Wearing masks has become a norm during the Coronavirus pandemic. It is one of the strict guidelines issued by the health departments all over the world. While it gives us a certain level of protection against COVID-19, those who wear masks regularly have complained about skin issues such as rashes or acne. Yes, that inflammation on your skin or jawline is most probably because of wearing masks constantly.

So here I share some tips, to protect your skin in the scenario.

Go light on sunscreen

Sunscreen is important to get protection from the harmful rays of the sun. But, while you are wearing a mask, keep the sunscreen light and preferably mineral-based. A lot of sunscreen on the skin trapped behind a mask can lead to breakouts and compromise the seal and coherence of the mask.

Wash and moisturize

Before wearing the mask, wash your face and moisturise it properly. This will keep your skin clean and smooth. We are wearing the masks for a long time and if the skin is not moisturised, it(your skin) might get irritated with the constant rubbing of the mask against it. The moisturiser provides a protective and slippery layer to your skin. It is best to use a light moisturiser, preferably cream or lotion or your skin will become too greasy to manage with the mask on.

Keep your hands sanitized

Because you are wearing a mask that you are not quite used to, there are chances that you are going to constantly touch your face and the mask either to fix it or pull it down for a while. Therefore, it is extremely important for you to keep your hands sanitised. This will prevent the transfer of harmful bacteria from your hands to your face. Constantly touching the face also stimulates the sebum production in the skin and thus leads to breakouts.

No makeup, please!

Keep your face make-up free for the time you are going to wear the mask. Make-up products tend to get into your skin pores and clog them. Mix it with a face mask that might induce sweat, you are sure to have badly clogged pores. With clogged pores come skin issues such as acne, pimples and blemishes. The heat generated inside the mask can also mess up both your make-up and face mask. It is best that you keep your face devoid of any make-up product.

Wash cloth masks properly

As we have reached a few months into the pandemic, there are all sorts of face masks available in the market. Of these, cloth face masks have become quite a hype. These are soft on the face and reusable (saves you a ton of money!). But, we do not follow the protocol needed to keep the mask sanitary. Using the mask again and again without washing it will transfer all the collected bacteria on the mask to your face and thus cause all sorts of skin and health issues. Wash your mask regularly to keep your skin healthy.