hi it's Michelle from lab muffin beauty science chemistry PhD and skincare nerd
today we're going to be talking about skincare when it comes to wearing masks
I had a lot of requests about this topic as well as how to look after your hands
when you're washing your hands a lot which I talked about in my last video
and again I went to lots of dermatologists and asked them for their
advice on dealing with skin issues when you're wearing a mask skin problems can
come up when you wear any sort of covering on your face this can happen
with cloth masks which you might wear when you're going to the store this is
one that my aunt sewed for me or it can happen with surgical masks which a
lot of health care workers wear on a more extreme level it can happen with
hard respirators like this one which I wore during the bush fires last year in
Australia a lot of health care workers who work closely with covid patients
will be wearing these for hours on end so here's a guide to the common skin
issues that might happen when you're wearing a mask and how to deal with them
if you like the sort of video give it a thumbs up subscribe to my channel and
click the notification bell so you don't miss any videos first off let's talk
about the sorts of skin issues that you might see when you're wearing a mask for
a long period of time with a looser mask the main issue is going to be skin
irritation this includes dryness itching and redness this is called irritant
contact dermatitis and this happens because of the extra heat from the mask
the fact that your breath and your sweat are making it very moist and humid under
the mask plus there's the friction of the mask rubbing against your skin you
can also get acne from the material rubbing against your skin and physically
blocking your pores this is called acne mechanica respirators are a lot harder
and they fit much more tightly against your skin this means you can end up with
hives and pressure sores raw skin and blisters different components of the
mask like adhesives rubber straps and even free formaldehyde from n95
respirators these can all cause irritant and allergic reactions this means red
and inflamed skin itching and rashes so here's some advice for what to do when
you're wearing the mask
firstly it's a good idea to avoid heavy makeup and foundation under the mask
the extra pressure and friction from the mask can mean that you get spots and
acne even if you don't normally react to these products you can also use a
moisturizer or a barrier cream like zinc oxide or dimethicone based 3M Cavilon
under the mask especially on the spots where the mask rubs and causes pressure
this is generally on your nose the sides of your face and under your chin be
careful if you're a health care worker using a respirator if you're using these
products right before you put on the mask it can affect the quality of the
seal so check if this applies to you you can also use protective dressings like
hydrocolloid bandages and skin tapes on areas where the mask rubs or if you have
a wound Dr Anjali Mahto recommends removing pressure every 1 to 2 hours
where possible here are some tricks from Dr Papri for relieving pressure from
behind your ears you can use a paper clip or a strap to turn the loops that
go behind your ears into a strap that goes around your whole head
if you have longer hair you can also wear Princess Leia buns and put the
loops around those make sure you monitor your skin for signs of infection and
seek medical help
here are some products that might be useful in a skincare routine if your
skin's been irritated by masks it's a good idea to use a mild soap free facial
cleanser or makeup remover wipes right after you've taken off the mask Dr
Anjali Mahto recommends using lukewarm water to wash your face not water that's
too hot or too cold because that can cause irritation
you should also pat your face dry with a towel rather than rubbing if you do
develop acne some good anti acne ingredients are benzoyl peroxide
salicylic acid azelaic acid sulfur and retinoids if your skin is easily
irritated by benzoyl peroxide Dr Papri recommends washing it off after 20 to 30
minutes which is called short contact this can help reduce irritation and
dryness exfoliants and retinoids work really well if you have acne but they do
cause a lot of irritation so if your skin's already irritated it's probably
best to avoid these or use gentler versions in terms of moisturizers Dr
Adeline recommends moisturizers which contains glycerin ceramides hyaluronic
acid and niacinamide these are all very gentle on your skin and good for helping
barrier repair you can also use thick emollients like Vaseline and aquaphor
to help your skin heal you can also try using dimethicone based barrier creams
or products like la roche-posay cicaplast baume b5 if you have a rash a few
dermatologists also recommended trying some over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone
cream you can use a thin layer twice a day for a week or two and this will
reduce itching redness and inflammation you can also talk to a doctor who can
prescribe a stronger steroid cream another problem that can develop after a
while is post inflammatory hyperpigmentation these are patches of
brown pigment that develop after your skin's healed if you want more tips on
how to fade this you can check out my video on hyperpigmentation if your skin
is very irritated then it's a good idea to get rid of irritating products from
your routine until you stop wearing masks so much so things like exfoliants
and retinoids
the people I spoke to also gave me some extra tips for wearing masks remember
that the front of your mask gets contaminated after you've worn it so
don't touch it Dr Papri recommends that if you're
planning to reuse a mask you can store it in a Tupperware container put a
Tupperware container over your mask take off the straps and then you can store
the mask in the Tupperware container when you reapply it put the Tupperware
container on your face and put the straps back on it's also a good idea to
wash your hands before you put on a mask and after you take it off I hope you
found this video useful if you did you can give it a thumbs up and subscribe to
my channel leave me a comment if you have any more tips on using masks thank
you to all of the experts who shared their tips with me I've put their social
media accounts here so give them a follow if you want to find out more
about the science behind beauty products you can follow me on Instagram and check
out my blog see you next time for more science-based beauty content