Does mask wearing affect skin health? An untargeted skin metabolomics study

Wearing masks is used as an effective way to prevent the spread of viruses. However, the effect of wearing masks on skin health requires further assessment. In this study, a non-invasive D-squame sampling method coupled with an untargeted metabolomics analysis by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry was developed to identify the changes in the skin metabolome caused by wearing masks. D-squame method was found to have advantages over the commonly used sterile gauze method, especially for the lipids and lipid-like molecules. A total of 356 skin metabolites were putatively identified from the stratum corneum of 10 volunteers, and 17 differential metabolites were significantly downregulated after wearing surgical masks or N95 respirators. The downregulation of metabolites such as phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingomyelin might be related to hypoxia or increased skin moisture caused by wearing masks. Changes in skin metabolomics indicated a potential risk of skin barrier disruption and skin inflammation. Intermittent removal of the masks can effectively alleviate changes in the skin metabolome.