5 Skincare Products You Need After Wearing A Face Mask

These days, we’re all encouraged to wear face masks every time we step outside. But did you know that frequent use of cloth face masks can actually cause your skin to get irritated or dry? The friction and humidity from wearing these masks also eventually lead to redness, sensitivity, and clogged pores. So a skincare routine to prevent these is a must. Products rich in ceramides, squalene, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid are your best bet at a time like this, said Dr. Erum Ilyas in an interview with Fox News. With that in mind, here are the skincare items you need to use after wearing a face mask.

Gentle cleanser

(Left) Innisfree Green Tea Cleansing Foam, PHP430/~USD8.46. (Middle) AHC Peony Bright Deep Cleansing Foam SGD30/~USD21.03. (Right) Kew Organics Sensitive Skin Rescue Cleanser, SGD160.75/~USD112.71 (keworganics.com).

After every sojourn into the great outdoors, you need to take a bath immediately. Then, proceed with your skincare routine. Start off with a gentle cleanser to wash your face. Gentle cleansers will remove impurities without stripping it of moisture. Since they're mild, they won't aggravate any skin irritation that you’re experiencing. For this, try the Innisfree Green Tea Cleansing Foam, the AHC Peony Bright Deep Cleansing Foam, and the Kew Organics Sensitive Skin Rescue Cleanser.

Mild healers

(Left) Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine, & Lily Healing Emulsion, SGD203/~USD142.33. (Middle) RE:ERTH Blemish Control, SGD80/~USD56.09 (reerth.com). (Right) Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Serum SGD66/~USD46.28 (sephora.sg)

The humidity underneath your face mask can also cause some acne breakouts. To counter that, use a gentle healing product to treat blemishes. Go for milder formulations to minimise chances of irritation. Once you’ve determined that the breakouts are caused by environmental changes (like more frequent mask usage) rather than acne-prone skin, you can apply some skin remedies like the Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine, & Lily Healing Emulsion; RE:ERTH Blemish Control; and the Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Serum.

Cream moisturisers

(Left) WASO Giga-Hydrating Rich Cream, SGD58/~USD40.67. (Middle) Whal Myung Minimal Eucalming Cream, SGD40/~USD28.05. (Right) Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer, SGD96/~USD67.31 (sephora.sg)

"If you're wearing a mask, you want to make sure your skin barrier is in the best shape possible, which means it's both balanced and hydrated," Dr.  Joshua Zeichner told Refinery29. So the next skincare item to use after wearing a face mask is a moisturising cream. This helps a damaged skin barrier caused by dry skin to stay hydrated and moisturised. Some moisturisers you can use are the WASO Giga-Hydrating Rich Cream, Whal Myung Minimal Eucalming Cream, and the Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer.

Nourishing lip products

(Left) Philosophy Lips of Hope Tinted Lip Balm, SGD28/~USD19.63 (sephora.sg). (Middle) Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm, SGD26/~USD18.23 (sephora.sg). (Right) Burt’s Bees Hydrating Lip Oil, SGD13/~USD9.11 (sephora.sg)

Don’t forget those lips! Wearing a face mask may deter you from drinking water while you’re out running errands. Not to mention the added friction caused by the mask can make your lips drier than usual. So for those chapped lips, apply some lip products to moisturise and soften them up. A few choice lip skincare products to apply after wearing a face mask are the Philosophy Lips of Hope Tinted Lip Balm, the Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm, and the Burt’s Bees Hydrating Lip Oil.

Soothing facial sprays

(Left) Bioré UV Athlizm Skin Protect Spray, SGD21.90/~USD15.36. (Middle) Bio-Science Bio Water PHP599/~USD11.79 (watsons.com.ph). (Right) Saturday Skin Daily Dew Hydrating Essence Mist, SGD48/~USD33.66 (sephora.sg)

Wearing a face mask can make you feel icky and sticky (we can definitely relate) so a nice refreshing mist will do the trick. A quick spritz throughout the day will keep your skin moisturised and revitalised. Check out the Bioré UV Athlizm Skin Protect Spray, Bio-Science Bio Water, and Saturday Skin Daily Dew Hydrating Essence Mist for your dose of rejuvenation.

Now, here are some sheet masks to help you unwind at night.