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For those who don't know me yet, let me introduce myself briefly: My name is Seline Koek, and I work as a skin therapist at Van Lennep Clinic.
In this blog, I want to talk to you about wearing face masks and skin. Wearing face masks is increasingly advised to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and it has even become an obligation in places that are too crowded.
Of course, it is very wise to follow the rules and go along with this “safe trend”, but there are also disadvantages to wearing such a face mask. Sometimes it doesn't work for medical reasons, such as allergic asthma or COPD. The face mask can also be quite irritating to the skin. I hear that around me more and more and I see more and more photos of skin irritations caused by wearing face masks.
Because the skin is closed while wearing face masks, you will perspire more in the face. The skin cannot “breathe” properly. It is true that sweating does not necessarily lead to irritation or pimples. However, it can cause sweat, along with sebum and waste products from the pores, to accumulate under your face mask. The skin cannot get rid of these unwanted substances.
In addition, the mechanical friction of the face mask on the skin is not always fun either. It can lead to chafing, abrasions and skin irritations. Face masks can be made of materials that are so skin-friendly, such as synthetic or raw fabrics, or non-natural materials.
If the skin is constantly affected by abrasions or irritations, it has too little recovery time, which can even cause pigmentation. All the more reason to always use good UV protection.
If you suffer from blockages in the skin due to excessive sweat and sebum, I recommend that you keep the pores “clean”. It is important that you use the right skincare that does not damage the skin, but which does reduce sebum.
The advice is, for example, to get started with ZO Skin Health's “Getting Skin Ready” step-by-step plan. This is a special daily routine that deeply cleanses the skin, reduces excess sebum and accumulated bacteria and ensures that the pores are not clogged. The great thing about this routine is that it can be adapted to any skin type! For oily, oily skin as well as normal or mixed skin types.
If you have hypersensitive skin that reacts to the friction and materials of the masks, then protecting and repairing the skin is a priority. This includes “Colostrum gel” and “Antioxidant gel” by Environ. This power duo helps your skin to cope with it again. Of course, preceded by a mild but effective cleansing, where the pre-cleansing oil (together with a cleanser!) is a must. This product cleanses very thoroughly and also strengthens the skin barrier.
Feel free to drop by the office hours so that we can do a skin analysis and compile customized advice.
