Maskcne-No-More

Let’s talk maskcne.

Disclaimer: this is not a debate for whether we should wear masks, or shouldn’t. Whether they’re stupid, life-changing, life-saving, ridiculous, uncomfortable, ineffective, or any other argument you may have. I have my opinion, you have yours, let’s not even spiral down that emotionally-fueled path. I revert to the best definition of the word “opinion” I have heard, which is: opinions are like butts, everyone has one and they all stink. So, let’s just keep our butts to ourselves and learn to pretty them up. Okay, now onward my friends!

For many of us masks have become a mandated inconvenience required to get through every day life. And while it may not be the biggest concern in today’s world or the front headliner, maskcne is still a very real irritant for many of us, on top of all the other feelings being thrown at us right now. The current state of our world, nation, and communities can make it feel like we don’t have much control over our lives. This has created an abnormally high amount of stress associated with benign, every day tasks, that wasn’t there a year ago. I know this lack of certainty and control has taken its toll on my mental and physical health (I am guessing there are a lot of your who this resonates with), so I’ve been exploring ways to feel my best. More specifically I’ve been working on finding and incorporating things that bring me happiness, joy, relaxation, strength, confidence, and committing to things that bolster my mental agility.

Time and time again this has come back to self-care. And, why yes, if you’re like me, I am sure you are tired of hearing about self-care. According to every magazine, blogger, and influencer, self-care is the suggestion and answer to all life’s problems – do a little self-care and wah-la, you’re ready to juggle all of life’s normal problems, plus COVID, plus new regulations and restrictions, minus interaction with friends and family. Yowza.

I’ve balked at the concept of self-care, until I put my own spin on it. Self-care is a broad and generic term that I’ve refined to encompass my favorite “me” things. Each of my “self-care” regimens and activities check my important boxes: happiness, joy, relaxation, strength, confidence, and mental toughness. Included in my (growing) self-care list is: fresh, homemade foods, working out, cooking, walking, connecting with friends and family (through texts, calls, FaceTime, etc.), writing, and… skincare.

Yes, we are circling back to that pesky maskcne! And how skincare can not only be an outlet for some “me” time, but can boost your confidence as you’re navigating this new skincare hurdle and an uncertainly weird world that makes you second guess every decision you make.

Are you like me and noticing more breakouts? Having a hard time wrangling in your skin health and happiness?

Let’s take a look at what our skin is going through right now:

• Summer = hotter and therefore sweatier; more time outside which equates to more sun exposure and potentially dry skin; later nights so probably skipping your normal routine (oh, and maybe enjoying more than one treat – beer and s’mores in particular…)
• COVID = masks, which trap bacteria, and create a humid environment on the bottom half of our faces (ew!).

Yikes, no wonder our skin isn’t its happiest. So how do we combat this perfect storm?

The short answer is: an easy, quality skincare routine. If it ain’t easy, it ain’t happenin’! Not consistently anyway… But what does that entail?

It means following these five easy steps:

1. Cleanse
2. Scrub
3. Rinse
4. Serum
5. Moisturize

Thankfully Mary Kay has put a number arrows in my quiver, so that I can check each of these off quickly, easily, and with a number of effective options. Let’s go into some more detail on each of these –

1. Cleanse: a quality cleanser that you can use morning and night, is your first line of defense. A good cleanser will wash off the initial layer of dirt, dust, sweat, bacteria, and all other gunk trapped by masks. Most of the time I keep mine in the shower, so I’m not adding another step to my morning or bedtime routine. Mary Kay offers a number of cleansers, each with special super-powers to focus on other skincare challenges you may be wanting to mitigate. I find this diagram to be especially helpful in deciding what set to use:

2. Scrub: Ooooo baby this is my favorite part of my routine! I primarily use the Microdermabrasion Refine and Clearproof Charcoal Mask to check this step. The Microdermabrasion Refine is best described as liquid sandpaper that takes cleaning your pores a step farther than your cleanser. It gets deep and clears out those pores, while washing away dead skin (that can help contribute to trapped bacteria and gunk). I am addicted to this deep scrub. An amazing time-saving tip from my Director: add a squirt of this to your cleanser and kill two birds with one stone! Check, and check. My other go-to is our best selling Charcoal Mask. Everyone who tries it loves it. It contains activated charcoal and Kaolin and Bentonite Clays, which work together to pull out impurities and dry out breakouts. Another tip? If you’re looking to double down on self-love and self-care, use the Mary Kay Hydrogel Eye Patches while you are enjoying your Charcoal Mask!

3. Rinse: rinse off your skin – all cleanser residue, and scrub goods! (Cue every skincare commercial with a wave of water splashing you in the face.)

4. Serum: another favorite step, and as always, lots of options! The Microdermabrasion Regine’s spouse is the Pore Minimizer, which helps shrink the size of pores to prevent them from getting clogged. For breakouts specifically, the Clearproof Acne Treatment Gel (with benzoyl peroxide) or the Pore Purifying Gel (with salicylic acid) are great. They help alleviate blemishes, prevent more from occurring, and keep pores unclogged. I personally love to incorporate toners here – the Clearproof Toner (with salicylic acid) is my favorite, but the Botanical Effects Toner (with dragon fruit and aloe extract) is also great! Toners help with blemishes, shrink pores, cleanse pores, and help remove excess oil. Other serums that Mary Kay offers include: Tone-Correcting Serum, TimeWise-Replenishing Serum+C, VoluFirm Advanced Lifting Serum.

5. Moisturize: last, but not least! And one of the most important steps. Keep. That Skin. Hydrated. Hydrated skin is more plump, and therefore reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles (I think we are all collectively nodding our heads and agreeing that fewer wrinkles and fine lines is welcome). Each of the skincare sets (see the graphic with Step 1!), comes with a great moisturizer (the VoluFirm Night Cream with Retinol is my fave! Adios wrinkles). If you’re needing a little extra moisture, the Moisture Renewing Mask is a go-to. It hydrates after the intense serum-step to prevent dry, tight skin. This mask is great because you can apply it as part of your evening routine and sleep with it on!

And… that’s all folks! Easy as 1-2-3-4 and 5. So many options to eliminate, reduce, and prevent that pesky maskcne. With everything else to worry about, keeping your skin happy and healthy shouldn’t be one of them. Even better, these products and routines also act as self-care… a little “you” time to rejuvenate, refresh, relax, and be prepared to handle this crazy world.

Mary Kay makes this 5 step Maskcne Prevention Program easy, and lucky for you, the Beer Babe on the other side of this computer is a Mary Kay consultant. So let me know if you have any questions about about products, routines, or skincare in general! I love talking skincare, because who doesn’t love reducing breakouts, minimizing wrinkles, and taking some time to pamper themselves?

Cheers Beer Squad!

https://www.marykay.com/jilliancasacca