Q: I’m breaking out from wearing a mask! Is there anything I can do?

A: What many adults haven’t had to worry about in years, acne appears to be once again rearing its ugly head in epic numbers. Donning a mask may be the new normal, yet acne doesn’t need to be the unfortunate price to pay. Unsightly and often embarrassing, acne is, more importantly, a pressing sign of dysbiosis. The microenvironment created by a face mask provides an opportune breeding ground for bacteria, which are preferentially abundant in moist bodily sites such as the feet and bends of the elbows.

The use of WOSH before and after wearing a mask will not only help your condition but additionally, may prevent it from occurring by rebalancing the natural microbial community on your face. 

1. Start with a gentle cleanser
   A gentle cleanser is one that maintains your skin’s healthy pH levels and doesn’t disrupt your skin’s microbiome. When we use harsh soaps, it can disrupt our skin’s delicate ecosystem and cause breakouts.
2. Avoid irritating Ingredients
   Chemicals in common soaps are a problem for your skin’s microbiome. Scrubbing your skin, using harsh cleansers with soap, waxing and shaving are all things that can disrupt the microbiome. Common soap can disrupt the skin’s pH balance which throws your microbiome out of wack leading to those numerous skin issues we mentioned. With serious side effects like these, we need to be really picky about what we put on our skin. 
3. Moisturize your skin
   After cleansing, slather on a potent moisturizer. This will increase the barrier functions of your skin: keeping bad stuff out, and keeping moisture in!