#facemask

Gearjunkie rates Buff® Best Product in 10 years

We knew that Gearjunkie loves Buff®. Great to see that they rated it as #2 in the list of 10 best products of the last 10 years. Just click on the image to see the article on Gearjunkie.com What we noticed The facemask is worn in a near perfect way to make it cool you […]

A frontal landscape shot of a fly fisherman standing up to his hips in water. The man is holding a large milkfish in his hands. He is wearing a BUFF® Coolnet UV+ as face mask. Addional cap, long sleeve shirt and cap indicate that he wants total UV protection. Source: buff.eu Copyright: ©2007 Pat Ford. Given to us for the promotion of the BUFF® Coolnet UV+ in the fishing market.

Fishing Face Mask Skin Cancer Protection

Your face exposed to harsh UV light all day long? A BUFF® Coolnet UV+ as a fishing face mask gives you extra skin cancer protection. (Pat Ford) The fishing face mask: Skin cancer protection for the face is the number 1 reason Fisho’s wear a BUFF® Coolnet UV+ as face mask. This photo sums it […]

A landscape shot of a freestyle snowboarder. The conditions are rough. Strong winds are blowing snow around. He is wearing two Polar Buff®. One as scarf & face mask combination. The other one as hat / beanie. Source: buff.eu. Distributed for the promotion of the Polar Buff®

Unfreeze your face with a scarf / face mask combination

You’re high up on the slopes & the weather goes south. Good if you’ve got a BUFF® Polar with you. This guy’s got two with him. Use the fleece part to keep your neck warm. Pull the BUFF® Original Ecostretch part up as a face mask. Here, you’ve got a great balance of chill protection […]

A studio landscape shot of a young woman wearing a Wool Buff® as face mask. She is blond, wearing a white shirt & standing in front of a white background. The tye-died blue Wool Buff® stands out. Source: buff.eu © Distributed for the promotion of the Wool Buff®

Fend off biting wind chill with a Wool Buff® face mask

This is were tubes rock. It’s around your neck & your cheeks are freezing. A simple pull up your face and you have a face mask. The Wool Buff® has the loosest fit of all tubes. It’s also the longest. This gives you lots of layers to go from chill protection up to really warm. […]

A frontal shot portrait photo of a man on a vintage motorbike. The man is wearing a leather bike trouser and a white singlet. Has a one High UV Buff® as wristband on and one High UV Buff® as face mask. He is also wearing an open face motorbike helmet and vintage motorcycle goggles over the helmet. The background looks hot & dusty. Source: buff.eu Copyright: Distributed for the promotion of the High UV Buff® in the motorcycling

Skin Cancer & Bug Protection for Open Face Helmets

The sun is hitting your face and you have to keep your lips tight to keep the bugs out. This wasn’t the experience you were hoping for. Just take your High UV Buff® and wear it as face mask. Instant bliss. Sunburned face? Gone with UPF 20 UV protection Normal bandannas get soggy with your […]

The horizontal photo is a frontal shot of a woman and a man riding bicycles in a city mall. It is dark and both are wearing cold weather gear. The woman on the left is wearing a Reflective Buff® as face mask. The man on the right is wearing a Reflective Buff® as scarf. Source: buff.eu Copyright: Unknown. Distributed for the promotion of the Reflective Buff®

Stopping the Cold Biting on Night Commutes

It’s dark and the chill is biting during your daily commute. This is were the Original Buff® as face mask shines. It has just the right thickness to take the cold bite off. No sweating as it doesn’t warm you in one layer. It has the right density to allow heavy breathing. No effort breathing […]

A side shot landscape photo of two people walking in the desert. They are participants of the Marathon Des Sables. A man in the centre is wearing a Original Buff® as face mask. A woman in the back is wearing a Original Buff® as neck cooler. It looks as if it is the end of the race and everybody is tired. The woman in the back is looking weak. The man in font still seems to have energy left. The photo was taken in 2003. Today the correct product for this race is the High UV Buff®. Source: buff.eu © Distributed for the promotion of the Original Buff® in outdoor / adventure

