7 Tips to Stop the Spread of Maskne

Put your best face forward with skincare ingredients designed to prevent and treat face mask acne

While we’ve been trying to stop the spread of COVID-19 by wearing protective face coverings, our skin has been in revolt over smothering and entrapping all of the dirt, grime, oil and dead skin cells that accumulate there on the daily. Maskne, or acne caused by facial masks, has become a real concern in the skincare industry.

Consumers and companies are looking for ingredients that will help protect the delicate skin on the face while preventing and treating maskne for people out in public everywhere.

As a global distributor of personal care ingredients, we want to help our customers to put their best face forward with innovative skincare products from our Life Ingredients Portfolio. We are dedicated to providing the latest ingredients and innovative technologies to our clients and consumers in North America. In our latest blog, we present seven tips for preventing and treating maskne, as well as highlight our top suppliers for skincare products developed specifically to target the effects of maskne.

7 Tips to Prevent and Treat Maskne

#1 Use mild surfactants so not to dry out and irritate your face

Washing your face every day removes dead skin cells, dirt and oils that accumulate on your skin and cause breakouts. Use a mild surfactant or cleanser to gently remove dirt and oil from your face to unclog pores and allow them to breathe. Our suppliers Jarchem and Trichromatic West both offer a variety of gentle surfactants. See their offerings in the next section of our article.

#2 Use mild cleansing wipe when washing is not possible

If you are on the go or do not have time to do a full cleansing routine, grab a mild cleansing wipe to quickly remove any oils or dirt on your skin. Give your face a moment to breathe while you refresh it, then put your mask back on and continue with your day! Your face will thank you for the pick-me-up.

#3 Use oil-free, non-comedogenic lotions or hydrating gels to moisturize

Moisturizers help keep the skin hydrated and smooth. However, wearing a mask with an oil-heavy moisturizer on your skin is a recipe for maskne gone wild. Look for moisturizers that are oil-free, non-comedogenic lotions or hydrating gels, such as Jarchem’s Emulsion Line (Jarcol Emollients), Phytocare HA from Applechem or Aloe Vera Gels from Protameen. See more offerings from these suppliers in our article.

#4 Skip makeup and allow your skin to breathe and heal

The best way to prevent maskne is to skip wearing makeup, heavy concealers or foundations. This allows your skin to breathe and heal. You also avoid makeup rubbing onto your mask, which allows bacterial growth and dirt buildup in the fabric. Skip all of that! Why wear makeup when you have your face covered up anyway?

#5 If necessary, use oil-free makeup that is non-comedogenic

While makeup does cover up unwanted blemishes, protects skin from the elements and helps us look our best, it contributes to maskne in a big way. When you shut your nose, mouth and chin snugly in your mask, you are not giving your skin the chance to breathe. Instead, the makeup rubs against your mask and clogs your pores. Avoid heavy concealers and foundations; keep your makeup minimal and use products that say “oil- free” or non-comedogenic” on the label.

#6 Wash your mask with mild surfactants

Masks have become a fashion statement this year – functional, sustainable and the variety of colors and patterns is endless. Much like any piece of clothing you have, reusable masks must be washed, especially since they touch your mouth and nose. In order to clean your reusable mask and keep the integrity of the fabric, look for products with mild emulsifiers and surfactants. Our suppliers Trichromatic West, Jarchem, Applechem and Protameen all provide a myriad of products to effectively clean and preserve reusable masks.

#7 Change your disposable mask after use

Many people wear the 3-ply surgical face masks out in public. They are designed for single use, meaning it is best to discard them after each use and replace them with a new one. It is not a good idea to wear the same one for more than a day. All of the dirt, oil, dead skin cells and transfer from the day’s breathing is trapped inside of your mask rubbing against your skin. Consider packing an extra mask for the day and change it out as the day progresses.

Premium Skincare Ingredients from RCNA

As consumers look for solutions to stopping the spread of maskne, we at Ravago Chemicals North America are here to provide innovative, sustainable ingredients for skincare development. We work with leading global suppliers to bring the best technologies to the market. Our offerings include surfactants, emulsifiers and oil-free moisturizers – all of which contribute to clearer, cleaner skin.

The following are products that can be used to formulate products to address maskne.

GENTLE SURFACTANTS

JARPLEX MUR – GENTLE OIL FREE MAKEUP REMOVER
AMINOSYL – MILD SULFATE FREE SURFACTANTS
- AMINOSYL L30 – SODIUM LAUROYL SARCOSINATE
- AMINOSYL SLG – SODIUM LAUROYL GLUTAMATE
- AMINOSYL SLMT – SODIUM METHYL LAUROYL TAURATE
- AMINOSYL SMCT – SODIUM METHYL COCOYL TAURATE

SUCRANOV – MILD ALKYL POLYGLUCOSIDES
- SUCRANOV 818UP – COCO-GLUCOSIDE

SUCRANOV 2000UP – DECYL GLUCOSIDE
SUCRANOV 1200UP – LAURYL GLUCOSIDE
SUCRANOV SF – SULFATE FREE BLEND
JARPLEX SB-AA – SODIUM SHEARBUTTERAMPHOACETATE

TRICHROMATIC WEST

TRITEXAINE SB – COCAMIDOPROPYL HYDROXYSULTAINE

MILD EMULSIFIERS

APPLECHEM

SENSOGEL – POLYMERIC EMULSIFIERS AND THEOLOGY MODIFIERS
- SENSOGEL 200
  - HEA/SODIUM ACRYOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/STEARETH-20 METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER (AND) C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN (AND) POLYSORBATE 80 (AND) DECYL GLUCOSIDE (AND) GLYCERIN

SENSOGEL NOVUS
- HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER (AND) WATER (AND) C15-C23 ALKANE (AND) DECYL GLUCOSIDE (AND) C13-C14 ALKANE (AND) GLYCERIN

PROTAMEEN

PROTAPHOS – PHOSPHATE ESTERS (PHOSPHOLIPID EMULSIFIERS)
- - PROTAPHOS CES – CETEARYL ALCOHOL (AND) DICETYL PHOSPHATE (AND) CETETH-10 PHOSPHATE
  - PROTAPHOS DCP – DICETYL PHOSPHATE

OIL-FREE MOISTURIZERS (NON-COMEDOGENIC ALTERNATIVES TO OILS)

JARCHEM

JARPLEX IPS – ISOPROPYL SHEA BUTTERATE
JARCANE 12 – DODECANE
JARETHER D8 – DICAPRYLYL ETHER
ACTIQUE HYAL MAX – SODIUM HYALURONATE
ACTIQUE NAG – ACETYL GLUCOSAMINE
ACTIQUE PGA – SODIUM POLYGLUTAMATE
AMINOSYL NL50 – SODIUM PCA