WHAT TO THINK ABOUT WHEN BUYING CHILDREN FACE MASKS

In the latest government U-turn, Boris Johnson this week announced that children returning to school in September should wear face masks, to help limit the spread of Coronavirus.

However, this decision has proven to be a controversial one, sparking much debate around the topic. Concerns about the health and comfort of wearing face masks for long periods of time, as well as the huge environmental costs of disposable masks, continue to persist.

So, what should concerned parents consider before sending their little ones back to the classroom?

First, will a face mask protect both the child, their friends and their families when they get home? The short answer to that question is yes, but how much protection different types of masks offer varies – as we detailed in our blog ‘Do face masks work?’

In brief, the Royal Society found that cotton masks vastly outperform paper masks. It is just one of the reasons why our own range of masks uses Evolution of Cotton (EOC) which possess strong anti-bacterial and infection preventative properties, making them vastly more effective at enhancing biosafety than any sustainable and reusable mask on the market.

Protection is only one aspect of face masks however and parents will need to be confident that their child’s mask is comfortable to wear and won’t result in ‘maskne’, a condition.

Again, EOC is the answer if you want a face mask that is tough on viruses, but kind on skin. 100% organic and containing no chemical dyes, pesticides or toxins, our masks are hypoallergenic and have a pH of 5.5 that matches the body's optimal acidity range.

At a time of great economic uncertainty, there is also the additional cost of adding another item to their child’s school uniform. With disposable face masks retailing at around £26 for 50, a family of three children is looking at close to £200 per year in masks alone.

Alternatively, you can buy a re-usable Protexa EOC mask for just £15. Despite being a soft material EOC cotton is far more durable than other industrial textile products. Its unique features and properties are all permanent, as proven by independent testing which included 45 washes conducted at 40°, during which EOC lost only 18% of its qualities. Even better, after 50 washes no further loss of functional quality was recorded.

One Protexa mask will last your children all year.

Finally, we must all consider the effect thousands of disposable face masks will have on a planet already drowning in a sea of plastic waste. The huge increase of disposable masks has been described by French politician Éric Pauget as “an ecological timebomb” after masks were found ‘floating like jellyfish and scattered across the ocean floor’.

Here too our masks come into their own, thanks to their use of EOC textiles which are organic, helping to tackle the major issue of eco-waste created by PPE made from synthetic textiles, making Protexa an excellent solution for parents seeking to reduce their family’s environmental impact.