Many of us have had to deal with hormonal breakouts over the years. We’ve had to treat breakouts from using products not suitable for our skin or diet related issues that have manifested on our skin, and if that wasn’t enough, now we’re having to deal with maskne – breakouts caused by wearing face coverings or masks. We’ve been advised that wearing a face covering can help reduce the spread of the virus, so while we do our bit for people around us, we also need to do our bit for our poor faces that aren’t used to being covered for so long!
Here are three products that I rate to help with maskne, or if your skin is blemish-prone or congested. Follow me on Instagram for more spot busting products as I continue to trial new ones out.
The Cleanser – Skingredients Sally Cleanse €25
Used at night as a second cleanse (try using PrePro cleanser first), this gentle yet effective cleanser uses the power of 2% salicylic acid to help gently remove excess oil. What I also love about it is that it can be used as a spot treatment too. I like to apply a small amount directly to a blemish and let it work its magic. And if you want to really give your blemishes or maskne the old heave ho, then try applying a thin layer as a mask to affected areas once a week for a couple of minutes. By allowing it to gently exfoliate your skin, it helps to remove spots and blemishes and can be used on your arm too if you have keratosis pilaris!
The Mask – Yon-Ka Masque 105 €37
This mask is one of my favourites from Yon-Ka and I’ve used it lots over the last year when my skin felt congested. You know that feeling when your skin just feels clogged and gross? A layer of this is all I need for my skin to look brighter and feel clearer. It contains three kinds of clay to purify the skin, tighten pores and leave the skin bright and glowy. This smells like a spa and I’ve had it used on me when getting Yon-Ka facials.
An even layer is all that’s needed all over the skin and while they advise not to let it dry, keeping it moist with the Lotion Yon-Ka, I totally forget this every time I use it. I absolutely let it dry, but then I make sure to wet it thoroughly, working it into the skin before rinsing it off. It’s a beautiful product and used regularly, can help keep maskne at bay, and prevent it from becoming an issue.
The Spot Treatment – Waxperts Wonder Pads €9.95
These salicylic soaked discs of joy have dug me out of a blemish-prone hole many a time over the last few years. They have a textured side and a smooth side and they can be used to prevent and treat ingrown hair, target keratosis pilaris, and more recently for me, help reduce and remove maskne spots. I’ve used them a couple of ways when treating blemishes. Sometimes I sweep the pad all over my skin for a lighter, more general treatment. And then there are those times where I need to put a bit of welly into it, when I have one of those deep growing, sore spots.
I take a pad, fold it into quarters and hold it up against the spot in question for a while. And every so often, I’ll sit a fresh quarter onto the spot and I’m telling you, these are magic. These are ninjas in the fight against maskne.
Has your skin been breaking out recently? What have you been using?
