K-Beauty Skincare Tips for Mask Season – Post-COVID
It is known that 2020-2022 has been challenging for many aspects of our everyday life. The Covid-19 pandemic has affected how we go about our daily routine and work as a society. One of the essential changes we had to familiarize ourselves with was the prolonged wearing of a face mask. Aside from all the inconveniences a face mask presents, it is a fundamental asset in the fight against the Coronavirus. Nevertheless, our concerns about its impact are still valid.
Many of you may have noticed a transition in your skin’s appearance and health after the early stages of the pandemic. Why is that? What are products and treatments that can help? Why not ask the skincare expertise country itself: South Korea? K-Beauty has provided us with the most advanced and diverse skincare products in the last couple of years. During mask season, there are also post-Covid K-beauty skincare tips to help with our skin concerns.
How wearing a mask affects our skin
Effects of prolonged mask usage
Every public person had to wear a face mask throughout 2020-2022. Skin sensitivity was the least expected of the many consequences of wearing a mask. While struggling to protect ourselves and others by doing our part in preventing the spread of the Coronavirus, the pandemic left us, amongst other things, with skin issues. Corona keeps on giving. Some effects Covid-19 brought us were:
- Skin irritation
- Eczema/ contact dermatitis
- Skin dehydration and dryness
- “Maskne” – Mask acne
The mask and its components are part of why one might have developed these skin concerns. The adhesive, rubber straps, and even the traces of formaldehyde found in masks may play a role in the resulting skin irritation. However, it is not merely the mask but also the environment it creates around the skin that is responsible for the sudden changes.
What is Maskne, and how is it caused?
Have you noticed your skin becoming drier, inflamed, or irritated? Is your skin suddenly itchy and shows scaly patches around your cheeks and chin area? Have you been breaking out continuously since the pandemic?
If your answer is yes, you might be dealing with “Maskne”.
Maskne is the post-Covid originated popular name for “mask acne.” But Maskne is not a new phenomenon solely caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is also known as “acne mechanica” among athletes who must wear head and face gear for prolonged periods.
Factors such as the heat, friction, humidity, and lack of fresh air prevalent inside the mask lead to the surge of Maskne. The friction caused by the mask results in our hair follicles clogging up with oil buildup, excess dirt, sweat, and even spit. Our skin barrier becomes therefore compromised. This situation poses a perfect environment for the overgrowth of acne bacteria resulting in pimples and breakouts.
K-Beauty post-Covid skincare tips on how to treat and prevent mask-induced skin irritation
Hygienic methods learned from Covid measures.
The best way to treat Maskne and skin sensitivity is through prevention. One can always remedy things once the issue is recognized. However, it saves you a lot of stress and time if you take precautions before it becomes a real problem.
One thing we all should have learned from this pandemic is definitely how to disinfect our surroundings to protect us from possible microscopical harm. We can take this lesson to heart and apply it to our daily hygiene and post-Covid skincare routine.
- Always wash your hands before touching your face
- Avoid touching your face at all
- Regularly change your mask
- Throw used disposable masks out after using
- Wash your cotton mask regularly
- Disinfect used masks with at least 60% alcohol sanitizer
- Use a water-based Kbeauty makeup remover
K-Beauty post-Covid skincare and your skin barrier
Since our skin barrier is the one that most suffer in this whole post-Covid skin issues situation, it is also the one we should protect and take care of the most. The skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin. It is the shield that protects your skin from external environmental threats. When it’s healthy, it keeps your skin’s water balance and macrobiotic flora in check. When your skin barrier becomes compromised, the skin can undergo Transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Thus, causing it to become dehydrated. It then generates a “domino effect” in which your skin becomes more and more sensitized.
Following traditional K-Beauty trends and the new K-Beauty post-Covid skincare tips, the best way to help your skin out in this situation is to be as gentle with it as possible. It includes not using harsh active ingredients, such as acids, and avoiding stripping formulas and external irritants, such as makeup. Additionally, it helps to use non-sensitizing, calming, and moisturizing products to hydrate your skin and keep it so.
