How Koreans maintain glass skin, prevent acne while wearing masks

Every time you wear your surgical mask for a prolonged period, you risk sebum build-up. So you might want to wash your face more often than usual. Treat this like a post-workout face wash—you don’t want to be too thorough and risk drying out your skin from overwashing, but you also need to clean the grime. Using a milder cleanser then your usual evening routine will be the best option for maintaining the optimal pH balance. However, if your skin is sensitive, you might want to stick to washing only two times a day.

Dirt buildup is the main culprit here so we recommend swapping out your face masks as often as possible. Opting for paper masks or changing out filters is the best way to ensure mask hygiene. If you use reusable masks, ensure that you wash them properly to get rid of all bacteria and makeup or products that has been transferred to the cloth.

Even non-comedogenic makeup can’t compete with no makeup when it comes to preventing acne. The mixture of grime and cosmetics is a surefire way for pimples to form so do yourself a favour (and save some time) by going makeup-free. If you can’t bear the thought of venturing out without some level of foundation, try lighter options.

Koreans love pimple patches. Walk through any subway station and you will see a good handful of people donning stickers on their faces. When you’re worried about clogging pores and you’ve already got a few pimples in tow, prevent further inflammation by covering them up with pimple patches. When active pimples rub up against sweaty masks, it’s the perfect formula for aggravation, and pimple patches can prevent that.

If you have acne-prone skin, turmeric, niacinamide and azelaic acid and their anti-inflammatory sisters should become key components of your daily and nightly skincare regimen as they soothe your skin when it is exposed to the increased heat trapped in your mask.

Everyone knows sweat lingering on skin is not good, so be practical and keep cool outside, whether you decide to carry a portable fan or have a cooling facial mist in your bag.

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This article was first published in Cleo.