Is Maskne a real thing?

I get it... you see Acne around your mask area that hasn't been there before so of course you contribute it to the mask you have been wearing... but is that the cause of the maskne that is presenting itself?

Actually no, your acne wont be directly the caused from the mask. When looking at acne around the jawline, chin or lower cheek area, we want to look deeper and treat the source. When you look at the Osmosis Skin Mapping system, you see that the source of this acne in this area is generally estrogen toxins purging out on the jawline, fecal toxins around the chin area or candida overgrowth (depending on where the acne is located).

Not everyone who is wearing a mask is getting acne, why is that? Toxins from the foods you eat (refined sugars, dairy, fried foods), your environment (preservatives, plasticides, toxins) and lifestyle all contribute to acne toxins purging in these areas.

So why does the mask make my acne worse around that area? Well, the mask can irritate or create an environment where it can trigger the acne to purge making it Maskne. Just like if you have a facial treatment and before the facial you didn't have any acne present, and a day after you get acne or you get a lip or chin wax, again no acne present before but after it suddenly appears. This isn't a reaction to the treatment, it is a trigger to purge the toxins already present.

There are things we can do to help prevent Maskne.

• Watch your diet - limit refined sugars, dairy and fried foods

• Look at your preservatives and plasticides in your environment.

• Wash your mask frequently

• Don't touch or pick acne lesions

• Wash your hands and pillow cases

• Don't use acids on your acne areas

• Treat the source as well as the trigger

• Don't over exfoliate, use granules or use harsh ingredients, treat inflammation topically first

• Use the correct skincare products for your skin type

So we have to be careful about jumping on the latest "beauty" bandwagon and make sure we understand what is happening. Yes, the mask can trigger the Maskne but treating the source of the acne by looking at your diet, your lifestyle and your environment is what is more important so it doesn't return.