As we’re officially hitting year two of the pandemic, complaining about maskne feels a little passé. But it’s still true–wearing cloth and medical face masks for hours on end is just not great for our skin. It’s warm and moist under there, which is the ideal breeding ground for bacteria, which leads to acne and breakouts. You get it.
Recently, I found myself preparing for a seven-hour flight. As I diligently checked my in-flight beauty essentials (lip balm, check. Hand cream, check. Sanitizer, check.) I found a little sheet mask tucked away. It’s the 111 Skin Maskne Mask, which is a sheet mask that covers only the lower half of your face. Everything that a medical mask covers, too. Its job is to soothe the skin, combat acne, and reduce irritation, either at the end of the day or underneath your mask.
Despite my job, I’m not a huge proponent of the plane facial. I’m far too self-conscious to trek to the minuscule bathroom to lather on some creams and then sit next to my seatmate and pretend like I don’t look insane. But this time, I was facing a dilemma. I had two emerging, painful, monstrous pimples, one on my cheek, and the other very attractively on my Cupid’s bow. They were already ruining my week, but I knew that after several hours underneath a medical mask, they would reach the stage where they would scare small children. So when I found the Maskne Masks, I threw them into my carry-on.
This was my routine: Mid-flight, I took out my little sheet mask and took it to the bathroom with me. After washing my hands excessively (door handles, ew), I took off my N-95, put the sheet mask on my skin, and then put on my medical mask again. No one could see it, but now my blemishes were protected and healing thanks to a combination of lactic acid, natural extracts, and antioxidants. I left on the mask for the rest of the flight, and when I landed and peeled it off, my skin was not just fine. I looked rejuvenated, my pimples were reduced, and no one on my flight thought I looked psychotic.
I’ve put a few friends and colleagues onto this mask, and we all agree: We can never get on a plane without these. Your skin will thank you.
