Now that summer is approaching and many of us are venturing outside after months of mostly inside quarantine, you may be tempted to tilt your unmasked face toward the sun and take in as much vitamin D and sunshine as you can. While that may sound heavenly, you should likely resist the urge: both due to the harms that can come from UV rays and the droplets that may infect you with the COVID-19 virus.

In fact, experts continue to caution that mask-wearing, even outside and while social distancing, is still critical, even as businesses reopen and outdoor activities ramp up. And if you’ve routinely followed this public health advice then by this point you may be noticing some skin eruptions or problems that have arisen from wearing your mask. A recent post in Prevention highlights what the mask-wearing may be doing to your skin: friction from the fabric may be causing irritation or inflammation, and microorganisms may get trapped behind your mask, leading to acne or exacerbation of rosacea. How to combat this mask “attack?” The advice ranges from wearing a mask made of cotton or other natural fibers, washing the mask in a gentle detergent, and washing your own face after removing the mask to clear away whatever particles are left behind. And make-up? Best to minimize or skip it under your mask. But experts do remind you: make sure to continue wearing sunscreen because the mask won’t prevent you from getting burned and you certainly don’t want an unusual “mask tan” to tattoo your face! For the latest advice about sunscreen from Consumer Reports, grab your SPF30 and read more here.

And what other skincare and beauty recommendations are out there in this new environment in which we find ourselves? For some of us, the lifting of restrictions has meant a beeline directly to the dermatologist for a long-awaited shot of Botox. And Vogue Magazine has just come out with a guide to the best skincare advice for women over 50, including all the toners, cleansers and moisturizers you can imagine, as well as recommendations for facial masks (not the infection control kind!) and sunscreen to keep you safe and appropriately scrubbed.

Finally, if you’re in the market for additional new products to combat the stress and strain that have likely taken a toll on your face over the last few months, then check out Glamour magazine’s Best Retinol Creams and Serums of 2020 and Prevention magazine’s dermatologist-recommended 16 best eye creams.