UNMASKED - The Mask Blog

What is indoor air pollution? 🤔
When thinking of air pollution, you might imagine fuel emissions from cars, smog and power plants.

But what about the pollution that is happening indoors?

The most dangerous indoor air pollutants are tobacco or second hand smoke, radon (a dangerous gas pollutant identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer) and volatile organic compounds or VOCs. These VOCs are emitted as gases and come from a number of sources – furniture, carpet, paint, plastic, perfume, paper, air fresheners and household cleaners – the products numbering in the thousands.

Living things can also create indoor air pollution such as mould, mildew, dust mites and airborne bacteria, causing human health problems that trigger allergies and even infectious diseases.

The best way to combat indoor air pollution is with adequate ventilation, particularly in your bathroom, which can become a breeding ground for mould and mildew as the shower, sink and toilet are in use throughout the day leaving surfaces wet.

If the air pollutants can escape from the inside, you can reduce the risk of inhaling them! 📣
A simple step you can take to remove mould is by cleaning the surfaces with air-friendly cleaning products like baking soda and water. Non-toxic cleaners are simple and easy to make yourself. Vinegar is a great disinfectant that can be used to clean shower curtains, grout, sinks and toilets. Try to keep the areas dry by using the exhaust fan, mopping up, and opening doors and windows.

The bathroom is also a place where you store household cleaning products, cosmetic products and pollute the air with nasty air fresheners, all containing volatile organic compounds. Both the wet areas and chemicals leave the air in your bathroom susceptible to contamination and unwanted allergy triggers.

Protect your air quality by ditching your air freshener. Traditional air freshener sprays contain high levels of phthalates, which are known to be especially harmful to children and are present in sprays which claim to be ‘all-natural’ and ‘unscented’. A chemical named dichlorobenzene, which has been linked to lung damage and is a known carcinogen, can also be found in the majority of air fresheners. It works by blocking the smell receptors in your nose and eliminates your sense of smell.

Give your family and the environment peace of mind by using a bathroom spray like Mask 🙌🏻
Mask Fragrances are 100% paraben and phthalate free. The revolutionary formulation all but eliminates allergic and asthmatic reactions giving you another way to clear your bathroom air.

Shop our latest fragrances here.

These simple steps can help your vulnerable bathroom to better air quality and to ensure a healthy environment for you and your family.

Stuck for a last minute gift for a loved one? Need to find something for that ‘hard to buy for’ friend? Want to inject some fun into the work place? 🤔
Why not try a different gift idea. One that will have your family, friends or co-workers talking about it for seasons to come! 

👉🏻 Here are 5 excellent ideas to keep you off the naughty list! 😍

Potted Plant 🌿 
Bathrooms look beautiful when decorated with lush plants and are a gift that keep on giving – but it can be tricky to find a plant that thrives in the low light, high humidity, and warm temperatures. Aloe Vera is difficult to kill and the gel can be used as a topical treatment for minor cuts and burns, insect bites, and dry skin. An elegant orchid will give your loved one’s bathroom a luxury spa feel. And the high humidity mirror’s the orchids natural environment.

Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker 🎼
For the tech savvy person in your life, why not give them a waterproof speaker that they can hang from or suction to the shower. The current offering of waterproof wireless speakers are smarter than ever. The top models will not only play your loved one’s favorite tunes, but also charge their mobile devices, and can provide additional functions when connected to a smartphone app.

Over Tub Caddy 🛁
What better way is there for your loved one to retreat from the hectic pace of Christmas and enjoy the sanctuary of their bathroom, than with a bath. Sinking down into a hot tub just became all the more enjoyable. Over tub caddy’s now come with book and ipad rests, extendable sides and non-spill wine glass holders, 5 star living in your own home!

Subscription Services 🗓
Left it too late to hit the shops? Why not consider a subscription for your friends or family. A subscription service, be it a beauty box, a wine club, their favourite magazine, a book club or pet package will show that special person on your list that you care about them each and every month of the year.

