Let’s Talk About ‘Maskne’: Natural Skincare Solutions For Acne Prone Skin

Ditch single use for the sake of our planet and your skin!

If you’re breaking out more than usual from your nose down, you probably have maskne. As someone who is already prone to acne, I have found the breakouts on my chin and blackheads around my nose worse than usual. Even people who never breakout, are getting maskne. It is hard to avoid! With trapped heat, sweat, and friction it is not surprising that our skin is freaking out. As my favourite London skin clinic, Pfeffer Sal, said, ‘This combined with the humidity from your breath creates the perfect environment for trouble making bacteria and pathogens to thrive which can lead to deeper, more painful breakouts.” Breakouts, redness, and rash like irritation are all symptoms of maskne. I currently have all three!

It is so important to make sure you are wearing the best kind of mask. When you can, ditch the single use masks and invest in a few natural masks, that let your skin breathe. Treat your mask like socks and underwear, you shouldn’t wear it two days in a row! Some of our favourites come from Santicler, Shaina Mote, Araks, and Riley Studio.

We especially love Santicler’s knitted seamless masks because the antibacterial finish of the yarn used provides 99% efficacy against the growth of bacteria for up to 20 washes and 92% after. This works wonders to prevent unwanted breakouts and skin irritations!*

Cleanse and cleanse again

Clean your face twice, and for at least a minute for each cleanse. This means you are not only removing makeup and surface grime, but you are actually deeply cleaning the skin and pores. I love starting with the Chia Seed Oil cleanser from Voyanics because it thoroughly removes makeup when combined with the incredible Cloud Cloth.

Another great cleanser specifically designed for problematic skin is the Clear Face cleanser by Ra Oils. The hero ingredient in this cleanser, Moringa, is known for its outstanding properties of curing acne and works wonders to deep clean and tackle blackheads and clogged pores.

Treat your skin three times a week

It is so important to treat the skin to a mask two to three times a week. I love that you can totally customise powdered masks to treat your concern. I personally mix them with rose water and apple cider vinegar for a real deep clean. If you tend to be on the dryer side, mix powdered masks with some yogurt and honey! Both concoctions are fantastic for treating breakouts. 

One of my new favourite masks is the 100% organic Terra Ayurvedic mask by BASIUM which we have just launched on REV! With ancient Ayurvedic ingredients including aloe vera, seaweed, and turmeric this mask will leave all skin types glowing, clarified, and regenerated.

Rich in niacinamide, antioxidant vitamins A,E,C, and B, the Enliven mask by Ona Organics is designed to even skin tone, balance oil production and revitalise tired skin, which is especially favourable in the colder winter months!

Oils as acne therapy

Applying oils to blemish prone skin is a controversial topic in the skincare industry. However, myself and Creative Editor, Grace have suffered with problematic skin but can honestly say that using specialised face oils for acne-prone skin have worked wonders and we really do recommend trying one out!

My go-to face oil is the Harmony face oil, from Oio Lab. It is a favourite around the REV office because it really does bring harmony to the skin. It hydrates the skin while calming redness and helping to banish breakouts and fade old scarring.

Another great option is the Acne Therapy oil by Ra Oils. This range is specifically designed for problematic skin, made with pure oils and ingredients that help to balance the skin to treat and prevent acne breakouts.

Choose the right kind of makeup

It is hard for me to not wear makeup. I can feel pretty insecure about my acne scarring, but I just remind myself that no one notices it like I do. Lots of conventional face makeup have pore clogging ingredients and when combined with a moist, warm environment under your mask, you’re creating an environment for those ingredients to really sink into the pores. If you can skip face makeup where you can, but if you still want to wear something, try and choose makeup that doubles as skincare.

I love Kjaer Weis, because their makeup has incredible organic skincare ingredients within each product that treats the skin while you wear your makeup. Manasi 7 is another favourite of mine because their skin enhances provide wonderful coverage, without ever suffocating the skin.