Maskne, Begone: You Can Now Buy A Face Covering Infused With Shea Butter

When it comes to maskne (did we just hear a groan?), there are preventive measures you can take (like avoiding comedogenic products), as are there soothing topicals to slather on once you hang up your gear, like aloe vera and colloidal oat. But ultimately, some mask irritation is just unavoidable—you are securing fabric on your face, after all, which is bound to cause unwanted friction for some. That shouldn't be an excuse to stop wearing masks, not at all, but it's a new kind of nuisance that us sensitive-skinned folk have to keep front of mind. 

The new mask—called Soliscia—was created by Nufabrx, a company with a patented technology to embed active ingredients into clothing (the founder, Jordan Schindler, came up with the idea after facing some irritation and acne from his pillowcase). Once maskne became one of the biggest skin care gripes to hit 2020, it only seemed fitting to transition that same technology to maskwear. 

Here's how it works: The technology infuses shea butter into each individual yarn fiber, making for an ultra-moisturizing mask. Shea butter is an excellent emollient, meaning it can soften the skin and fill in microcracks; it's also been shown to seal moisture into the skin and protect the skin barrier1. If you've ever faced a bout of mask-induced irritation, you likely know that the contact friction can cause some dry, flaky skin—a shea-butter-infused fabric can minimize the friction on that delicate skin so you won't have to do as much damage control after the fact. And just so you know: The ingredient is infused within the fabric fibers themselves, so you don't have to worry about a glob of shea butter residue on your face every time you venture out in public.