Does wearing a face mask over cosmetics have a combined negative effect on skin health?
Yes, wearing masks to reduce risk of COVID-19 and other illnesses and using skincare products containing methylparaben (MeP) increases the risk of skin inflammation and aging, according to a new study in Eco-Environment & Health.
Through experiments on skin cells and mice, researchers found that MeP can lead to skin cell damage and disrupt important skin protective mechanisms. Additionally, the low oxygen levels caused by mask wearing exacerbate these effects.
Specifically, hypoxia exacerbated the lipid peroxidation in normal keratinocytes caused by MeP exposure and increased the interference of MeP on purine metabolism pathway of HaCaT cell and ICR mouse. In addition, hypoxia elevated MeP-induced oxidative damage and skin pro-inflammatory risk. Network toxicity revealed CAT, PPARG and MMP2 as the possible key genes for MeP and hypoxia synergistic effect, the researchers concluded.
