I have spent the past couple of years (as we all have) searching for the ‘best’ and most practical mask out there. I’ve tried so many. All of them, including my early picks in the first few months of the pandemic, had good points that were more often than not counteracted by the bad. Some of them looked ridiculous, even though they protected fabulously against the smallest of infectious particles. Some smelt weird; or they pressed too close to your face and made your pores sweat, whilst also managing to fug up your glasses. Others fitted poorly, or could only be worn a few times before needing to be thrown away. Some simply couldn’t possibly have been effective in the first place - full stop.
None of them could be rated at 100%. Most didn’t really reach 60% on my score card and they are now lined up uselessly inside my hall cupboard looking like some slightly worn Tracy Emin artwork. Expensive failed experiments that I can’t quite bring myself to bin.
Mask fundamentals
Whereas masks used to be items of ridicule, worn only by Japanese tourists worried about pollution from the germs of foreign lands, now they have progressed to become a ubiquitous fashion necessity for every one of us. Not only should they look good, but they need to protect you properly from the threat of bacteria, viruses and covid - all invisible, airborne particles that infect you principally through your nose and mouth.
Airborne viruses are aerosilised, caught up in the molecules of the air itself and so minuscule in size that if air can get through your mask, so can a virus. Masks do very little to protect you from viral infection but what they can definitely do is reduce the amount of viral particles you breathe in - your ‘viral load’ - and they will protect you from stray travelling airborne droplets from a virally infected person, protecting them, at the same time, from any infection you may be carrying.
This article I wrote last year covers most of the points to consider when choosing a mask.
The Sonovia Pro - finally, a mask that ticks all the boxes!
The Sonomask Pro - An Israeli success story
In 2013 a small Israeli start-up patented a unique sonar-wave technology that enabled anti-viral and bacterial properties to be incorporated into fabric. Completely safe, with no chemical binders, when the pandemic started they brought out a range of masks that have been shown to be more effective than most of their market competitors. To-date they have sold more than 400,000 globally.
More effective at filtration than cloth masks and surgical masks, the Sonomask Pro neutralises over 99% of viruses and bacteria. Zinc Oxide releases free radicles which weaken the virus's membrane and exposes it to the weather.
They kindly sent me one to trial, and in truth, and with enormous relief, I find my mask hunting days are finally over. They come in a variety of colours, in a fine cotton-like material, and are light and comfortable and as good looking as a mask can be. They have three layers of fabric, and a nose wire and adjustable ear loops to ensure a close fit.
Best of all is that they somehow allow you to breathe properly inside the mask. Easier, for example, to pass the night in a plane attempting to sleep, with this across your nose and mouth, than the standard white and blue throwaway models. And with no observable fugging of my glasses, and the warming feeling that finally I can do my bit for the environment by stopping buying endless throwaway versions that must be creating the biggest hard-to-dispose of mask mountains on the planet, I am converted.
Wash with cold water under the tap once a week using eco-friendly soap if needed and they last up to 55 washes, so no need to replace until a year or so has passed, depending on use.
At £45 each, it seems a sound investment for these strange times. 10% off with your first order and the more you buy the lower the cost. And check out their Black Friday offer, too.
Mask magic!
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You have only got one body. If you don’t take care of it, who else is going to?
Read more from the archives, including up-to-date information on complementary therapies from alternative remedies for trigeminal neuralgia to natural remedies for gout to alternative treatments for shingles.
Written by author and health blogger Sara Davenport, founder of one of the UK's leading breast cancer charities, Breast Cancer Haven. With over thirty years' experience in holistic health, Sara's digital dose of wellness teaches you to listen to your body, tweak your lifestyle and improve your health.
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