It’s bad enough that we have to deal with Singapore’s hot and humid climate on a daily basis. But wearing face masks for an extended period of time, and you’ll have to face the brunt of mask acne, or as most of us like to call it, maskne.
A new term, coined for acne caused by wearing a mask, is steadily gaining popularity during the pandemic and most of us are frantically looking for solutions to get rid of these unsightly breakouts.
For the uninitiated, maskne is usually caused by heat, pressure, friction, irritation, and occlusion. Friction and irritation can cause micro-tears on your skin, pushing bacteria into the skin, leading to inflammation.
They form tiny bumps that look like whiteheads around the jawline, cheeks and chin area that don’t look like they’re ready to be popped anytime soon. These tiny breakouts can also get further irritated, turning into something that’s more heinous resulting in inflamed blemishes, or worse, cystic acne.
As someone who’s able to work from home, I count myself lucky that I never have to wear a face mask for an extended period of time unless I’m spending the day out. Still, I do experience maskne every now and then — and it’s been causing devastating effects on my skin.
Sure, putting on some makeup can cover my flaws but it might be doing more harm than good to my skin in the long run. More often than not, I also find myself treating my skin with my closetful of skincare products I have stocked at home.
Now for someone who hasn’t been doing facials that often, I had high hopes of clearing my maskne-related problems by trying out Spa Esprit’s latest Mask Avenger Facial, and if you’re wondering how it went, read on.
Dubbed Mask Avenger Facial, the 90-minute-long experience taps onto the benefits of Smartline, a technology-advanced skincare device which offers a variety of benefits in one machine.
This non-invasive device is said to incorporate ultrasound and electroporation technologies to stimulate the facial muscles and lymphatic detoxification with the help of microcurrents. With this treatment, it works to deep cleanse your skin to reduce and control bacteria growth while reducing inflammation and soothe irritated sensitive skin.
And even if you’re struggling with clogged pores, the Mask Avenger Facial has also been said to remove dead skin cells, sebum waste and impurities, as well as blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples with a gentle extraction — unveiling a smoother and brighter complexion.
Before I got started on my facial, I was given a form to fill in in regards to my own skin concerns, skincare routine and the type of skin I have so that they can tailor the facial accordingly. I have dry/combination skin with my main concern being the lack of skin luminosity and clogged pores.
So after a quick and simple relaxation exercise for my face — to soothe and calm my senses — my therapist did a double cleanse on my skin to remove any makeup, sunscreen and other impurities. She then applied a toner to balance my skin’s pH level and prep my skin to better absorb the active ingredients and nutrients that follow. It all seems straightforward enough but soon comes a more personalised touch.
Applying a peel solution on my face, my therapist placed a thin vapour of warm steam for the next five to ten minutes. What this does is that it essentially softens the skin to ease the exfoliation process after.
After doing so, she used the Smartline device, along with the Skin Scrubber applicator to remove any dead skin cells, sebum and impurities that can clog the pores while effectively cleaning the skin. She also applied a bit of water on my skin to allow the applicator to glide across my face with ease. However, the only thing about this process is that you might hear a sharp sound, especially when the applicator gets closer to the ear. It sounds painful but is in fact rather bearable.
My therapist then got to the manual extraction that removes any stubborn blackheads and whiteheads. It’s something that many of us dread but it’s a sure way of getting rid of all that gunk that’s been clogging your pores. I was rather intimidated at first, but my therapist was so swift and careful, I barely could feel any pain. In fact, I actually fell asleep in the midst of it.
As I awoke from my slumber, my therapist explained to me about the next step — Electroporation. Prior to this, she applied the Doctor Babor Microsilver Concentrate — an ampoule enriched with Active Microsilver, Neuroxyl and Panthenol — followed by a layer of gauze and another layer of serum to open my pores before usinig the Electroporation applicator.
Essentially, this works to allow the serum solutions to permeate deep into the skin’s dermal layer to boost the facial’s deep cleansing benefits and improve blood circulation for a more radiant complexion. I would say that this was a little uncomfortable at first as I experienced a stinging sensation on certain areas of my face. Nevertheless, I got a lot more accustomed to it after a while and it was completely bearable.
My therapist then gave me a relaxing acupressure point massage on my face, arms and décolletage which has been said to alleviate the toxins while regulating the skin’s lipid and moisture content. Next up, she applied a treatment mask as the last step for twenty minutes while she gave me another massage on my shoulder and scalp. It was so soothing and relaxing, my body felt so at ease. And as the finishing touch, she rinsed off the mask and applied some moisturiser and sunscreen.
After the treatment (in reference to the photo above; before and after), my skin was noticeably brighter and more radiant than it was before. I was also afraid that my skin would have some inflammation from the extraction process but surprisingly, it left little to no traces of it. I was really impressed with it and I walked out of the room looking, well, my personal best.
As I’m writing this two weeks after the facial, it’s safe to say that my skin is a lot more clearer and brighter than before. My blackheads, whiteheads, and the other tiny bumps were gone and my skin feels a lot softer and smoother.
Of course, besides the facial, I also maintained the regularity of my skincare routine, applying sunscreen and changing my mask every few hours to combat maskne — remember, consistency is key.
The Spa Esprit Mask Avenger Facial, $190 (trial price; $390 usual price) is available at all Spa Esprit outlets.
Text: Shazrina Shamsudin/Her World
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