Mask wearing and Skin Health during COVID-19

As COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to sweep the world of it's devastation, a new normal has emerged. The wearing of face masks has become a vital part of the fight to combat the spread of the highly infectious disease.

The prolonged wearing of a face mask, whilst important for health reasons, can wreak havoc on your skin that is covered by the mask.

You only need to take a short walk in a face mask to realise that simply breathing and talking can trap hot air, creating a warm humid environment – the perfect setting for bacteria, yeast and other flora to flourish. In such a setting these bacterial imbalances can cause skin problems from excessive dryness to skin irritations.

Acne is another big issue that can arise, so much so that that there is even a specific name for mask-related acne – Maskne.

To give your skin the best chance to survive and thrive during this period of mask wearing, we have put together these R’s to follow on a daily basis.

Rest

Give your skin the rest it needs to allow pores to breath by removing your mask as soon as is safe to do so.

Recover & Replenish

The best time for skin to recover from any daytime stresses is during the night hours. Growth hormones are stimulated during sleep, this allows new cell growth, repair of damaged cells and skin recovery. Well-moisturised skin is a stronger barrier and provides a greater resistance to irritation, so be sure to prep skin for sleep with a gentle face wash and a quality night cream. To boost skin hydration, aid repair and protect skin apply a bio-cellulose mask such as the ProPlenish Antiageing facemask once a week.

Rehydrate

When wearing a mask for a prolonged period of time it is important to make sure you get plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Having to remove the mask to drink means it can be easy to forget, so be conscious of this and check in on your water intake hourly. Remember well-hydrated skin maintains the skins natural barrier, helping reduce irritation and sensitivity whilst flushing skin of any toxins.

For added hydration benefits include a serve of ProPlenish marine collagen scientifically shown to increase skin hydration and resilience by as much as 91% in as little as just 2 months.

A recent study by researchers at the University of Cambridge illustrates just how important it is to use face masks. The report noted that if 100% of people wore masks all the time in public, combined with lockdowns and social distancing measures, it could help stem the spread of the virus.

So for as long as mask wearing is part of the new normal for our health and wellbeing some extra care and TLC will be needed to protect skin to keep it happy and healthy.

Image credit: katiemay.com