Abstract
The surgical face mask (SFM) is a sheet medical device covering the mouth, nose and chin to protect the medical staff from the spread of respiratory droplets produced by the infective coughing or sneezing of hospitalized patients. On the other hand the beauty face mask (BFM) has been made by the same sheet but with a different aim—to protect the skin from pollution, acting as a hydrating and rejuvenation agent. Currently, both masks are made principally by non-biodegradable tissues, utilized to avoid the increasing great pollution invading our planet. Due to the diffusion of the current COVID-19 infection rate and the increasing consumption of skin care and beauty products, the waste of these masks, made principally by petrol-derived polymers, is creating further intolerable waste-invaded land and oceans. After an introduction to the aims, differences and market of the various masks, their productive means and ingredients are reported. These news are believed necessary to give the reader the working knowledge of these products, in the context of the bioeconomy, to better understand the innovative tissues proposed and realized by the biobased and biodegradable polymers. Thus, the possibility of producing biodegradable SFMs and BFMs, characterized for their effective antimicrobial and skin repairing activities or hydrating and antiaging activity, respectively. These innovative smart and biodegradable masks are requested from the majority of consumers oriented towards a future green environment. Giving this new sense of direction to their production and consumption, it will be possible to reduce the current waste, ranging worldwide at about 2 billion tons per year.
Highlights
Surgical face masks (SFMs) and beauty face masks (BFMs) are products made by specialized tissues that have the basic aim of protecting the face from the aggression of microorganisms and pollutants, respectively [1,2]
BFM would catch dirt and pollution, providing the contemporary fast deep hydration, replenishment and rejuvenation of the skin, with the aim to ameliorate its general health and appearance [2]. Both the masks are currently produced by layers made generally by fossil-based spun-bond and melt-blown non-woven tissues, or by emerging techniques such as electrospinning or texturized film extrusion technologies [3]
By petrol-derived chemistry, many new plastic polymers have been synthesized to produce tissues. Natural polymers such as polysaccharide and biobased polymers synthesized from renewable monomers, such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), seem to be a valid alternative to these fossil based versions, as well as polymers obtained by microorganisms like poly(hydroxyalcanoate) (PHA)
Summary
Surgical face masks (SFMs) and beauty face masks (BFMs) are products made by specialized tissues that have the basic aim of protecting the face from the aggression of microorganisms and pollutants, respectively [1,2]. BFM would catch dirt and pollution, providing the contemporary fast deep hydration, replenishment and rejuvenation of the skin, with the aim to ameliorate its general health and appearance [2] Both the masks are currently produced by layers made generally by fossil-based spun-bond and melt-blown non-woven tissues, or by emerging techniques such as electrospinning or texturized film extrusion technologies [3]. They are tissue-engineered products, emerging from the convergence of different health care disciplines such as biological science, nanotechnology, material science, information technology, etc. The present review wants to give to the reader some general information and views on the use of biobased materials in these applications
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