This Face Mist Helps Keep My Maskne Under Control
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In my humble opinion, facial sprays are a waste of money. Yes, a mid-day spritz of a fine hydrating mist can feel refreshing on your face, but it also leaves your face just...wet.
If I'm going to spend money on skincare products and take the time to apply them, I want them to do something for my skin. So, while there are a lot of nice facial mists out there, you would never find one in my medicine cabinet.
But, Tower 28's SOS Save.Our.Skin Daily Rescue Facial Spray has made me reconsider my stance on mists.
What sets this spray apart from the myriad of hydrating mists is that it's slightly acidic, containing water, salt, and hypochlorous acid, an active ingredient that soothes redness and irritation and supports the skin's natural healing process. Hypochlorous acid is naturally produced by the body to help fight off infections, so when used on the skin, it has antibacterial benefits.
SOS Spray is dermatologist tested and even has the National Eczema Association's Seal of Acceptance, meaning it's free of known irritants for sensitive skin types and inflammatory conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.
RELATED: How to Treat Eczema, According to a Dermatologist
I asked Dr. Kelly Killeen, a double board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon in LA for her expert opinion on what makes SOS Spray so special. Dr. Killeen has no affiliation with Tower 28, but is a fan of SOS Spray and regularly uses its as a post-procedure treatment on her patients.
"Hypochlorous acid a spectacular ingredient as it does several things," she tells me. "This multitasking ingredient allows the SOS Spray to be gentle with only one other ingredient, saline or salt water. Hypochlorous acid not only kills bacteria and viruses, it also improves blood flow and reduces inflammation. These two additional things help your skin heal faster."
I received a sample of SOS Spray from Tower 28 back in February, and reached for it a couple of times to help reduce post-workout redness. Then, COVID-19 hit.
Wearing a mask quickly pissed off my skin and has resulted a cluster of zits on top of the hormonal cysts I already deal with on a monthly basis. Frustrated and in need of a solution, I figured that because of SOS Spray's antibacterial properties, it was worth a shot to spritz it onto the inside of my mask before putting it on.
Courtesy
To buy: $28; revolve.com.
Since I started spraying my mask before heading out, I've noticed that I don't break out around my mouth or on my chin. But if I slack off? I wake up to a couple of new zits the next morning.
Dr. Killeen tells me that the healing effect of hypochlorous acid will be as noticeable in as little as 24 hours, and that it's safe to use on broken skin, or open wounds. She also recommends using it after cleansing your face and mid-day to help curb maskne, too.
"For the best results, SOS should be used twice daily after cleansing," Dr. Killeen says. "Spray the face and neck liberally — or other areas with acne or irritation — and allow the product to dry prior to moving forward with other skin care. You can also spray over makeup midday to help treat and prevent acne from mask wear. As this product is in a salt water base, it is unlikely that it will change your makeup significantly."
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And make sure it's at least SPF 30
Along with an exfoliating cleanser, SOS Spray has been one of my go-to skincare products this summer to help keep my mask-related breakouts under control. The only problem? I'm not the only one who's caught on to how healing it is.
If you scroll through SOS's Sephora reviews, you'll quickly find out that it's become a quick fix for so many people, like me, who have been dealing with maskne. And that's exactly why it keeps selling out at Sephora and Credo. Luckily, both the full-size and mini bottles of the spray are still available at Revolve and Tower 28's website.
You're welcome.
Good to Go used to be the column where we'd share the beauty products we can't travel without. But while travel's off the table, we'll be focusing on products that make us feel good in quarantine. This month, why Tower 28's SOS Save.Our.Skin Daily Rescue Facial Spray is both a refreshing treat and healing treatment for my skin.
