Chinese woman suffers red, itchy skin after extreme full-face coverage, sunscreen use

A Chinese woman developed rashes and itching after applying extreme sun protection measures, including wearing a sunscreen product that covers her whole face.The woman from eastern China’s Jiangsu province was recently reported to have developed red and itchy skin while travelling.She applied sun cream before wearing a hat and mask that covers her whole face, to screen herself from the strong sunlight.At the end of the day, she felt hot and had redness on her facial skin. The next morning, itchy rashes developed on her face.Three women wearing so-called facekinis to cool off while they bathe in the sea in China. Photo: Getty ImagesA doctor at the Nantong" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="150273" data-entity-type="organization">Sixth People’s Hospital of Nantong said that the woman’s symptoms were a typical skin irritation reaction which resulted from her full-face sun protection.Her facial skin had been enclosed in a hot and humid environment for a long time and could not breathe.The full-face coverage is an increasingly popular sun protection measure in China.A one-piece hat and mask that covers the whole face except for the eyes is the bestseller among sun protection products on China’s e-commerce platforms, and it is often sold by big brands.A woman smiles as she applies sunscreen to a little girl on a beach in Hainan, China. Photo: Getty ImagesThey are advertised to offer “fully-armed” sun protection and often use cooling fabric to balance the clothing’s comfort.Some also thoughtfully improved the design to avoid scratching off make-up, or used hyaluronic acid-infused fabric to offer extra skin nourishment.These full-face covers are nicknamed “facekinis” which used to be the name of kitschy floral-patterned full-face masks worn by middle-aged Chinese women at the seaside, which went viral a decade ago.In 2024, a B2B seller in Yiwu Market told Workers’ Daily that they sold over 40,000 facekinis in a day.Further ReadingSummer sun protection has been a massive mainstream industry in China.This is due to the widespread preference for pale skin and the belief that ultraviolet (UV) rays damage the skin and might cause skin cancer.Three girls wearing hats on Sanya beach in front of modern buildings in Hainan, China. Photo: ShutterstockPeople are also increasingly recognising that physical sun protection, such as covering up the face, is a more effective measure than sunscreen.According to iiMedia Research, the sun protection clothing market size in China was 67.5 billion yuan (US$10 billion) in 2022 and is expected to be 95.8 billion yuan (US$14 billion) this year.Doctors said that full-face coverage could be an excessive protection measure that not only causes skin allergies, but also blocks the body from receiving sunlight to produce adequate vitamin D.They advise people to use lighter and breathable physical sun protection measures, such as an umbrella, and avoid outdoor activities from 10am to 4pm on hot summer days.