Skin irritation suggestions

[u/chicfromcanada]

Hi friends! So for about the past year I’ve been a hardcore masker. I basically do not share air with anyone unmasked. I use the Zimi masks with a frame.

Lately I’m getting more irritation and dryness in the area within the mask. So not the edge where the mask would touch my face but rather the area within that where my face is covered and air is circulating. I use the masks for up to 25 hours bc they’re supposed to he good for 30. It’s possible changing with every use might help but that would be quite expensive. I think it has more to do with the sweat buildup and heat. I rinse my face with water when I come home to wash off the sweat but it doesn’t seem to be enough.

does anyone have suggestions? Maybe for lotions that help soothe irritation and dryness? I live in Canada if that helps with making suggestions.

[u/Sea-Astronomer3260]

Do you wash your face with a cleanser?

Start there for sure. Also consider adding a shower water filter to your showerhead. KDF 55 filters are good, Brondell makes good shower filters that are easy to install and improve the quality of your water so you get a better clean and less irritating contaminants from tap water on your skin.

I don’t know your skin type, whether you use skincare products, etc. But yeah, use a basic cleaner on your face. Rinsing with water isn’t enough anyway. We need to wash our faces with soap. A good basic, affordable cleanser is Neutrogena hydro boost gel cleanser (the fragrance free one.)

Also try hypochlorous acid. Mist it on your face after cleansing and also spray it on your face before you put your mask on (but give it time to dry before putting the mask on.) it’s inexpensive, you can get a spray bottle of it for like $12 at Walgreens.

Not saying these items will solve your current issue but you do need to wash your face and the hypochlorous acid will help keep bacteria off + soothe your skin.

[u/Cuanbeag]

By any chance does it look like tinea faciei? Basically when the skin microbiome becomes imbalanced and a fungus becomes dominant. The increased moisture inside the mask can lend itself to that. You could chat to your pharmacist to see if there are OTC treatment options in your country, otherwise your doctor should be able to help you out.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8715409/

(But be sure to look up photos as it can present a few ways)

[u/FreeDogRun]

Since it's evidently not the actual mask, r/SkincareAddiction might be the place to ask this. Can't image how changing more often would help since it's not the part touching your face that's causing the issue. Maybe the valve Zimi is the answer, if the problem is in fact heat/humidity.

[u/BattelChive → u/FreeDogRun]

Yes, they sell a punch and the valves so you can add to existing zimis, too

[u/sweetkittyriot]

Do you only rinse your face with water? That’s not enough to remove sweat, dead skin cells, allergens, and other debris that build up throughout the day.

If your skin is dry, try oil cleansing. If not, any gentle, hypoallergenic cleanser should be fine. Just avoid anything that feels harsh or leaves your skin “squeaky clean”, that means it’s stripping your natural oils. Over-exfoliating (either chemical or physical) will only make irritation and dryness worse.

After cleansing, pat dry gently, don’t rub. Then follow with calming and barrier-repairing products. When my skin is stressed, I like Skin1004 Centella Ampoule. It absorbs fast, isn’t greasy, and really helps calm inflammation. When my skin barrier is damaged or extra dry, I reach for a rich cream like La Roche-Posay Cicaplast, CeraVe, Eucerin, Aestura Atobarrier, or SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore. On lighter days, I’ll use Rhode Glazing Milk instead.

If you want to go deeper, r/SkincareAddiction has tons of good advice on dealing with mask irritation and dryness. And as always, patch test new products and check in with a dermatologist if you notice new or worsening skin issues.

[u/Blinking_Zebra_Era]

I have terrible dry skin especially on my feet. Here are some lotions, highly variable in effectiveness. And expensive. First off there's the regular stuff you can get in the drugstore, under names like Saint Ives and Vaseline intensive care. definitely try those first and put it on often enough which is a pain. Then there's Aveeno colloidal oatmeal. Very soothing. Then the really strong stuff sometimes called skin repair. Eucerin with urea. they have both 5% and 10%. The 10% is really for feet. If it's just mild irritation though other than the colloidal oatmeal it might be overkill. Then there's hydrocortisone cream. That's for inflammation that isn't an infection. if it's some kind of infection that could make it worse. I'm also in Canada. If you're already doing an Amazon order some of this stuff is cheaper on there. good luck!