From left to right: cotton,
buff, black aerosilver, polyester/cotton, cotton poplin, sports, white aerosilver,
aerosilver with designs.
Why so many face masks?
When COVID-19 began appearing in the U.S. and my job didn’t have enough PPE’s,
I ordered my first cloth facemask from all places, New York, when their
infections, hospitalizations, & deaths were peaking. The masks were OK and I used them at work,
however when I took a deep breath, the cloth would get sucked into my nostrils.
Thus began my quest for a better face mask that enabled me to breathe in more
easily especially when I was doing my brisk walking exercise. Next I tried
buffs. There were nice designs, quite breathable, but if I positioned the back
part below my ears, the buff would eventually slide off. Then came the mask
that a lady in her car gave me. It was called a “fashion mask” (not in photo) which
was too thin and although very breathable, not protective enough, so I had to
put a bandanna on top whenever I exercised. I found a company advertising on
Instagram and they were selling what’s called an Aerosilver mask. The pic
looked similar to the one the lady gave me so I thought they were the same and maybe
I can wear 2 masks instead of the bandanna. I also found a company which sold
the “fashion mask” and I ordered a pack of 10 (not included in photo). However,
it was being shipped from China and didn’t arrive until 55 days later. Thankfully, the company gave
me a refund but let me keep the masks for free.
When the Aerosilver masks arrived, they were thicker and more protective
than the fashion mask but also breathable because of its 3D shape. However it
only came in black. Searching for more colorful but breathable mask, a swimming
company in Torrance looked promising so I ordered 2 of them: a bubbles design
& a California republic design. I encountered the same problem as the cloth
masks. The fabric would get sucked into my nostrils so it was hard to breath
while exercising. Then I tried the reversible poplin cotton masks. Nice colors
but same breathability problems. Then
came the black “sports mask”. Again, too thin, not enough protection and
crushed my nose. On Ebay, I found white Aerosilver masks which feel cooler on
warmer days. The final mask I bought (hopefully!), were also Aerosilver with
the American flag, tie-dye, and camouflage designs. Gosh darn, I spent so much
time & money searching for what works for me! Lately, when I go to a store,
I’ve been doubling up on what I wear: an old N95 mask under a cloth mask and
hoping it’s more protective when I’m exposed to more people. While these masks
don’t guarantee that I don’t get infected with COVID-19, I’ll try my best not
to.
