Skin Care Tips

Soothing Skin Suggestions for Essential Workers & Mask Wearers

By Lori Crete, Licensed Esthetician

Unusual times call for unique beauty methods. Whether you have had a dedicated skincare regimen in the past, or you are noticing the effects of wearing a mask, updating the way you take care of your skin is essential during this unique time. The following regimen and ingredients are recommended to soothe and hydrate your face, as the most important thing you can do for your skin right now is keep it clean and well moisturized

Morning Routine

CLEANSE: Avoid harsh gel cleansers and, instead, use a creamy facial wash. These cleansers are better for dry, irritated skin.

Calming ingredients like comfrey root extract, mango extract, Vitamin E, and aloe nourish the skin without clogging your pores. 

TONE: Mist your skin with a toner that has an antioxidant base. Antioxidants will protect your skin from free-radical damage.

Common antioxidants are Vitamin A, Vitamin B3, and Vitamin E, which will help strengthen the skin barrier and heal the skin. 

MOISTURIZE: Apply a light moisturizer to protect and calm the skin. Licorice root and raspberry seed oil (Rubus idaeus) are ingredients that help reduce inflammation—and even heal old breakout spots that are still inflamed but no longer active.  

PROTECT: Chemical-free sunscreens are recommended for sensitive skin. Products with physical sun blockers like zinc oxide or titanium oxide as the main ingredients will protect your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays. There is also no wait needed as it protects you as soon as it is applied!

Whether you have had a dedicated skincare regimen in the past, or you are noticing the effects of wearing a mask, updating the way you take care of your skin is essential during this unique time.

- Lori Crete

Afternoon Routine

CLEANSE: Wash with a mild gel-based fruit enzyme cleanser to remove skin-disrupting debris that can accumulate under the mask.

Look for papaya or kiwi enzymes. Gently massage into skin for 30-60 seconds, then rinse. Give your skin some time and love—you deserve it!  

REPAIR: Your skin repairs while you sleep, so look for products that will boost the process.

Serums with chamomile, brown and red algae, and acai berry are healing.  

HEAL: Breakouts are bound to happen with the stress of these unusual times combined with heat, friction, and debris accumulation.

Spot treatment with willow bark (salicylic acid) will help penetrate clogged pores, reduce breakouts, and help prevent future breakouts. Other helpful ingredients are licorice root extract, calendula, tea tree, and tamanu oil, which promote clear skin.  

MOISTURIZE: Night-time moisturizers should be a bit heavier (unless your skin tends to be oily) as they can absorb all night and work while you are sleeping.

Look for products with ingredients like emu oil, sunflower seed oil (helianthus annuus), and mango butter. 

WEEKLY: Apply a honey-based mask one time per week for 20 minutes to nourish and heal inflamed skin.

Take a hot bath and enjoy a cup of tea to nourish and soothe the entire body.

Written by Lori Crete

A finalist for American Spa Magazine’s Women in Wellness Mentor of the Year, Lori Crete is a highly sought after industry expert and licensed celebrity esthetician. Owner of Southern California’s Spa 10, she is also the founder of The Beauty Biz Club®, a success-based society dedicated to helping beauty practitioners around the world fill their schedule, increase profits and break through the 6-figure mark.

Whether you see her in her spa, the classroom, on the web or on stage, her mission is to inspire the people around her to live beautifully.