BEST MASKNE TREATMENTS - SELF/ish EXFOLIATING PADS, BEST EXFOLIATING TREATMENT FOR MASKNE
This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Best Maskne Treatments - Zitsticka Killa Zit Patches, Balm Labs Clear Balm Serum, Skinfix 911 Ointment and Self/Ish Exfoliating Pads. You can catch the full piece here.
—
I consider myself lucky for a lot of things. I’ve traveled the world — from Cape Town to Tokyo, Singapore to Moscow. I found what I love to do (write!) early on in my career and it nourishes me every single day.
And, I haven’t experienced maskne — until very recently. My luck ran out I guess!
Two weeks ago, I got a blemish just to the side of my right nostril. It got big and awful! Then, two days later, another blemish formed just below my bottom lip. Ugh, again?!
I knew things were out of whack when one also appeared along my jawline at just about the same time. Suddenly, I had three blemishes going on at once. I was mortified. That hasn’t happened in twenty years.
It was my first attack of the dreaded maskne!
If you haven’t yet experienced maskne, you likely will. I like to think that I take phenomenally great care of my skin, doing everything I know how to to keep my pores clear and refreshed each day. If you’re experiencing maskne now, I feel your pain!
What is maskne and how do you treat maskne?
I found a really good piece in Shape magazine from a couple of months ago titled, 'Maskne' Is a Very Real Thing—Here's How to Beat Face Mask Breakouts. You can catch the full article here.
What is 'maskne' and why does it happen?
Maskne occurs when sweat, skin oils, and bacteria are trapped on the skin while wearing your mask, says Elizabeth Mullans, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Uptown Dermatology in Houston, Texas. Face masks can cause irritation by either physically rubbing against the skin, which can damage the skin's protective barrier, or by trapping moisture, which can cause acne, she adds.
This type of acne is called acne mechanica, which includes any skin issues due to pressure, friction, rubbing, squeezing, or stretching. It's different from other kinds of acne (like the pimples that show up around your period, for example, which are hormonal) because it occurs only in areas where the mask sits against the skin, says Ife J. Rodney, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and founding director of Eternal Dermatology Aesthetics in Fulton, Maryland. “In healthy skin, there are normal amounts of bacteria and yeast that live there, but when pores become clogged because of excess sweat and moisture from the mask, these organisms overgrow, leading to pimples or acne cysts,” she explains.
Fortunately, I have everything I need to take care of these new, sudden and irritating breakouts all around my mouth and nose. And I didn’t think it would be very kind of me not to pay it forward, as they say. If maskne can happen to me, it can happen to you!
So, I’ve put together what I call the Skincarma Maskne Essentials — a collection of the best products to treat maskne and best skincare to prevent maskne from occurring in the first place.
My maskne essentials include: Zitsticka Killa Patches, SELF/ish Exfoliating Pads, Balm Labs Clear Balm Serum Hydrator and Skinfix Remedy+ 911 Ointment.
SELF/ish | Exfoliating Pads
One of the best ways to treat maskne is to prevent it from occurring in the first place! How? Well, by keeping skin in balance, keeping skin healthy, and making sure pores are fresh and clear. It means giving the area around your mouth and nose a little extra TLC throughout the day.
An acid-soaked exfoliating pad is ideal for just that. I always have a jar of my favorite SELF/ish AHA-infused exfoliating pads on hand. In fact, I have a jar in my backpack so I can give my mouth area a quick swipe after removing my mask at the office.
Unlike those famous acid-infused Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peels from Dr. Dennis Gross, the SELF/ish Exfoliating Pads are affordable — and better for your skin.
Because of their high alcohol content, were you to use an Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel around your mouth twice a day, you’d only exacerbate the situation by excessively drying out the skin.
Plus, at $88 for 30 pads, the Dr. Dennis Gross pads are just too expensive for my taste. That’s almost $3 per pad! The SELF/ish Exfoliating Pads are just $25 for a 30-count jar, less than one dollar per application.
The SELF/ish formula contains 10% Glycolic Acid — an equivalent dose to Dr. Gross’ Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peels — in addition to Lactic Acid and the more gentle Mandelic Acid and Malic Acid.
Keeping pores clear under the mask is essential. And the SELF/ish Exfoliating Pads are formulated with an ample amount of natural BHA in the form of Willow Bark Extract. Similarly to Salicylic Acid, it works to flush out pores of sebum and gunk that can lead to blemishes and weaken skin barrier function.
The clean SELF/ish formula also contains multiple skin soothers and soothing antioxidant botanical extracts.
FOR A LIMITED TIME
ENJOY 20% OFF ALL SELF/ish CLEAN SKINCARE
CLICK HERE AND ENTER CODE SKINCARMA20 AT CHECKOUT
As I like to say, as important as what’s in it is what isn’t. No drying alcohol! The use of denatured alcohol is how the Dr. Gross Daily Peels achieve such great results; yet, over time, they can dry out and damage the skin.
Rather than using drying alcohol, the SELF/ish chemists had the wisdom to opt for Dimethyl Isosorbide, a legitimate alternate to denatured alcohol. DMI is a 100% pure substance, sustainably extracted from corn sugar. It’s used to stabilize, solve (or dissolve), and deliver active ingredients into the skin, similarly to alcohol. DMI has been proven to deliver significantly higher efficacy — without damaging the skin barrier.
I love these pads and have found them effective at helping me to prevent maskne around my mouth and nose. You will too!
SHOP THE BLOG: For a limited time, save 20% off all clean skincare from SELF/ish. Code: SKINCARMA20. Purchase the SELF/ish Exfoliating Pads for $20 (reg. $25) here.
The Ingredient List of the Zitsticka Killa Patches:
sii|h, Oligopeptide-76, Salicylic Acid 
exf|aacne|so|pres, Niacinamide cci|sb|aacne|h, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Tea Tree Oil so|aacne|aox|amic|perf, Vitamin E aox 0-3 0-3, Alcohol 
amic|solv|vcThe Ingredient List of the Balm Labs Clear Balm Serum Hydrator:
Water (Aqua), Squalane, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Lecithin, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, Yeast Extract, Soy Amino Acids, Cannabidiol, Caprylyl Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Maltodextrin, Bixa Orellana Seed Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hyaluronic Acid.
The Ingredient List of the SELF/ish Exfoliating Pads:
Aqua, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, DMI, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Willow Bark Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Mandelic Acid, Malic Acid, Gallic Acid, Ferulic Acid, Ellagic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Bakuchiol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lactic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Linoleic Acid, Tocopherol, Linolenic Acid, Oleic Acid, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Limonene, Linalool.
The Ingredient List of the Skinfix Remedy+ 911 Ointment:
emo 0 0, Beeswax emo|vc|emu|perf 0 0-2, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter emo|vc, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuaçu) Seed Butter, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract so|emo|h, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil emo, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil emo|perf 0 4, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil emo 0 0-2, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Bisabolol so
