How to Fight Maskne
I’m a self-professed skincare junkie. As a teenager, I had horrible acne. I underwent two rounds of Acutane, which helped a lot, but my skin always tended toward acne. I felt very much at war with my skin, always popping and picking. As I hit my twenties, I changed tactics: what if I decided to treat my skin like it was doing its best? Because it is; every pimple is a reaction to something. This mindset shift changed my skin for the better, and over the last few years I’ve turned into the woman with the glowing skin.
(I’m not kidding. I was at an event where a colleague brought over a complete stranger, pointed at my skin and said, “See? This is the girl that has perfect skin!” It was simultaneously weird and flattering; there may have been alcohol involved.)
I do not actually have perfect skin. (No one does.) To this day, my skin remains incredibly dramatic. My joke is that it’s always looking for a reason to be mad at me, and Covid masks have given it a reason to be furious. As I started going out more over the last month or two, the bottom half of my face erupted in acne.
I had spent the last few years coasting along with a pretty consistent skincare routine, but now I’ve had to re-work it to deal with the constellation of new pimples. Exciting.
A Few Basics
Before I get to the products, a few procedural things:
Think about what’s touching your face. Phones, pillowcases, masks, fingers. Maybe you rest your chin on your hand when you think. Maybe you’re an absent-minded picker. Maybe you spend a hour on the phone with your mom. Maybe you don’t remember the last time you washed your pillowcase. Rethink it all. (I, for one, have not held my phone up to my face in more than 5 years.)
Wash your mask more often. Way back in the day, I realized that using a new pillowcase every few days helped with the acne on my cheeks. The same philosophy applies to masks - putting something back on your face that’s got skin cells, oils, and product on it is only going to cause problems. Think of your mask like underwear and don’t put it back on after you’ve taken it off.
The routine matters. If you’ve been used to having glowing skin with minimal effort, congrats! But if you’re adding in new products, you’ll need to get them on your face in the order that maximizes their effectiveness. For the “correct” order of a skin care routine, check out this page about the Korean 10-step routine. The goal isn’t necessarily to use all 10 steps (I usually use 4-6), but it’s helpful to see the sequence in which skin care products should be applied. You also need to give it time. Like working out or eating vegetables, consistency matters. It’ll take a few weeks to notice real change, and then you have to keep going. It’s annoying, I know.
Cleanse
I’m cleansing more than I used to. I always (always!) wash at night, but I typically just use water to rinse of my products in the morning. Now I’ve drifted back toward double cleansing at night, and I’m using a gentle gel cleanser in the morning.
An Oil Cleanser
Banila Co - Clean it Zero Original* ($19) is a cult-favorite oil-based cleanser. I use it any time I wear makeup. It really dissolves anything. For those with oiler skin or who never intend to double cleanse, I like the Neutrogena - Fresh Foaming Facial Cleanser* ($8), which removes makeup really well and has a neutral smell. I usually keep a bottle of it around; the price is so good!
A Foaming Cleanser
Korres - Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser ($26) is gentle on the skin and non-drying. I’m personally of the opinion that your foaming cleanser can be anything decent and gentle. Nevertheless, this is the one currently on rotation for me. When I’m out, I plan to replace it with the Good (Skin) Days - A New Leaf Cream Cleanser ($16). I’ve also really liked the Dr. Jart - Dermaclear Microfoam* ($24) cleanser, which is very gentle.
Exfoliate
This is essential. Chemical exfoliation (with acids, rather than grit) is key to removing dead skin cells. You can read all about the details from someone more qualified than I am (this GQ article is great), so I’ll keep it brief here. This step, for me, is the key to happy skin. It helps my scars fade more quickly, my acne heal better, and generally keeps me glowy.
If you haven’t been exfoliating, these products might cause your skin to purge. That’s what happens when an active ingredient increases cell turnover, and every pimple that was going to show up in the next 6 weeks arrives at once. Some people mistake this for an adverse reaction, but it’s not. You’ll see the purge happening in the areas you usually notice acne forming. If it’s a face-wide reaction, that might be a problem. Read more on purging here. It’s a very annoying process, but clearer skin lies on the other side of it.
