Why are makeup and a medical mask not the best duo?

During the coronavirus pandemic, a surgical face mask has become an indispensable attribute whenever you leave your apartment. After months of quarantine, we adapted to living in new conditions and got used to wearing masks, and the most creative girls made them a separate bright accessory to their image, combining them with spectacular makeup .

But for the mask to remain an effective means of personal protection, it is important to follow the recommendations of medical professionals. For example, it is important to make sure you put the mask on with clean hands and that it fits snugly over your nose and mouth.

In healthcare settings, where the likelihood of disease transmission is typically much higher, healthcare workers follow another rule: removing makeup before using a mask, or avoiding makeup altogether, according to Allure.

One reason doctors are taking extra precautions is because masks are still in short supply in countries where the pandemic has peaked. Ann Liu, an infectious disease physician at Stanford Health Care, says that once cosmetics get on a mask, it is considered contaminated and cannot be reused, even after sterilization.

What's more, makeup under a mask can damage the fabric, making it a less effective barrier, says Cassandra M. Pierre, an infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center.

“Makeup contaminates surgical and cloth masks and reduces air filtration. You need to protect yourself from potentially harmful pathogens in the air, and makeup will reduce the effectiveness of the mask,” she says.

Cassandra says that any cosmetics, including lipstick, blush and foundation, touching the mask can interfere with its ability to filter out droplets containing pathogens. Even skincare products such as aftershave, sunscreen, or other thick, cream-based products can affect the effectiveness of the mask.

Therefore, the doctor recommends avoiding anything that could cause contamination of this personal protective equipment. If you use sunscreen or another skin care product, she advises using a lighter texture or waiting until the product is fully absorbed into the skin before putting on a mask. And don't forget that washing sheet masks weakens the fibers over time, which also affects their effectiveness.

Therefore, the safest solution is not to apply makeup to the part of the face that comes into contact with the mask, and after using care products, wait 15-20 minutes until they are completely absorbed. But doing eye and eyebrow makeup is quite safe, so we rely on colored mascaras, pencils and shadows to cheer ourselves up while quarantine is still in force.