In light of the current climate, you’re probably waking up to find your news feed piled high with headline after headline detailing the various benefits posed by wearing a face covering. However today, we offer a much needed breath of air away from the highly saturated topic, as we discover the wider benefits face coverings provide; aside from reducing the transmission of Coronavirus.

Cast your mind back to happier times, to when urban areas were alive and restless places. Maybe a handful of face coverings could occasionally be spotted in and around popular hotspots. The likes of congested public transport, enclosed spaces, and bustling street scenes offered the best sightings of these once mysterious masked dwellers; but what benefits were they enjoying by covering their nose and mouth?

One of the most refreshing answers to this question is to avoid pollution; especially within high density areas. This lingering, invisible killer is commonly formed from a variety of particles and gases; including carbon monoxide, sulphur and nitrogen oxides, lead and ozone pollution. An estimated 3 million people worldwide succumb to the long term exposure of these pollutants every year. Attributes such as decreased lung function, low blood pressure and heart beat irregularity have all been documented for their close ties with pollution; and it remains a considerable driving factor in current policies aimed at reducing the presence of harmful gases in the air of major cities around the world.

And this is just to evaluate the atmosphere of a typical street. If you’re working in an environment with a large amount of dust and physical debris floating about - in a nail bar, or at a construction site for example - the microscopic particles of common-case pollution are the least of your worries. Long term exposure to their larger counterparts will wreak havoc on the health of your lungs, and it’s within your best interest to wear a face covering if this is a familiar environment.

However, your health is most susceptible to downfall when you find yourself in a new environment; whilst on holiday or a business trip for example. This is because you’re exposing yourself to fresh, unaccustomed illnesses, most of which are transmitted via infectious airborne droplets. A simple solution to better protect yourself from the dreadful clutches of overseas illnesses can be found in the use of face coverings. Although this may seem clear in hindsight, as a responsible society, we mustn’t forget, or underestimate, what they’re really capable of blocking out. Face coverings are highly effective forms of protection, and can prevent a whole variety of pathogens and viruses from entering your system.

But in order for any of this to be applicable, a face covering must be worn correctly, and you should take great care in covering both your nose and your mouth. Many wearers have found discomfort in the ill fit of their mask, causing many to go out without. But a product is only as good as its maker, which is why we designed our range of SMUG Face Coverings with adjustable straps, complete with full front tailoring, to allow wearers to not only wear face coverings comfortably, but to enjoy many of their wider benefits with ease.

If you’re due an upgrade on your current mask, you'll find a great selection in our shop, here.