, look for products that help with acne prevention.
Basil and Lime Face Wash
Washing your face first thing in the morning and before you go to bed are crucial to prevent breakouts. During the pandemic, you should also be washing your face after wearing a mask or doing any other activity that involves a lot of sweating. When washing your face, use lukewarm water and choose to pat your skin dry rather than rubbing at it to minimize irritation.
The face wash you use is worth investing in! Don’t just purchase whatever’s cheapest at the store, and you definitely shouldn’t be using hand soap. Nessfeli’s basil and lime face wash helps prevent acne while also treating existing breakouts thanks to the powerful combination of anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients. It’s made using natural, organic ingredients that, as a bonus, smell fantastic!
Adzuki Bean and Oatmeal Exfoliate
Exfoliating is an essential part of any healthy skincare regime. Not only does it get rid of dead skin cells, but it also helps clean out your pores. Nessfeli’s Adzuki bean and oatmeal exfoliate is great even on sensitive skin. Use it once a week to keep your face acne-free and get rid of dry skin patches.
Noncomedogenic Moisturizer
The kind of moisturizer you use is also important. Moisturizer is a daily essential to keep your skin nice and hydrated. However, it can also clog your pores if you’re buying the wrong product. Look for a “noncomedogenic” to avoid this problem. Don't worry! We've got you on this as well! Be on the look out for our Moisturizers that will be releasing soon.
Apple Aloe Vera Mask
Try fighting maskne with a different kind of mask. Nessfeli’s apple aloe vera mask reduces inflammation to help you fight breakouts. It’s also effective at smoothing skin and preserving elasticity to reduce signs of aging. It helps you preserve the appearance of youthfulness no matter how old you are!
Stop Maskne with Nessfeli Natural Skincare
No one knows how much longer the COVID-19 crisis will continue and even then, mask-wearing will likely stick around for a while. If you really want to keep your skin looking fresh and clean, implement these practices. Also be on the lookout for our new Acne-Prevention Bundle, Coming Soon!
High-quality skincare products made from the finest organic ingredients are essential whether we’re in a pandemic or not. If you want to transform your skincare routine for the better, shop Nessfeli Natural Skincare
]]>Happy Women’s History Month! It’s time to rejoice in how far women have come and the many ways women have contributed to everything from the arts to politics. Don’t let the month go by without celebrating the greatness of your fellow females. Here are 10 ideas for how you can celebrate Women’s History Month!
What better way to show your appreciation of women’s rights activists and women’s history than by helping women who are making history today? Make a point of supporting women-owned businesses in your area by buying their products or services. You could do it alone or take your girlfriends on a trip to your favorite small businesses. This is a great way to support small businesses at a time when they’re struggling.
It’s so important to show gratitude to the women that have helped shape you and supported you in your most challenging times. This could be your mom, sisters, wife, daughters, friends, teachers, and mentors. You may want to simply write them a personal note of thanks, but you could also go the extra mile of giving a special gift to show them your appreciation.
It doesn’t have to be anything expensive. Hand out candles in your favorite scent or share some baked goods. You could also tie this back to supporting women-owned businesses by giving gifts that are made or sold by women entrepreneurs.
There are many nonprofit organizations that are focused on helping women and women’s issues specifically. Find a charity that’s doing great things for women whether it’s a women’s shelter, an organization the provides access to reproductive health essentials, Dress for Success, or something else. Your donation can be a monetary one or it can be gently-used clothes, menstrual products, or cosmetics. You could also donate books about female empowerment to your local bookstore to make great women-centered reads more accessible!
If you don’t have the extra cash to spare right now, you can always donate your time. Find a nonprofit in your area that benefits women in some way and ask how you can help. You may discover a new passion that will last long after Women’s History Month is over.
Women’s History Month is definitely special enough for a party! Any other year, it might be a great time to invite your girlfriends over and have a women’s celebration. Unfortunately, with COVID-19, your options will be more limited. But that doesn’t mean you should skip the celebration altogether! Have a Zoom party with your friends. You could spend time sharing the stories of how women have impacted your lives, play a trivia game about women’s history, or share about ways you hope to influence future women.
Never underestimate the value of mentoring the next generation of women. Maybe you don’t have any daughters of your own, but you can take some time to invest in your nieces or your friends’ daughters. If there aren’t any young women that come to mind, you can look into the Big Brothers Big Sisters program or a similar organization. This is a great way to help young girls who could use some extra love and may be going through challenging circumstances of their own.
When you’re out and about this March, look for little things you can do to make another woman’s day a little bit brighter. Pay for the coffee of the woman in front of you, compliment your female coworkers in meaningful ways, or leave a small note of encouragement in a public place for a stranger to find. These small acts of kindness can easily turn another woman’s day from bad to good.
Women’s history is vast. No matter how old you are and how long it’s been since you were in school, there’s always something valuable you can learn about how women have contributed to society. Spend this Women’s History Month learning about women like suffragette Ida B. Wells who owned her own printing press. As a journalist, she courageously reported on lynchings in Mississippi. She was even a founding member of the NAACP.
You could also learn about women like Maria Beasley who invented the life raft in the 19th century. Thanks to Maria, countless lives have been saved! These are just a couple women whose contributions are all-too-often glossed over. Take this Women’s History Month to appreciate how their sacrifices have helped you.
Celebrating women’s history should include absorbing the accomplishments of women right now who are making history. Read books, listen to podcasts, and watch TED Talks of women doing great things. Just a handful of such resources include:
In spite of how far we’ve come, there’s still plenty of work to do for women’s rights. The most important superpower you have is your voice. Make sure you exercise it this Women’s History Month. There are many issues you could advocate for like equal pay, reproductive rights, and the like. Sign petitions, call your local representatives, and spread the word about issues you care about.
Celebrate Women’s History with Nessfeli Natural Skincare
Nessfeli wants to celebrate Women’s History Month with all of you! Make sure you stay tuned for the exciting things we have planned this month by following us on Instagram on Facebook so you don’t miss anything.
From all of us at Nessfeli Natural Skincare, we hope you have a fantastic Women’s History Month!
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