While many of us were dreaming of sending the kids back to school with no masks, our reality is that the dangers of the pandemic have simply not passed and we need to be diligent about protecting our communities—that means that back to school means back to mask!  We have talked about specific products that can help reduce the “mask-ne” that plagued our pre-teen and teens, however, there are some other things that you can do to prevent damage to your skin and that of your littles:

1. Use a breathable fabric with a snug fit—KN95 may not be the most comfortable, but often are cotton based.  Pick something that is cotton or linen as a natural fabric.  Then make sure it fits—not only is this important to prevent the spread of germs, if it does NOT fit properly, it will rub more on the nose and cheeks, causing irritation and abrasions to the skin.  
2. Wash your masks! We suggest two bins by the door—one for clean and one for used.  It is so tempting to reuse a mask that you only had on for a few hours the day before, however, masks are catching the liquid that you inhale all day as well as the oils and dead skin from your face. You do NOT want this to be re-introduced on clean and fresh skin as it is one of the major causes of the mask-ne.  
3. Don’t use harsh skincare products—this is a tough one for teens that might even be using dermatologist-recommended regimens. If they have acne, the good news is that you won’t see it with the mask. If you have those harsh chemicals under the mask, however, it can really irritate your skin further and be doing more harm than good for your teen. Instead, try a less harsh, natural regimen for two weeks. Many will see a reduction in the acne and gain the added benefit of eliminating the harsh chemical ingredients and the unintended consequences of using them under a mask.  
4. Wear less make up. Let’s face it—we love make up. As a skincare company, we know that even the all-natural stuff isn’t the best for your skin.  So rather than telling you to ditch your make up completely, make a change to emphasizing the eyes rather than around the nose and mouth.  This includes lipstick—it makes your mask dirty and you can’t see it anyway. Treat your teen to a fun eye routine and ditch the foundation!  And make sure to use an all-natural make up remover to clean your eyes.  Eye routines tend to stick even if you can’t see it after washing with soap, so take the extra step of eliminating the build up of impurities.

Ok we get it, you know some of these things. However, the start to a new school year is a great opportunity to implement a new routine with the family to avoid skincare drama right before picture day! Happy glowing skin from us to you!