HUMAN resource manager Christian Wong never suffered any severe acne breakout in her life until the Covid-19 pandemic struck last year and wearing a mask in public became mandatory.

The 29-year-old who works in Subang Jaya said she developed acne on her chin, and the problem still persists till today.

Wong is not alone, as acne treatments have been the top-performing skincare product during the Covid-19 pandemic due to increasing cases caused by wearing masks, local beauty companies said.

Complaints about what is now called “maskne” or mask acne caused by mask-wearing, have been persistent, Alluskin Sdn Bhd CEO Dr Nurul A’in Sa’ari said.

“Our sales for our serum to target mask acne in the first and second quarter this year, increased by 200% compared with the fourth quarter last year,” the company founder told The Malaysian Insight.

The 29-year-old former medical officer-turned-entrepreneur said that more than 80% of her customers have reported maskne issues.

Most customers are youths aged between 25 and 34, mainly from the Klang Valley, Johor and Sabah.

Wearing a mask in public has been mandatory in Malaysia since August 1 last year. Before that, it was only encouraged during the early months of the pandemic.

Due to demand, Nurul said Alluskin has to order stocks for acne treatment products one to two months beforehand.

She said her company isn’t the only local beauty player that is seeing skyrocket demand for acne care products. Beauty brands are also launching related products to help with after-treatment care.

“Most companies have curated more acne solution products together with skin brightening products for post-maskne treatment.

“This is because consumers are also struggling with post-inflammatory erythema and hyperpigmentation,” Nurul said.

Sharon Ng, founder and CEO of La’derm, said her company’s best-selling products this season are the acne skin serum and the anti-sensitive skin serum.

La’derm is another local brand which started in 2002 that supplies skincare products to over 200 beauty salons in Malaysia. It also exports to Singapore and Brunei.

“We have seen about a 30% increase in sales since March last year,” Ng told The Malaysian Insight.

When beauty salons were allowed to operate earlier this year before the full lockdown, she said clients requested for more for acne treatments.

“Although we are a B2B (business-to-business) company, currently, we are helping our buyers to send the acne solution products directly to consumers’ doorsteps.

“This also helps to ensure the survival of the beauty salons,” Ng said.

Of La’derm’s latest project, the company is crowdfunding for a clinical trial to test some new acne solution products.

With masking here to stay, so is maskne

Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara consultant dermatologist and physician Dr Tan Leng Leng said that her clinic has been seeing a surge of maskne patients.

“Maskne is more resistant to treatment as opposed to pimples,” she said.

“It usually takes six to eight weeks for maskne to resolve. And unfortunately, as long as we are still wearing masks, maskne will last, although there are treatments for it,” she said.

Tan advised people to wash their face twice a day with the right cleanser to gently unclog pores. She also recommended hydrating the face with a water-based moisturiser.  

“My preferred treatment for pimples include creams as topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide and topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics and vitamin A derivatives,” she said.

Sunway Medical Centre dermatologist Dr Bong Jan Ling said the prolonged wearing of masks has been difficult for patients with skin conditions such as eczema.

“The humidity under the mask promotes growth of skin infection risks like fungal and bacterial infections.

“And some have eczema on the lips because they keep licking their lips,” she added.

Bong’s suggestion is to change masks frequently and to take the mask off but only when it is possible to do so.

Diligent skincare routine

Lam Shu Yen, 25, an accounting student in Subang Jaya, said she started to worry when she noticed acne breakouts around her chin and near her mouth.

As a maskne patient, she still believes in applying face cream or moisturiser even when wearing a mask.

“Some people assume the masks will protect them from the polluted air and tend to skip their skincare routine,” Lam said.

She still spends the same amount on skincare products but with an extra RM150 monthly for medication and consultation with her skincare doctor.

Wong, the senior human resource manager in Subang Jaya, said working from home has helped reduce her maskne a bit, besides giving her more time to be diligent with her skincare routine.

“I used to be pretty slack and only washed my face sometimes, but now I am exfoliating twice a week and applying a daily facial beauty mask, which helps me to de-stress too,” she said. – July 29, 2021.