Best Surgical Masks for Sensitive Skin

The coronavirus or Covid-19 has certainly rendered the surgical mask as a necessity. According to the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO), there are already 71,429 confirmed Covid-19 cases around the world. The virus, which started in China, has a death toll of 1,775. China’s confirmed number of cases has reached 70,635 with 1,772 deaths. 

The fear is real and the risk is high. This is why people, especially in countries where Covid-19 cases have been confirmed, are already wearing surgical masks in a bid to protect themselves from the virus. But what happens if you have sensitive skin?

When you have sensitive skin, you are prone to have rashes and redness as a reaction to a substance that touches your skin. When this happens, it is quite hard to treat because your skin generally reacts to even the most gentle cream or solutions. So when it comes to protecting yourself from the deadly Covid-19, it helps if you use surgical masks made for sensitive skin in order to save you from health-related issue. 

Here are three of the best surgical masks for sensitive skin

⭐ Crosstex Ultra Sensitive Earloop Mask w/Secure Fit Mask Technology

Crosstex has been in the business for over 60 years. It started as a manufacturer of disposable towels or bibs and is now one of the world’s leading companies that make products that prevent infection. The Ultra Sensitive mask was created for dentists and surgeons who are prone to be splashed with moderate to heavy amounts of fluid during their daily tasks. This type of mask was made to ensure that doctors with sensitive skin will not only be protected from aerosols and virus, their skin will also be protected from allergens.

This product is a bit thicker than usual surgical masks, but it is not as constricting as the N95 or respiratory mask. It is hypoallergenic, which is the most important characteristic that makes this product good for people with sensitive skin.

Product details:

• Hypoallergenic
• Outer layer is fluid resistant (160 mmHg)
• Extra soft
• Durable: will not lint, shred or tear
• Chemical free
• Pure white—no ink or dye used in manufacturing
• Extra-long aluminum nose piece
• ASTM Level 3

Where to buy:

• Amazon
• Crosstex

⭐ 3M Tie-On Surgical Mask 1818

3M has come a long way since it was founded as a mining venture in Northern Minnesota in 1902. More than a century later and after various scientific innovations, 3M is now a Fortune 500 company with corporate operations in 70 countries and business presence in over 200 countries. It boasts of over 100,000 patents.

The brand’s tie-on surgical mask is hypoallergenic, which means it is perfect for users with sensitive skin. It is also flat with bi-directional pleats. It is a tie-on, which means you can adjust it based on your level of comfort. The inner lining is soft, which prevents abrasion. This product is ideal of surgeries and other medical procedures, but it has also been used for general purposes like protection against dust and other particles in generic activities.

Product details:

• Hypoallergenic
• Three-layer mask
• Tie-on: so you can adjust it according to favored tightness / looseness
• 98% bacterial filtration efficiency
• 99% micron particles filtration efficiency
• Latex-free

Where to buy:

• Amazon
• 3M

⭐ ProGear Health Pro-80 Fluid Resistant Horizontal Tie Mask

Prestige Ameritech is the largest domestic surgical mask manufacturer in the United States. Its base is in Fort Worth, Texas. This is important considering the danger of relying on supplies coming from China. For American users, it is best that they get their surgical masks locally. The brand creates surgical masks under the label ProGear.

As the demand for surgical masks is heightened, a lot of ProGear products are out of stock in the recent days. However, the brand posted a note on its website that if the product is out of stock, buyers can check again the next day as the company is committed on restocking every day. All of ProGear’s surgical masks are three-ply and has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Why three-ply? This is to give the users three layers of protection not just from virus but also from dust and aerosols. The product is mostly used by medical practitioners but is actually great for other kinds of protection as well, and that includes allergens. The first layer of defense is the colored layer. The second layer is said to minimize particle dispersal in order to optimize the defense. The third layer or the interior is soft, which makes it comfortable to the skin. As such, it is non-abrasive.

The product is great for sensitive skin because the material is soft and odorless, hence, it doesn’t have any irritant. So if you have sensitive skin, this will be a good product for you. It also has stretch knit ties for great fiber “pin-down."

Product details:

• 3-ply
• Pleated design
• Tie-on: so you can adjust the tightness / looseness 
• Soft interiors
• Odorless
• Fluid resistant
• 99%+ filtration capacity
• ASTM Level 3

Where to buy:

• Amazon
• ProGear Health

Prevention is the best protection

As they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. There are still a lot questions left unanswered in this so-called novel coronavirus or Covid-19. Medical experts are actually saying that if you are healthy, you don’t actually need to wear a surgical mask. Only those infected with Covid-19 actually need to wear them. However, the virus has an incubation period of two to 14 days, which is why isolation is needed. So if you are sick, you won’t know for sure if you have the Covid-19 for a maximum of two week. You will need to wear the mask so that you won’t transmit the virus to others.

However, a lot of healthy people wear surgical masks anyway. There is nothing wrong with that! In fact, the recommendation of medical practitioners is to regularly clean your hands either by washing or using sanitizer. So if you want to protect yourself by wearing a mask, then great! But of course, for those who have sensitive skin, there is another issue to be considered when looking for the right surgical mask. Good thing Crosstex, 3M and Prestige Ameritech know that there is a demand for non-allergenic masks.