Wearing a mask can sometimes cause breakouts around your nose and mouth. Here’s what to do.
Wash your face in the morning with a gentle cleanser like Doctor Rogers RESTORE Face Wash and apply a Vitamin C serum to protect your skin from free radicals - be it from computer screens, pollution and UV light. I personally use and recommend Skin Alto Better Defense Serum, Revision Skincare Vitamin C Lotion or C E Ferulic by Skin Ceuticals. Follow this with a moisturizer. If you have dry skin, use a cream and if you have oiler skin, use a lotion. Even though the majority of us are staying inside for most of the day owing to stay at home orders, it is still important to apply sunscreen. Opt for one with zinc like Supergoop!’s Zincscreen 100% Mineral Lotion which has many protective properties. Apply as little makeup as you can, particularly in areas below the mask. For the areas that rub against your mask, apply a balm (like Doctor Rogers RESTORE Healing Balm) to protect the skin from trauma. Reapply the balm as needed during the day and when or if possible, take off your mask to allow your skin to breathe.
At night, wash your face again with a gentle cleanser. Apply a balm to any raw areas to help them heal and protect them from the following exfoliating step. For your nose and chin, use a chemical exfoliator with glycolic acid or salicylic acid to prevent outbreaks from the all-day occlusion. I like Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum or Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant. Wait for at least one minute before following with a gentle moisturizer.
It is important to note that some of us will develop yeast on our face from the sweat and occlusion which presents itself as yellow pink scales in the corner of our nose. This can be treated by washing your face with Nizoral A-D Anti-Dandruff Shampoo a few times a week while in the shower. I also highly recommend taking a probiotic such as Hum Nutrition Skin Squad Pre+Probiotic™ to help maintain a healthy skin biome.
Did you know that Doctor Rogers RESTORE has donated nearly 20,000 Healing Balms to frontline healthcare workers since March? Additionally, RESTORE has donated one hundred tubes to the only Navy dermatologist treating patients and healthcare workers at the Javits Center who are suffering from sores on their faces from wearing masks.
Please contact us if you have any questions by filling out this form or emailing us at hello@doctorrogers.com.
Meet the author: Board-certified and practicing dermatologist, Dr. Heather D. Rogers, MD, is the founder of Doctor Rogers Skin Care and Modern Dermatology in Seattle, Washington. She studied at Stanford, University of Washington School of Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center. She lectures nationally, is well published, and an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology. Highly respected among the skin care community, Dr. Rogers has been annually named “Top 1% of Most Honored Doctors in the US” by Castle Connolly.
