The Mixed Girls’ Guide to Mask-ne

Hapa Mag - MARCH 10, 2021

By Autumn Henry & Melissa Slaughter

Melissa: During the pandemic, we've all had to deal with wearing masks as part of our current reality. And while much of the pandemic is out of our direct control, there is one side effect I felt ready to tackle: the acne caused by wearing my mask. AKA “mask-ne.”

I’ve long had terrible skin problems and acne, and I’ve done everything under the sun, from Accutane, to microdermabrasions, countless facials, extractions and medications. Nothing has worked. Adding a mask on top of that just exacerbated the painful whiteheads that take up residence on my chin. They don’t pay rent; they just squat, burst, reappear, and squat some more. This winter, I finally started to do something about it.

In January, I hopped on a Zoom call with our resident mixed-Asian skin expert, Autumn Henry. Together we talked acne, diet, masks, and more. This guide serves as both a checklist for folks who want to limit the “mask-ne” that is plaguing them,and it’s also a case study for me personally, on just what the hell is going on with my skin! Consider me your test subject as we dive into the world of skincare, self-care, and the side effects of pandemic life.

Autumn: Where it gets tricky, touch base with a professional. Don't try to just attack the acne because it's very possible to make it worse. If you need to go out on your own, look for words like “calming” and “soothing” before you go diagnosing yourself with acne. And then when in doubt, consult a professional. And if you don't get a good vibe because somebody wants to just sell you a bunch of stuff, get another opinion.

ORAL CARE 

When Autumn asked me, “So what's your mouth health?” I had an epiphany. DUH! I’d made jokes for months about how gross it is to breathe in a mask,but I never thought about how my breath was making its way back into my skin. I also have a mouth that is prone to cavities and gum issues, despite my best practices of brushing and daily flossing. Autumn educated me on what exactly goes on in the mouth, and gave me some ideas on how to make my oral health better. 

Autumn: First and foremost, oral health check in. I'm not a dentist, but it's an element that we have to contend with now, with the masks. It's like we're licking our faces all day. Our mask gets a little moist, and the vapors are holding the bacteria [from our mouths]. Then it's rubbing against our skin. So, not only is our skin getting this weird friction, it's also getting a deposit of bacteria that it wouldn’t normally get. 

How to keep your mouth extra healthy: Oil Pulling 

Autumn: Take about a tablespoon [of coconut oil]. Typically I think you do it after you brush and floss. Then you've got to hold it in your mouth and let it melt. If you're using sesame oil, it's already melted. Swish it around your mouth for 10 to 20 minutes. 

You do it while you watch something or when you're listening to a podcast, and then you need to spit it into the trash — especially if it's coconut oil, because you don’t want to clog your drains. It picks up all the extra bacteria that's hiding in the little crevices in our teeth and our gums.

There's another added bonus. It does totally whiten your teeth. I would say oil pulling over mouthwash, just as a practice. If you want to use mouthwash before you put on a mask for a three-hour period of time, then that is something  you can do.

Dating Around: 

One last note on oral health: making out with a new partner can affect your natural bacteria. I have no doubt that people have been dating during the pandemic. There’s a whole song dedicated to figuring out how to make out during quarantine. So Autumn suggested that if you’re experiencing a new round of breakouts, it might be because of your new hanky panky. 

Autumn: We have to have that talk about meshing bacteria. Usually with a new partner, your body kind of negotiates the new bacteria. I've had people having crazy, new relationship sex in the beginning, and then they just go to sleep. They wake up and they're covered in acne. I'm like, “I'm sorry. Do your business, go pee,and then you’ve got to wash your face. Don't get the UTI, and don’t get the acne from your new partner. But live your life outside of that!” 

DIET

I did Whole30 last summer, and my skin was so clear. I started experimenting with cutting dairy completely out of my diet to see if it would make a difference, and to be honest, it has. During the pandemic, many people have taken to comfort foods and alcohol as a form of coping. But your diet can affect your skin, so all the mac and cheese I was eating was certainly not doing me any favors. 

Autumn: That can be an evolved thing. You may have never had this happen, and then it hits one day where, physically, digestibility, [you] can't handle it at, like, 45 years old. For other people, it could be around 25, 30.

Because dairy is one of those elements that can be difficult for bodies to digest, it can express itself… over the whole chin. Basically a muzzle. There's a delayed response because of the chain reaction that happens hormonally…. so that's why it's also sometimes hard to pinpoint.

THE ROUTINE

During one blissful weekend, when my boyfriend was visiting his parents , I decided to give myself a spa day. It took several Google searches to figure out what I wanted to do with the items I have. I decided to do this routine every week. It’s been a great Sunday wind-down. I take a long shower, do my at-home facial, and decompress before the week begins. The whole routine takes about an hour. I ran Autumn through my routine to see if she approved. It’s a pretty simple routine that you can mimic at home.

*NOTE, I’M NOT LISTING MANY PRODUCT NAMES BECAUSE WE ARE NOT SPONSORED BY ANY OF THE BRANDS I USE. ALSO, SKINCARE IS VERY SPECIFIC, SO WHAT I USE MIGHT NOT WORK FOR YOU. PLEASE CHECK WITH A SKINCARE PROFESSIONAL TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS.