A Daily Exfoliator
Paula’s Choice - 2% BHA Liquid Salicylic Acid Exfoliant* ($30) is another cult favorite. I don’t tend to believe in miracle products, but this stuff is the real deal, and I would give up any product in my routine before this one. I’ve used it nearly daily for more than 3 years, and if you get one thing on this page, this should be it. Salicylic acid (a potent acne-fighter) and Green Tea (a soothing ingredient) are a winning combination. It’s both gentle and powerful.
A Weekly Exfoliating Mask
Ren - Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask* ($58) is a little splurgy, but worth it to me. It’s a powerful mask that uses fruit-derived acids to exfoliate. I use it once a week for 10-15 minutes. I don’t use the Paula’s Choice on days I use this mask. One exfoliator at a time, folks.
Mask Up
This maskne situation has me running right back into the arms of my first skincare love: clay masks. I’ve been using them as spot treatments and as full masks, and they are both soothing and treating. Clay is known to draw out impurities in skin, so a face full of the stuff has been exactly what I needed. Here are a few favorites:
The Brightening Mask
Biorace - Pore-Tightening Pearl Clay Mask ($25) has been this month’s favorite. It arrived in my July Birchbox like a beacon of hope for a maskne-free future, and I really like it. It has some exfoliating beads in it, but I’m not sure they do much. I used it twice a week for several weeks, and I felt like it really helped with skin texture and evenness. It didn’t dry me out at all.
The Purifying Mask
Versed - Find Clarity Purifying Mask ($10) is a mask I’ve been hearing buzz about, so I picked it up on my last Target run (Target link). For the price point, I think it’s great. My skin is combination, and I don’t find it to be drying. It’s a very silky-feeling clay, and doesn’t feel tight as it dries. I’ve used clay masks at various price points, and in a blind test I wouldn’t be able to tell that this was a budget pick.
Spot Treat
No acne-prone skin care regimen is complete without a spot treatment. Unfortunately, the whole bottom half of my face is now my “spot”. Fortunately, I found my perfect blemish serum several years ago. Apply after cleansing and before moisturizing.
The Best Spot Treatment
Evologie - Intensive Blemish Serum* ($28) I’ve stopped looking for another spot treatment, which as a product-lover is the highest compliment I can give.
This serum is potent, but it never dries me out. It helps get rid of the pimple, but it also helps fade the dark spots and scars that are left behind (a good chemical exfoliator will help with that, too). I’m basically using it on my whole face right now.
Moisturize
I feel like I don’t need to say too much here. Drink water and moisturize your skin. It’s the bare minimum, people. Keeping skin moisturized helps it heal faster, which is key to vanquishing maskne.
For Normal to Oily Skin
COSRX - Oil Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion* ($24) is a permanent fixture on my shelf. It smells amazing, is 70% birch sap, and a bottle lasts forever. My husband loves it, and so do I. He uses it as his only moisturizer. I have switched to something a little more intense for nights, but I use this every morning.
For Dry to Normal Skin
COSRX - Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream* ($35) is a godsend. Finding intense moisture for acne-prone skin is tough, but this stuff is amazing. It’s great for nighttime use, and if you’re someone who gets dry and flaky as the weather cools down… well, winter is coming, my friends. You should have this on your shelf. Belif - Aqua Bomb* ($38) is another great option and was the “moisture bomb” that launched a thousand knock-offs.
For Dry Skin
Neutrogena - Hydro Boost Water Gel ($17) is my current nighttime moisturizer. Another dry skin option, this one at Target. It’s less expensive than the COSRX cream, but the cost per ounce is similar and so is the performance.
Pimple Patch
When all else fails (and sometimes it does) or an important event awaits, a pimple patch can save the day. These nifty little things literally absorb the nastiness of pimples. I’ve found they work best on whiteheads (a handy guide to types of acne can be found here), and though I adhere to a general philosophy of non-picking, I do think they work best on a freshly popped pimple (sorry to my derm). You can go to bed with a raging pimple and wake up with a flat little spot. They’re magic.
The Pimple Patch
COSRX - Acne Pimple Master Patch* ($12 for 96 patches) are the best matchup of price to quality. They’re cheap enough that I’ll slap them on any whitehead but effective enough that I’m constantly impressed. If you want to upgrade, the Mighty Patch pimple patches* ($12 for 36 patches) allegedly absorb 50% more gunk. I’ve tried both; the mighty patches are more invisible on the skin, but I’ve never felt like I needed more absorption than the COSRX patches offer.
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