This is embarrassing, but one of those things that I just have to suck it up and ask for help with. Has anyone found a solution for mask-related acne? The summer humidity and relative lack of exercise (unmotivated to go out much in this weather) has made the lower half of my face a disaster of teenage proportions. Honestly, this is probably worse than my teen years, and extra embarrassing for an adult.
I switched up my cleanser from expensive Kiehl’s stuff to simple Uno, and bought some Ihada. That initially seemed to improve things, but this week it came back with a vengeance. It is only in the area below my mouth, so I’m guessing this is related to mask wearing, and further aggravated by shaving. I use regular surgical masks and discard them after each use, then immediately wash my face when I get home. I also had COVID last month, so I’m wondering if that changed something in my zit-producing bodily systems.
Any tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated.
19 comments
Yeah I also struggle with this. I went to a dermatologist about it and she gave me four packs of a light green cream called “Aquatim Ointment 1%” which has the active ingredient antifloxacin or something like that. It was dirt cheap with insurance
If you goggle for that + Japan you can probably find it online but it will likely cost more
If it’s really bad you could try using antibiotics for like a week. It would help resets your skin. Ask at your local clinic. They usually prescribes creams along the antibiotics.
Is it possible for you to reduce how often you are shaving? skin irritation from there is a huge deal. Be extra careful not to use super hot water while shaving! It ends up totally destroying your skin. I had some pretty constant rashes on my neck from shaving and taking more care in the shaving process, not overdoing the blade reuse, and really just taking more opportunities not to shave gave my skin time to heal.
I had some skin issues with my hands back in 2020, and the dermatologist basically said it’s likely I had damaged my skin from too agressively washing my skin/alcohol stuff on the skin. It could be that this is a similar thing (not a doctor of course). Though it might be worth going to a dermatologist and see what they tell you.
Use cleansing face wipes a few times through the day. The ones made for acne prone skin that don’t have fragrance. Drink water. Use a more heavy duty face exfoliating wash once a week to remove the top layer of skin (I use Lush’s Mask Of Magnaminty).
5-10% benzoyl peroxide facial cleanser, used daily. Nothing fancy.
This is the secret for controlling acne and the key ingredient any “regiment” system.
Just note that depending on your complexion, it will make you more susceptible to sunburn.
My dermatologist gave me Zebiax lotion, which cleared up the problem right away and it hasn’t been back.
Maybe don’t wear a mask?
Simple! Stop wearing a mask. [ducks at the barrage of downvotes]
this may sound rude, but do you brush your teeth every time after you eat? do you floss once a day?
when I first started wearing masks through a full work day, I noticed a difference in my skin health when I brushed my teeth more often. I think it helped reduce bacteria growth under the mask. now I brush after every meal and have much more manageable skin!
on really hot days, I will sometimes also wipe down my face and replace my mask after lunch, too.
Switch to the Korean KF94 mask if you have not already. They tend to have more of a 3d design compared to a standard surgical mask. Large parts of the skin are untouched by the mask and it is supposedly more effective then a surgical mask for blocking viruses.
I don’t really have a solution regarding the mask. But for acne I use Tea Tree Oil from Body Shop. Recommended by all of my friends
So, I’ve done a lot of experimenting and watched a lot of YouTube cuz I was getting maskne/breakouts too and here’s some stuff that’s worked for me…
The easy is washing my face as soon as I get home (moisturize afterwards) and I’ve upped my water intake significantly (by like 1~2L). I also keep wipes on me to wipe away face sweat.
The rest:
I use the Neutragena pink grapefruit face wash (I get it from iherb) because that worked well when I was a teen. In between iherb orders, I use the Clearasil face wash because it has salicylic acid and it’s cheap. (https://amzn.asia/d/bR7C1Ui)
When I have an breakout, I use a diluted (2~4 drops : 1/4 cup water) tea tree oil “toner” every day or every other day (applied using a cotton ball) and spot treat with tea tree oil (swatch on your skin beforehand to see if it’s OK for you!)
If I can find it on iherb or USA Amazon, I try to keep a bottle of Clean&Clear deep cleansing astringent for breakouts. This stuff is strong and works well! But, you gotta moisturize bc it will dry out your skin.
Finally, I do wax parts of my face and that can cause breakouts. However, after reading a tip to prep the skin with rubbing alcohol (I just use hand sanitizer) and put on wound ointment after, I started doing that and noticed a huge reduction in breakout spots. Might work for shaving, too. (I use https://amzn.asia/d/gDYQYUl)
You might wanna give a 2 week break on the scrub and see if that helps. If you scrub too often / too hard, it can damage the dermal layer and cause outbreaks. And always moisturize afterwards. I use the muji scrub 2x a week, mostly on my nose.
Honestly, I’ve found for me it boils down to keeping the skin clean but moisturized (get a good face lotion!) and hydrated. Face washes with salicylic acid is best (I was surprised how many face washes in Japan say they’re for acne but don’t have salicylic acid) for daily use.
(Edited to add some info like products.)
I’ve found that dabbing the oil away during the afternoon with a blotting sheet, doing a good cleanse in the evening, and using toner in the morning really helped with mine.
My skin is naturally terrible all the time but I’ve found that prescription Duac (Benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin) really helps. It’s available at just about any pharmacy with an internist or dermatologist prescription although it need to be stored in a refrigerator. The price is pretty reasonable as well
I’ve been using vaseline infused with Tea Tree oil on my face. It’s also great for areas where you are trying to deal with or avoid sweat rash.
Its crazy interesting that your acne got worse with masks, it got much much better for me, virtually disappeared because i stopped touching my face
In late 2020 I went to a dermatologist and she helped me. It took me 4-5 months to heal and then I had to use the meds from time to time a few times. And also somehow naturally it went away cuz I still use masks but don’t use my meds for 7 months or so.
I have the same problem and it’s been a nightmare 🥲 Is your acne small, under the skin clusters of bumps with some white heads? If so it could be fungal acne which is often caused by trapped humidity (aka masks during the summer here!) Anti-dandruff shampoo actually works to help keep it under control.
I would go to a dermatologist. Even with a first visit fee I doubt you will pay more than 2 or 3000 yen, including the cost of whatever they prescribe. Way cheaper than testing a bunch of OTC stuff hoping something works.