
Hello Uso Skin Glower!
We hope you are keeping well, safe and wearing your mandatory face masks when out!
However, our skin is not used to this new way of life, particularly in this summer heat and it can be adversely affected…and we don’t want anything that will disturb our Skin Glow!… So read on on how to avoid this!
Our skin is generally delicate and Face Masks introduce many additional irritants to the skin. It is important to understand these factors and how you can prevent long term-damage to your skin.
The environment under the mask:
Our warm breath causes higher temperatures, increased trapped moisture and is a breeding ground for bacteria. This may lead to clogged pores, skin breakouts, rashes, acne flare ups and uneven skin tone. It is therefore important that whatever skincare products you use during the day are light and allow your skin to breath. A good start is ensuring that your Day Creams are hydrating but light to allow your skin to breath and not add excessive moisture and grime to the environment under your mask. For the same reason, we recommend that you avoid heavy make-up and increase your make-up free days.
Physical Friction between your skin and face mask:
Do avoid excessive physical friction between your mask and skin by ensuring that your mask is snug, but not uncomfortable. With extended use, an uncomfortable mask may cause chaffing and result in inflammation that can result in hyper-pigmentation particularly along the bridge of your nose, cheek areas and behind the ear where the face mask elastic goes.
How often do you need to change and wash your mask?
The answer here is the more you do both, the better for your skin! Invest in a couple of masks to have on rotation, as you shouldn’t be wearing the same mask two days in a row. Oil, sweat and makeup may cling to your mask, harbour bacteria and cause breakouts. So, never wear your fabric mask for more than one day- regardless of how pretty it is!
It is also recommend that you wash any new fabric masks before use with a mild laundry detergent and hot water, followed by ironing to eliminate any germs and to remove traces of fabric substances that can be irritating to the skin. Thereafter, you need to wash your masks after each wear. If you are using Surgical masks, make sure to follow the user instructions on how often to change them and how to safely dispose of them.
Some Skincare tips:
- Wash your face with a gentle non-stripping cleanser. We recommend that you do so immediately after getting home to get rid of any debris on the top layer of the skin and to not let any bacteria grow
- Add an Essence or a Calming Toner to your skincare regimen. Look out for skin calming and anti-inflammatory ingredients such as Niacinamide, Chamomile, Kombucha and anti-oxidants. Avoid products with any alcohol as these can further irritate the skin.
- Do not skip sunscreen. You might be spending a lot of your time indoors and covering your face with a mask when out, howerver, this is not enough to block the harmful rays that can cause premature ageing and uneven skin tone. Use a lightweight moisturiser during the day with sunscreen. We recommend a Sunscreen of at least SPF 20. Let each product be completely absorbed before putting on your face mask and heading out. This will prevent excessive surface moisture and therefore pore clogging.
- If you are prone to acne breakouts, use a treatment that contains salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to help treat the spots.
- Treat sensitive, dry patches with an intensive hydrating serum, particularly at night when your skin is most receptive to treatments.
- If you are suffering from contact dermatitis or a severe bout of acne that doesn’t clear up with home treatment, consult a dermatologist for a more thorough diagnosis and recommendation of specialised treatment.
Here are the Uso Products I recommend to help your skin manage better while wearing face masks: all these products can be found at www.uso.africa/shop/
- 01 Hydro-Active Cleanser – An anti-aging, hydrating and brightening Cleanser (R295, 100ml)
- 02 Cellular Active Essence – A combination liquid serum and toner that will immediately leave your skin hydrated, glowing and primed for subsequent treatments (R380, 125ml)
- 04 Active Anti-Ageing Serum Moisturiser For intense skin rejuvenation and hydration. This Serum contains multiple potent active ingredients including a specifically-designed hydration technology that fortifies barrier function, optimises water reserves and reserved visible signs of ageing (R480, 40ml)
- 05 Active Day Cream with SPF 30. Our award-winning Sunscreen, which is light, with no grey residue that also hydrates, nourishes and protects the skin from environmental damage(40ml, R395)
Take advantage of the Black Friday offers at www.uso.africa and get your skin glowing and glowing! The above four products are also available as the Hydrate and Glow bundle where you will get a Free 100ml Mist!
Stay safe, keep glowing, wear your face masks and keep them clean!
To be the first to receive tips and offers, please sign up to be part of our e-mail community by following this link…
Dr Theo
Founder of Uso Skincare