K-Beauty post-Covid skincare products that help with Maskne and irritated skin
Luckily, K-Beauty skincare has been a synonym for moisturized and hydrated skin for years. We picked the ten must-have K-Beauty post-Covid skincare products for you. These will hopefully help your skin in the new “wearing-mask era”!
COSRX – AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
Starting the list with an OG product, the COSRX AHA/BHA Toner has been a K-Beauty skincare fan’s favorite for years. But this time you won’t use it as usual. As mentioned, avoiding activities as much as possible is very important. The Korean post-Covid skincare trend here is to spray the inside of your mask with the toner before going out. This K-Beauty post-Covid skincare tip gives you a mild alternative to directly applying an exfoliant when you feel like your pores are suffocated.
Peach & Lily – Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser
Regarding the post-Covid skincare trend of using gentle products, the Peach & Lily Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser is a perfect friend. With a low pH of 5.5, it’s non-stripping and leaves your skin feeling hydrated after a gentle yet thorough cleanse. The formula includes cica and chamomile, which offer an extra soothing feeling that calms down Maskne.
Krave Beauty – Great Barrier Relief
One of the best recommendations on this list, Krave Beauty’s Great Barrier Relief serum is a dream come true for your skin barrier. Formulated with Tamanu Oil and Ceramides it repairs your damaged skin barrier while calming down sensitivity and evening out the skin. Everything you want and need from a K-Beauty skincare product during Covid times.
MAKE P:REM – Safe Me. Relief Moisture Cream 12
Supplying your skin with moisture is your n° 1 priority in the post-Covid skincare trends. Make P:REM came out with a fast-absorbing moisturizer that only contains 12 effective ingredients. Thus, saving your skin’s water balance and keeping away unnecessary sensitizing ingredients.
I’m From – Mugwort Sheet Mask
A K-Beauty skincare products list wouldn’t be complete without a sheet mask. The I’m From Mugwort line has been a best seller for K-Beauty Covid-19 sales in Korean drugstores. The mugwort-extract-infused sheet mask soothes and calms down the skin, leaving it with a healthy glow.
Wishtrend – Polyphenols in Propolis 15% Ampoule
Specifically great for acne-prone skin, the Polyphenols in Propolis Ampoule by Wishtrend offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that can help combat Maskne.
NEOGEN – Dermalogy Day-Light Protection Sunscreen SPF 50+/PA+++
Although the face mask covers half of our face, protecting our skin from damaging UV-rays remains extremely important. Especially now that the seasons are changing, no one wants “mask tan lines”. The Neogen Day-Light Protection Sunscreen SPF 50+/PA+++ contains a fresh moisture boost and provides your skin with hydration throughout the day.
COSRX – Acne Pimple Master Patch
As established is better not to use any activities on Maskne, but there are still ways to get rid of it. Pimple patches have been great helpers during the post-Covid skincare routine. Not only are they perfect for treating acne without harming the skin, but they are also barely visible, if at all, while wearing a mask. COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch is a K-beauty staple.
Primera – Clean Berry Lip Mask
The Clean Berry Lip Mask by Primera offers the skin on your lips moisture throughout the day and night, giving mask-induced chapped lips a hard time.
Innisfree – Ugly Carrot Hand Cream
Lastly, not only the skin on our faces deserves care. Our hands have endured just as much, if not more, harsh conditions as our faces. Innisfree’s Ugly Carrot Hand Cream, made with carrots that are usually thrown away, provides your hands with much-needed hydration after the excessive use of hand sanitizer during the pandemic and gives your consciousness a bit of ease.
Ultimately, your skin is one of the hardest-working organs in your body, so remember to take good care of it! Do you agree with our picks? Which other products would you have added to the list for 2023?
