Welcome to woman&home’s online shopping guides, where we reveal where to buy the most popular and top-rated products. This guide is about where to buy non-medical reusable face masks online, but you may also be interested in our edits of backpacks for working women, cool and clever gifts for students and timeless gold coin necklaces.
Wondering where you can buy reusable face masks? These are the stylish face masks that haven’t sold out just yet.
Pretty much every business has been facing tough times the past few months, including the fashion industry. But fashion has been playing its role in helping during the coronavirus pandemic – from making large financial and equipment donations to hospitals and charities, to using their own supply chain to produce PPE for the frontline staff. And this has included fashion brands starting to make their own reusable masks, in order to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Wearing a face mask is now advised by the UK government and has been compulsory in shops in England since July 24, to stop the spread of coronavirus – but should I wear a mask to go shopping? The government has revealed that it is now mandatory to wear them on public transport, to prevent the spread, as well as in shops and supermarkets. And do children wear have to wear masks? Only children over the age of 11 have to wear a face covering. Public Health England advise against children under the age of 3 wearing face masks for health and safety reasons.
MORE: How to stop your glasses fogging up when wearing a face mask
It is important to use a face mask properly, washing your hands before putting them on and taking them off.
So if you’re on the hunt for a reusable face mask, it could be helpful to check out our list of retailers that are still selling them (these are for adults, but there are also plenty of children’s face masks on the high street).
Where can I buy stylish face masks in the UK?
Last month, designer and celebrity Pearl Lowe introduced beautiful Liberty print face masks into her collection. The pretty, double lined masks are handmade in Somerset by local seamstresses, and with each silk Liberty Print mask you purchase, £5 will be donated to the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
There are plenty of other brands also selling reusable face masks. They include:
- M&S
- Boden
- Seasalt
- Paisie
- Lavender Hill
- Edeline Lee
- Isabel Manns
- Baukjen
- Liberty at Brora
- Newt London
- Plümo
- Mango
Kate and Vicky, founders of fashion brand Paisie, a regular on our fashion editorials, said, “When the lockdown began for us, we decided that we would like to use our design skills to help slow down the spread of the virus.”
“We started to make our non-surgical masks as a way to help our communities and to say thank you to our customers for their continued support during these difficult times.”
There are also a few gorgeous Liberty print face masks available in the list below – which are super stylish and make wearing a mask that little bit easier.
The below reusable face masks are non-medical, so are not guaranteed to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Are face masks washable?
Yes and no. If you buy the below material/cotton masks, many are washable, with some (such as Lavender Hill’s) machine washable. However, if you are wearing a paper mask, it is not advised to wash them as they will likely disintegrate – they are only intended to wear for one use.
It’s advisable to wash your material mask after every usage, to avoid contamination. If the item’s description and retailer allows, wash on as high a cycle as possible to rid the item of any lingering germs. However, some face masks are made of more delicate material, so will need to be hand-washed. Make sure to always check the item description.
Remember however that while face masks can help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (find out how to book a COVID-19 test here), by shielding people with symptoms from healthy people, it is still vital to self-isolate if you do have symptoms. If you suspect you may have coronavirus symptoms, find out how to book a COVID-19 test.
When do you have to wear a face mask?
Babylon Health’s general practitioner, Dr. Claudia Pastides, explained that it is helpful to wear face masks in confined spaces.
She explained, “We know from studies that up to 80% of people with COVID-19 don’t have symptoms and 40%-80% of infections are transmitted by people without symptoms. So, the idea is that if we all wore face coverings when in small shops, on public transport or in other enclosed spaces – we’d be less likely to spread the virus unknowingly.”
She also reassured that wearing them outside – such as for exercising or walking your dog – is not as necessary. Dr Claudia said, “The risk of spreading COVID-19 is higher when indoors and in an enclosed space, than when outdoors. If you’re exercising alone, with members of your household or keeping 2 metres between yourself and others, you shouldn’t need to wear a face covering. But please respect local government guidance, as it may vary.”
If you are out and about and find yourself needing to take your face mask off without being at home to wash your hands, Dr Claudia advised that you take extra precautions.
“If you remember to always carry a spare face covering, a plastic bag and some alcohol gel with you – then you can safely and easily put on another one,” she said. “Put your used mask in the plastic bag. Wash your hands with alcohol gel. Then put your spare mask on.”
Charity face masks you can order online
Many of the brands with masks available are not profiting entirely from all of the sales – instead, many are donating to charities and to the NHS with the proceeds.
For example, the Brora Liberty face mask will donate £10 of each of their £19 face masks to the NHS Charities Together. And, with each purchase of Pearl Lowe’s face mask, £5 will also be donated to the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. We’re also big fans of the beautiful masks from London based boutique Klein and Wallace. £.250 from every sale is being donated to the NHS.
Similarly, some brands are donating many of their masks to those in need. If you buy a Lavender Hill mask pack, they will donate a pack to the Katherine Low Settlement in Battersea.
Reusable face masks made in the UK
While many face masks are made abroad, in places like Portugal, some of them are actually made right here in the UK.
The Bias Cut’s animal print masks are handmade in London, as are the Isabel Manns masks too by London ateliers.
