The breakouts caused by weaaring the mandated face masks is reaking havoc on our skin. Many people are making it worse by using the usual old tricks for acne but this is a mistake. I want to really tell you how to treat macne caused by facemasks the right way. This requires an open mind but the results might shock you so much that you adopts these practices long after the mask mandates come to an end.
The combination of agitating extra heat combined with intensely fluctuating hydration levels from our masks creates a confusing environment for our skin. The donning and removal of our masks as we gear up and down all day to function in the world creates confused skin in chaos that can’t decide to manufacture oil or not…a strange and wonky place to be if you are a sebaceous gland. The sole mission of our sebaceous gland is to create oil when needed to trap water in our skin. Every time our skin gets dehydrated and has very little to no water content, it will get the green flag from the surface of our skin to hurry up and make oil to prevent any more water from evaporating. A supremely important and coincidental benefit of oil on our skin is creates our natural acid mantle barrier. Our acid mantle barrier kills bacteria, viruses, and pathogens that would otherwise my absorbed into our skin.
If you are experiencing a bad case of Mask Acne (Macne for short), consider these possibilities for your skin:
A. The mask isn’t giving you acne. It’s been there all along in quiet dormancy. Yep, I know this can be hard to hear but I have a solution: help it come out. You can actually help this stuff come out and free your skin. You can maximize and stabilize water levels and give your skin hope to release the breakouts. Face Mask Acne is somewhat of a crisis healing and there is huge potential to get your skin on track.
B. Find ways to counteract the extra heat by doing things that are soothing for your skin. Rinse with cool water. Use a soothing serum. Avoid harsh cleansers, exfoliants and anti-aging products that are inherently stimulating (in a bad way). Do anything you can to vent and cool your skin without comprising safety in order to avoid thelrepeating large hikes in temperature.
C. Consider that what you are eating for comfort is playing a bigger role with your skin than you realize. Carbs, grains, sweets, pasteurized dairy, and spicy foods can cause a lot of internal inflammation that renders easily irritated skin. Get more details on diet and skin health in order to improve your skin quickly.
My advice is to avoid anti-aging products (such as acids) and services (including intense exfoliation and lasers) as they will only lead to more irritation.
Also, stay away from acne products because they will only further dehydrate your skin, and add to the existing chaos of water level fluctuations. Here are the new holistic SKINCARE FOR ACNE protocols that actually work.
I know it’s tempting to rush out and try to fix things, but these outdated strategies are not the ticket.
So, what is the solution, you ask? Give your skin a stabilizing foundation so it can better cope with external forces outside of your control, like mandatory face mask wearing.
1. Stop over cleansing and daily exfoliation
2. Use a hydrating mist AND SERUM
3. Learn what topical bio-available dermal nutrients can do for your skin
4. Use a lipid rich moisturizer (oily skin types, you too!) to trap the water from mist and serum in place.
This sequence will bring beautiful equanimity to your skin so it can handle the confusion with more ease, while supporting whatever needs to detox and leave your skin.
If you’re struggling with macne, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. You can benefit from incorporating some of our products including our Origin Sets, and Lamina. Learning your skins needs and wants will help you create a skincare routine that will leave you looking and feeling your best. If you need any help on this journey, schedule a complimentary virtual consult.

About the author
I took many wrong turns when I started learning about skin at 19. The more I spent on skincare, equipment, and training, the further I felt from actually helping skin. I was frustrated with only being able to offer temporary and superficial solutions at best. What emerged from the disappointment and turmoil, I now call, The Regenerative Skin Process. Skin Harmonics is a dedicated medical fusion holistic skincare clinic that provides a root cause approach delivering lifetime skin health through medical grade skin care products, new learning, and Deep Pore Cleansing Facials.