Step One: Coconut Oil Cleanse

I like using coconut oil on my face. It’s clean, easy to use, and easy to dab off. As someone with sensitive combo skin, oil cleansing is my favorite way to start. 

Autumn: One of the reasons why coconut oil is good is because it’s very close in pH balance as our skin. So that, jojoba oil, sesame oil are all totally appropriate oils to oil cleanse with.

Step Two: Cleanser with Silicone Brush

I got a silicone brush from Causebox, a subscription box focused on social justice, sustainability, and accessibility. We’re not sponsored by them, but we would like to be! Causebox, call us! Anyway, back to the silicone brush.

Autumn: What I love about the silicone is that they're super, super, super easy to clean. I'd recommend cleaning it just before you use it. That way you always know that you're going to use a super clean one. That's the way I do mine. This is great for people who leave that in the shower.

The other thing: remember, when you're doing any kind of physical exfoliation… don't try to get in there and help it with your muscles. Then you'll be adding to any kind of inflammation.

Step Three: Seaweed Exfoliator

After rinsing off the cleanser, I use a microderm exfoliator that has red tea, seaweed, and hyaluronic acid in it. Two physical exfoliators in a row is a lot, so Autumn made a recommendation on how to use chemical exfoliators during the week.

Autumn: I would say with the physical exfoliation, even though it's fine, you want to be really gentle here because you don't want to be rubbing off whiteheads. The skin on top of a whitehead is so thin. You don’t want to take care of a whitehead by scraping the top off of it. Then it's going to end up being this open wound more than anything. That can also invite the bacteria that was causing the whitehead to go over to the next pore.

I would say even, when you're done with the scrub, I think an element that we could probably work in is a chemical exfoliation. It can stimulate your cellular turnover and healing, as well as break down dead skin cells that would suffocate pores or cause buildup.

I probably would move to something that's a little more like a toner. It's going to be a liquid delivery, which helps disperse it rather than concentrate it like a gel or a cream would. With a toner, you can pick and choose, “I'm going to work this in twice a week.” It's a nice way to keep your cellular activity on its toes and keep freak outs in check.

Step Four: Clay Mask with Steam

I had a detoxifying clay mask on hand, but I’m sure any mask would work. I also started using steam because my mask would dry out so quickly. Steam is also good for opening your pores. I steam for about 10 minutes, with a towel over my head to keep it all enclosed. Just don’t make the same mistake I made of getting it too hot and sitting way too close.

Autumn: As far as the steam goes, I would say to definitely never let it be so hot that you have to take a break. You want to give yourself some distance. When we have a steamer in the [spa] room, we have it at least 12 inches away. I'm always looking for anti-inflammatory stuff because I feel like when dealing with breakouts, the first thing we have to do is eliminate anything that can be inflammatory.

A solution could just be sitting on a chair and then putting the bowl on another chair. That way you can lean on the chair and lean forward with the towel over your head to get the moisture, but without the heat on it.

Step Five: Sheet Mask

After cleaning off the mask, it’s time to finish off with a sheet mask. Who doesn’t love a sheet mask! Autumn also had a cooooool tip on how to make the most of your mask. (She also suggested I avoid masks with castor oil. It’s a heavy oil that might be part of my breakouts.)

Autumn: You can keep them in the fridge. It’s a kind of a nice treatment when you steam your face and then plop on something really cold. You're counteracting some of the inflammation.

Step Six: Moisturize

After chilling with my mask, I take it off, rub in the serum, and moisturize.

Autumn: That's great! That's an hour to yourself. An hour for you to be physically doing stuff to yourself but then also mentally and emotionally checking in. It’s great in the moment and great in the long run. It's a ritual. 

MASKS 

Finally, we cannot talk about “mask-ne” without talking about masks. I asked Autumn what kind of masks she thinks are best for the skin, and she delivered.

Autumn: I would say breathable cotton material with multiple layers of cotton muslin. Multiple layers so that you get the effect of filtering, but it's still a breathable material. Because of the multiple layers, it doesn't need a tight weave that makes material hard to clean bacteria from.

One of my favorite masks is the Johnny Was mask. It's a clothing company that started making masks, and my sister [who is a nurse] had some. Not only do they comfortably cover a big part of your face, with lots of room for movement, they have the muslin on the inside, and a cute design on the outside.

NOTE: WE ARE NOT SPONSORED OR AFFILIATED WITH JOHNNY WAS. BUT THEIR MASKS ARE MADE OF “REPURPOSED AND ASSORTED FABRICS.” FOR EACH MASK PACK PURCHASED, THEY ARE DONATING A PACK OF MASKS TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS. WE LOVE A CONSCIOUS BUSINESS!  

Those are a few handy tips and tricks to consider the next time your face breaks out after a long day of wearing masks. I’ll be back again for the next issue to report how Autumn’s advice worked for me. If you want to speak with Autumn, she’s taking online consultations. You can find her on Instagram @missautumnhenry, or email her directly at missautumnhenry@gmail.com.