NYLON’s Holiday Beauty Gift Guide 2020: Maskne

Meet 2020’s least desirable and most annoying skincare concern — maskne. No one wants it. The condition is almost inescapable and pops up at the worst of times after hours of your skin being subjected to the humid conditions under a face mask, which results in blemishes, acne breakouts, and rough skin that take a while to heal. Banish maskne once and for all with these holiday sets.

SKIN INC MASK LINER
$28 (for a pack of 20) from iloveskininc.com.sg

You know that friend who’s always complaining about breaking out under the mask? This is worth trying — a smooth and soft liner that decreases skin irritation and wicks away oil and sweat.

FOREO PICTURE PERFECT SET
$299, available at Sephora

“Picture perfect, you don’t need no filter,” Justin Bieber’s lyrics can actually come true with Foreo’s set of the LUNA 3 facial cleansing device that’s now paired with their Serum Serum Serum. Make your skincare even more intentional by harnessing the brand’s T-Sonic technology that lifts away dirt, oil, and excess sebum, ultimately preventing clogged pores and untimely breakouts.

PORCELAIN TRIO CLEANSING KIT
$66, available at porcelainskin.com

The homegrown beauty brand has been winning awards for their soothing facials, great for even those with sensitive skin, while we also think their skincare products deserve a shout-out. This cleansing kit, for instance, features their Makeup Cleanser, Daily Cleansing Gel, and Hydro Cleanser so you know your skin will be thoroughly cleansed yet calm.

DRGL MASKNE DUO
$186, available at drgl.com

Maskne has got to be a big deal when DrGL puts together a specific set that fights blemishes and fades scars. Their series of high-performance skincare, curated by the renowned Dr Georgia Lee, includes a lightweight Restore Gel Mask that contains a lactobacillus ferment for a strong skin barrier and healing botanicals to help soothe skin, while the Skin Repair is a potent treatment that they usually recommend after lasers, chemical peels, and other aesthetic procedures. There’s even a DrSpa® Cleanse facial treatment (worth $200) when you purchase this set.

TATCHA BALANCED SKIN TRAVEL DUO
$42, available at Sephora

In a travel-sized set, your friend will be able to bring this to their staycation for any skincare emergency. Suitable for those with more oily complexions or skin breakouts, the Deep Cleanse is a purifying gel cleanser infused with natural exfoliants and the Japanese Luffa fruit, while their Water Cream has a nice texture that releases a burst of Japanese botanicals and hydration upon contact with the skin, ready to nourish and hydrate.

THE BODY SHOP TEA TREE SKIN PURIFYING KIT
$32, available at The Body Shop stores

The tea tree series from The Body Shop is well-known for its purifying and healing benefits. We’ve tried it ourselves, and can vouch for how quick and effective the range can be when targeting blemishes for clear skin — they’ll be gone in a day or two, no lie. This set includes a basic routine of the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Face Wash, Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner, and Tea Tree Oil.

RE:ERTH BLEMISH CONTROL
$80, available at reerth.com

RE:ERTH has done it again. The local skincare brand known for their Multi-Targeted Elixir has come up with the ultimate blemish treatment “for clearer pores and a healthy glow”. A key ingredient here includes Colostrum, which is rich in immunoglobulins with anti-bacterial effects — this means it can effectively banish blemish-causing bacteria for better skin control, while soothing skin and restoring its barrier. Works on the face, and any other breakout areas such as the neck, back, shoulders.

DR.JART+ BEST CREAM DUO
$44.80, available at Sephora

Your friend will be able to enjoy the best of both worlds with this skin-restoring set. Dr.Jart+ and their Cicapair Cream is touted to calm redness and sensitive skin, while the ultra-moisturising Ceramidin Cream contains helpful ceramides that strengthen the skin barrier so moisture stays within the skin — the constant rubbing motion of the face mask will be less of a bother now.

IRÉN SKIN CLEAR-UP ANTI-BLEMISH DISCOVERY KIT
$39, available at irenskin.com

Get to know more about the happy serums from this local brand that’s inspired by Japanese beauty rituals. The Anti-Blemish kit is a curated set of IRÉN Skin’s Superfruit Booster Customized Serums — the Clearer Days Anti-Blemish Serum, Glow-Getter Renewal Serum, and Keep Calm Soothing Serum. All of them work together to combat acne, unclog pores, and soothe skin so maskne really ought to go away already.

FARMACY GREEN HOUSE BESTSELLERS SKINCARE
$73, available at Sephora

Cleansing is so important in any skincare routine — especially for someone battling maskne and unbalanced skin. This Farmacy set includes the bestselling Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm to thoroughly cleanse skin and remove makeup, while there’s also the Daily Greens Oil-Free Gel Moisturizer and Cheer Up Brightening Vitamin C Eye Cream to further improve their complexion.

BIODERMA SENSIBIO H20 MICELLAR WATER REVERSED PUMP TWINPACK + MYSTERY GIFT
$52.90, available at Watsons

The world’s most trusted micellar water, still a No.1 in our hearts, is available in this very value-for-money skincare set. To keep maskne at bay, our advice is to start with removing every trace of makeup on your face; Bioderma’s micellar water effectively does this in a single swipe while still leaving your skin hydrated and soothed. The holiday two-pack set is practically a steal.

ORIGINS ORIGINAL SKIN MATTIFYING MARVELS
$40, available at Origins stores and counters

Origins’ pore-perfecting trio of a clay mask, moisturiser and primer are perfect for those who desire renewed skin, especially when we know this set has a value of $71. Minimise the look of pores with the Original Skin™ Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay and Original Skin™ Matte Moisturizer with Willowherb, a powerful ingredient that gives glow-boosting moisture, followed by the Original Skin™ Pore Perfecting Cooling Primer as a makeup base.

KLAYPEAU MAGIC HOLIDAY KIT
$58.80, available at klaypeau.com

Fight maskne with more masks. We mean it; you need the hydration after all. Klaypeau’s Magic Holiday Kit is a limited edition set of 8 curated sheet masks to suit all your needs, presented in a nifty book you can flip through. Highlights include the Twotsp Ggulba Honey Banana Mask, and actress Fan Bing Bing’s go-to, the Ray Facial Silk Sheet Mask.

SOCIETYA NO MORE MASKNE SET
$105, available at society-a.com

The No More Maskne Set, worth S$122, is exclusive to e-retailer SocietyA, and includes three maskne-fighting products from their curation of Asian brands — the Clarifying Face Serum from Thai skincare label, Mellow Naturals; the Kaleanser from Singapore’s own Sigi Skin; and the Organic Healing Balm from The Gentle Label. The latter contains pawpaw, a papaya-derived natural alternative to chemical exfoliants, while the rest balance and soothe skin without stripping away moisture.