Heat, Sun & Sand Protection in the Marathon Des Sables

A desert is super hot & dry. On top there is no shade from the sun relentlessly frying you. Add some possible sandstorm and you get a feel what a desert marathon puts up on challenges. Participants of the Marathon Des Sables have been using the Original & the High UV Buff® to cope with […]

A side shot landscape photo of two people walking in the desert. They are participants of the Marathon Des Sables. A man in the centre is wearing a Original Buff® as face mask. A woman in the back is wearing a Original Buff® as neck cooler. It looks as if it is the end of the race and everybody is tired. The woman in the back is looking weak. The man in font still seems to have energy left. The photo was taken in 2003. Today the correct product for this race is the High UV Buff®. Source: buff.eu © Distributed for the promotion of the Original Buff® in outdoor / adventure

Sun & Extreme Heat Feel so much Better with a Cooling Face mask

This picture was taken during the 2003 Marathon Des Sables. It clearly shows that a Buff® Original can be used in extreme heat and sun to protect your face, even for sports. The participant is wearing the Buff® Original. At that time, the Buff® Coolnet® didn’t exist. It shows you how good the cooling ability […]

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Only Non-Toxic and Non-Itchy Ingredients – Oekotex Certified

8 December 2018 No Comments

The most dangerous way for a toxin to enter the body is not through the digestive system, but through the skin

Andreas Schimkus, former senior industry adviser to the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia's (TFIA)
A toddler wearing a Baby Buff® as a face mask. The toddler looks happy. Source: buff.eu
A Buff® passes the most stringent test for fabrics. Free of anything irritating or harmful for babies.

Did you know that fabric ingredients are grouped into toxic or safe and non-itchy?

The difference in costs is huge.

This article shows you how to spot the safe products and why Buff® headwear ticks the right boxes

What makes you itch?

There are 2 main reasons for fabrics itching.

The first is bacteria. Call it bad hygiene or simply fabrics that make you sweat and breed bacteria (cheap polyester beanie hat for example).

The second is toxic and irritating ingredients in making the fabric.

There are ingredients available that can not only make you itch but also severely impact your health.
These ingredients are on a list and banned in most 1st world countries.

How safe are we in Australia?

Not at all, unfortunately.

Australia has no tests or regulations regarding safe textile ingredients. You can import into Australia whatever you like.

This leads to Australia being the only 1st world country supplied with 3rd world quality clothing.
Whenever we mentioned in China that we are from Australia and want headwear that passes the Oekotex test, we heard something like, “Why do you want to waste money on Oekotex. You are from Australia. You do not need this …”.
We were quite shocked at first but got used to hearing it all the time.

Here is a nice article from Choice that goes into more detail
https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/everyday-shopping/clothing/articles/chemicals-in-clothing
My favourite quote is

Products that are made in China for the Australian market could not even be sent back to China, as many of them would not meet the Chinese product safety standards but are acceptable here.

Andreas Schimkus, former senior industry adviser to the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia's (TFIA)

How do you find safe and non-itchy clothing in Australia?

You look for the Oekotex® certificate.

Oekotex® is a worldwide testing standard for classifying the safety of clothing.

Just look out for something like the logo below. If you spend more money to make your product safe, you will have it tested. If you can’t find it, assume the worst.
Especially if it’s our beloved “The same, just cheaper…” products.

The logo of the Oekotex® 100 certification for babies (class1). Source: buff.eu
The logo of the Oekotex® 100 certification for babies (class1)

You can always go to the AITEX website and enter the test number. That will give you all the details of the test.

So what are Buff® tested to?

The more intensive the skin contact of a product and the more sensitive the skin, the stricter the human-ecological requirements that need to be complied with.

Oekotex® 100 website

All adult products are rated to class 2. This is the class for adults close to the skin clothing (underwear, socks, headwear,…)

All baby products are rated to class 1. The most stringent class.

You can find the logo of the Oekotex® 100 certification on the back of the Original Buff® packaging. Source: buff.eu
The logo of the Oekotex® Certification on the Original Buff®

Sources

Choice – Chemicals in Clothing

Oekotex® 100 webpage

Wikipedia – Oekotex® 100

UV/Sun Protection

6 December 2018 No Comments
Photomontage: Left image Cutout of a man with a severely sunburned face. © Jonny Hunter, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonnyhunter/3565036940/in/photostream/ Right image A flyfisher proudly displaying his catch. He is standing waist deep in salt water and he is wearing a High Uv Buff® as face mask. © Pat Ford
Ouch. That must hurt. The Buff® fabrics protect. (Jonny Butler / Pat Ford)

Sunburns hurt. Skin cancer can kill.

