It’s a little late in the season to be talking about sun protection products for the beach but we couldn’t resist commenting on this latest trend from China.
Meet the face Face-Kini (think “bikini” for your face) a cover all for your face and head to protect you from UV radiation. Apparently it’s the latest rage on the beaches in China. You have got to check out these images from the Daily Mail!
Image credit: www.facekini.com
Is this product a good idea? Well, besides two obvious reasons not to wear it (it looks ridiculous and the name is silly) we can think of at least three reasons why it may not be good for you.
Three ways the Face-Kini could break bad
Zit booster: Comedogenic properties of the plasticizers used in the masks could increase acne.
Rash decision: Prolonged contact with rubbery materials can cause skin rashes.
Stinky hair: Heat and moisture could increase your chances of the fungus that is believed to cause Smelly Hair Syndrome.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Protecting yourself from UV rays is very important but we’ll stick to sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat, thank you very much.
Would you wear a Face-Kini? Leave a comment and share your revulsion with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Would medical grade silicone be a good material to use with this?
I mean for it to be made with?
I would never wear a face-kini, that’s what sunscreen and sunglasses are for! Thanks for writing this article, I had no idea these things even existed.
I’ve had good luck with these — in the winter when skiing.
However, I have found that wool knit is the way to go; the plasticky acrylic and polyester ones aren’t as comfortable, and don’t breath and allow evaporation and reduce odors as well as the wool ones do.
In the 1920′s women wore knit wool swimming suits, which had a lot of advantages for drying quickly and fitting well (as long as you weren’t allergic and had too tender skin) and there are summer weight men’s wool suits for wear in the tropics. Wool breaths.
Possibly, in China, reliable quality sunscreens might not be as cheaply available as they have been here, and it’s known that sun reflects up under a hat brim so these might be the best solution for people that don’t want to burn. I’d wear ‘em if that’s all I had.
Many other countries strive for lighter, more pale skin. This is just another way to achieve it, although quite a silly way.
Well, there are always full veils. Bedouin women have been wearing them in the desert for centuries, and seem quit effective.
They look very uncomfortable and ugly… I would only wear one if my life was at stake. Not to stay pale. I already am pale and would not mind to be a bit more tanned.
I have been looking for a product like this for a year!! Someone please tell me where I can buy a face-kini in the US or online. I swim outdoors regularly and love having a (somewhat) tanned body, but my face is getting really blotchy and NONE of the creams I have used have had any effect on diminishing the splotchiness. I will put up with looking strange in a face-kini while swimming. Yes, I use a water-resistant sunblock with an spf of 50-100 every time I swim. I have tried many brands. Still, I get hyper-pigmentation.