They are often colorful and creatively designed: Cotton masks, brand "self-made", are particularly popular in the pandemic and can be seen frequently in the pedestrian zones.

But mask does not equal mask. When choosing the right air filter, consumers should pay particular attention to ensuring a high level of protection for the environment, especially in these times. And the more breath-friendly and skin-friendly the mask, the greater the wearing comfort.

Although individually designed masks may be chic, they are inferior to high-quality disposable masks in many aspects. The European CE marking as a medical product provides consumers with certainty in terms of quality when making a purchase.​​​​​​​

High-quality disposable masks, such as the "Collectex" disposable masks from Freudenberg, can filter at least 98 percent of the relevant aerosols* and have low breathing resistance, so you can breathe very well underneath.

To achieve nearly this filtering performance with fabric masks, a very high number of textile layers would have to be placed on top of each other, so that comfortable breathing would no longer be possible. This makes disposable masks more suitable for protecting the environment in everyday life than masks made of common household materials.​​​​​​​

Unlike masks made of household textiles, certified disposable masks are made of a material specially manufactured for the purpose of filtration.

Not even one millimeter of mask thickness contains a whole lot of high technology:  Three layers of close-meshed fleece allow three filtering effects to work simultaneously: Due to the inertia effect, some aerosols cannot follow the airflow around the fibers and stick to them. With the diffusion effect, very small particles move irregularly in the air stream, so that they are very likely to touch the fibers. In addition, there is an electrostatic charge that attracts the droplets to the fibers, like a magnet.

The following video explains how a high-quality disposable mask works, using the Collectex mask from Freudenberg as an example:

The German Allergy and Asthma Association states: "Masks are worn for a long time, in addition, the users sweat under the mask and then, especially with colored fabric masks, skin reactions can occur. Dyes and other substances from the materials can leak out and cause skin irritation, redness and itching. "**

Guidance for consumers is provided by seals on packaging that confirm the product has been dermatologically tested.
 
*Over 98 percent bacterial filtration efficiency

**https://www.daab.de/blog/2020/05/hautprobleme-schutzmasken-und-desinfektionsmittel/