The Original EcoStretch and the Coolnet UV fabric give you UPF50 excellent protection (98% UV/Sun protection).

Scan of a UPF report issued by ARPANSA
Skin Cancer aware? If it’s not rated it will not protect you.

This is an example of a UPF report. It was performed by the founders of the UPF rating ARPANSA. Nowadays both Original EcoStretch and CoolnetUV fabrics are constantly monitored for their UPF rating at the factory. The testing company is Aitext Textile Research Institute.

BUFF® Original EcoStretch and CoolnetUV multifunctional headwear comes with a label stating the standard (AS/NZS 4399:1996), the UPF Rating and the testing laboratory.

Beware of UPF Claims without reference to the test!

We see a lot of tubular headwear that advertises sun protection claims but has no labels or mention of the test standard. Those claims are bogus. Why?

A thin fabric without a UPF rating cannot protect you from skin cancer.

For example, a T-shirt is only around UPF 6. That’s because it just filters out enough UVB to stop a sunburn. It will not stop you from getting skin cancer because it doesn’t filter out UVA enough.

UVA is harder to filter, and it goes deep into your skin, so the damage is not visible.

That’s where special dyes and other ingredients that absorb UVA and UVB satisfactorily enter the game. This function can only be tested and proven in a laboratory.

That’s why sun-protective clothing is more expensive than non-protective clothing.

So, if you see a tube with a UV protection claim that doesn’t clearly state the UPF rating with the testing standard and the testing laboratory, do yourself a favour and walk away.

Most Popular Use

 
Fly fisher holding a catch in the flats. He is wearing a High Uv Buff® as face mask. The cooling effect makes the face mask comfortable. © Pat Ford http://www.patfordphotos.com/. Licenced by Original Buff S.A for the promotion of the High Uv Buff®
Intense sun and heat. The BUFF® CoolnetUv fabric cools to make your sun protection comfortable (Pat Ford)

Fishing

The most popular application so far for sun protection. A face mask that you can wear in the heat.
All fishing professionals now wear the BUFF® CoolnetUV for this one reason: Replace sunscreen and still be skin cancer protected.

 

In the Snow

A man wearing a High Uv Buff® as face mask in the snow. He is in a ski resort. © unknown
Forgot your sunscreen? A BUFF® Original EcoStretch helps you out.

How often did you forget your sunscreen? I have tons of times.

  • Wear it as a face mask and you’re protected
  • Not sweating – It eases the biting wind

 

Travel

Halong Bay in Vietnam as seen from a kayak. The kayaker in front is wearing a High Uv Buff® as legionnaire style cap. Submitted to us as part of a testimonial. Copyright unknown
Long sun exposure during a great adventure. Good to have a protective and cooling BUFF® CoolnetUV as legionnaire cap with you.

You’re travelling and you have this opportunity to go on a tour. No cloud in the sky, and of course, you didn’t bring some specialized headgear with you. The BUFF® CoolnetUV tube as a legionnaire-style cap will give you protection.

 

Endurance Sports

A participant of the Marathon Des Sables running through the desert. He is wearing a custom made High Uv Buff® as face mask. Copyright is unknown. Distributed by Original Buff® S.A. for the promotion of Buff® products
Sunscreen sweating out, and there is no time to replace it. The BUFF® CoolnetUV protects. The fabric cools enough to wear in a desert.

Running events in the sun are a prime example. You’re sweating throughout the day, and no sunscreen will work for long. You also don’t have any time to apply sunscreen constantly.

Events like the Marathon des Sables have their custom-made BUFF® CoolnetUV for their participants. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than burning to crisps.

 

Limitations

They are thin fabrics so stretching them too much or wearing them thin over several years reduces the protection.

Sources

ARPANSA Resource Guide for UV Protective Products

Wikipedia – Ultraviolet

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