Article - First Class Face Masks for Personal Protection

29 Jun 2020

Face masks of various descriptions and types are worn for any number of reasons by people in various circumstances and capacities. Excluding beauty products that are applied to treat and tighten facial skin, these items are designed, manufactured, and most often used to cover the wearer’s lower face when placed over the mouth and nose.

Who Covers the Face and Why?

As indicated, protective face masks or their equivalent facial coverings are donned for many reasons and purposes. Presently, throughout South Africa and the entire world, this product and its uses are very topical, but these items have been used for other protective purposes too.

Protection or Disguise

The days of highwaymen or stagecoach robbers are long gone, and neither was a particular criminal encountered by early South African travellers. Highwaymen and their ilk wore scarves or bandanas wrapped and tied around their mouths and noses to conceal their identities while robbing stagecoaches or trains.

One may safely assume that a proper face mask might have been a convenient, must-have accessory for the stylish, well-dressed highwayman if such facial coverings had been invented at that time. Bank robbers and burglars disguised their most prominent or recognisable facial features similarly, thereby protecting themselves from capture and imprisonment.

Considerably later, hoodies, balaclavas or pantyhose help to disguise identities. When stretched over the head, pantyhose compresses and distorts identifying features, despite only partially hiding noteworthy, significant characteristics, such as mouths, eyes and noses.

Masquerade Balls and Carnivals

Seldom held nowadays, masquerade balls were very popular and fashionable amongst the upper classes at various times and places, particularly in 17th and 18th century Europe. The wearing of an elaborate mask by both men and women was a distinctive feature of the masquerade ball.

Fancy feathered, spangled, and sparkling face masks feature prominently at carnivals like Rio’s Mardi Gras. In Greek “comedy” and “tragedy” masks are used to denote the theatre and theatrical performances. They thus have many uses in the arts.

Serious Side of Face Masks

Face masks that cover and protect the nose and mouth are commonly worn and used by doctors, nurses, surgeons, dentists, caregivers, and emergency medical personnel on a daily basis, on each and every occasion that might be hazardous to the wearer or the patient.

Potential hazards in these occupations typically consist of airborne particles and harmful micro-organisms from viruses, fungi, or bacteria that may spread or be transferred and carried from one party to the other. This can cause infection, disease, illness, or death. Additionally, particles may contaminate any surface on which they land, or they may be transferred by touch, as in cross-contamination.

Wearing a scientifically approved face mask is one of the most important measures that people can and must adopt to safeguard themselves and everyone in their proximity, as well as for the protection of those who may be exposed to residual contamination from anything they’ve touched or handled.

People should continue wearing models that cover the mouth and nose when out in public and in places frequented by other people for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. To be on the safe side, it is advisable to continue this practice beyond this point for a while, until conditions are safe again.

XCO Group Offerings

Throughout the pandemic, XCO Group, wholesale suppliers to the corporate sector, is offering a range of face masks, which are essential products, designed and manufactured as a protective measure that helps to prevent the spread of this serious viral infection and its potential consequences. Products include:

• Vimbela stock range 2-ply, available in two plain colours, four patterned designs and colours, in packs of 20.
• Vimbela Smu 2-ply, in bulk packs of 100
• Vimbela Smu 3-ply, in bulk packs of 100
• Re-usable, triple-layer, filtered face masks, offered in four colours, 50 items per pack with a minimum order of 100.
• Eva & Elm re-usable, double-layer, single mask, non-medical grade, for personal use, available in two colours.
• Eva & Elm mask, as above, but slightly larger, supplied in grey only.
• Eva & Elm poly-cotton, double-layer, pair.
• Eva & Elm, cotton, double-layer, with white reverse side, slightly larger than poly-cotton version, supplied in pairs.
• Re-usable, washable cotton percale, double-layer with replaceable, washable filter, comes in 5 colours, and offered in set of two with eight filters.

Our XCO corporate and workwear customers should take note that the products listed above are all intended for personal protection, not medical purposes. Nonetheless, the XCO Group is always there, as and when quality products and great selections are required.