651 Moisturizer prevents skin barrier damage induced by prolonged face mask usage

Abstract

Prolonged wearing of face masks, a new daily practice for people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, introduces high levels of humidity locally to facial skin, which may have unexpected skin health consequences An IRB approved double-blinded, randomized, split-face clinical study was conducted to investigate skin properties after repeated prolonged mask usage by comparing skin inside and outside of the mask-covered areas Twenty-one healthy female volunteers wore face masks for at least 6 hours every day for one week, with one side of their face treated with a moisturizer three times daily On day 8, and after 5 hours of wearing the mask, facial skin properties (sebum, hydration and TEWL) were assessed at 15, 60, and 120 min post-mask removal, followed by barrier disruption and recovery evaluations Mask usage compromised facial skin properties compared to uncovered areas, including significantly larger reduction of skin hydration (p〈 0 02 at 15 min) and a weakened stratum corneum barrier in response to tape strip challenge (p 〈 0 03 after stripping) Sebum production also increased significantly (p 〈 0 01 at 15 min) Notably, applying a daily moisturizer mitigated these effects by significantly increasing and maintaining two-fold more hydration (p 〈 0 01) and strengthening barrier integrity against barrier challenge Daily and prolonged usage of a facial mask, which is an essential personal and public health practice due to the Covid-19 pandemic, can create a high-humidity microenvironment, which may negatively impact skin properties However, facial moisturization can help maintain skin homeostasis under the mask