Mask Toilet Spray 🚽
The team at Mask has developed a whole new range of toilet sprays - featuring unique scents like Salted Caramel Ice Cream and Baked Strawberry Donut for the ones who love it sweet! Campfire Smoke and 50 Shades are also new in the shop - the perfect masculine fragrances for the hubby!
Our scents come beautifully packaged as a 3 or 6 pack in an eco-friendly box that’s fit for any stocking. Put together your absolute favourite sprays via our brand new pick and pack option on our website! Chic enough to give to the home styling enthusiast, or a little bit of cheer for first time Mask users. Mask is sprayed before using the toilet, it’s discreet and will effectively stop embarrassing odors.

We hope this helps and we wish you all a safe and happy festive season! 🎄

Smell is one of our most primal senses and significantly affects how we experience life.
It is processed in the limbic system, which is the emotional center of the brain. Our perception of scent is therefore very personalized and is intertwined with our memories.

Citrus notes like lime can often bring up strong memories. What does the scent of lime conjure for you? Perhaps it’s a reminder of the cool breeze and sunshine in an orchard, relaxing on a tropical vacation or enjoying grandma’s famous key lime tart as a child.

Qualities of lime fragrance 🍋
As well as bringing back memories like these, the scent of lime can have these effects on you:

👉🏻 Stimulating the mind and inviting creativity
👉🏻 Uplifting and balancing your emotions for a positive effect on mood
👉🏻 Having a sense of freshness and cleanliness

How to inject lime into your bathroom 🛁
The bathroom is the ideal place to reap the benefits of the invigorating fragrance of lime.

Lime essential oil can be used as a cleaner, thanks to its natural antibacterial and cleansing properties. Use it to clean your bathroom of any sticky, oily or greasy spots. It also neutralizes odor making it the ideal air freshener, which is why we love it so much here at Mask! 

Take a lime essential oil bath if you’re feeling listless or suffering from sore, tired muscles. Lime can often be overlooked in favor of floral fragrances, but it’s crispness provides a distinct, yet complementary scent.

Try this lime essential oil bath recipe:
👉🏻 3 drops lime essential oil
👉🏻 3 drops sweet fennel essential oil
👉🏻 3 drops grapefruit essential oil
👉🏻 2 drops full cream milk to aid oil dispersal

Enhance the atmosphere of your bathroom by teaming these uses of lime essential oil with Coconut🥥 & Lime🍋 Mask bathroom spray for odour neutralization and zesty freshness!

Enjoy! 🖤

We have all become hyper-aware of the apparent harmful substances that manufacturers have managed to smuggle into an alarming number of everyday items. Staying informed is the first step to avoiding the purchase of these common products, and we will help you figure out how to select the good from the bad.

What are Parabens and Phthalates? 🤔
👉🏻 Parabens are a type of common preservative used in an array of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. They are historically very popular among manufacturers, due to their low cost and efficiency in a variety of formulas, even being used as food additives.

👉🏻 Phthalates are industrial solvents used as plasticizers to increase flexibility and durability in products like PVC, making them last longer, thus adding “value for money”, but also as binding agents for cosmetics and other hair and beauty products.


What are the health dangers of Parabens and Phthalates in the home? 🤔
Although still a commonly disputed theory, Parabens and Phthalates have been causing some worry in the cancer research field. The fact that the chemicals are easily traced in the blood and urine of test subjects who had applied lotions containing parabens only a few hours before, is making researchers want to take a second look at where prolonged paraben-exposure will lead to in the future. This is prompting many manufacturers themselves to put in the time and research to find replacements for the much-disputed chemicals – a necessary task, since parabens have also been blamed for many other health issues, such as allergic reactions, male infertility, endocrine disruption and other cancers.

What products commonly use Parabens and Phthalates? 🤔
Products containing parabens include moisturizers, anti-aging creams, foundations and any other beauty products that might be exposed to bacteria and therefore needs a bacteria-killing preservative, but are also found in foods such as sauces, jams, pickles, frozen dairy products, desserts, processed vegetables and meats and many more. As for phthalates, these are commonly found in various household items such as food containers, shower curtains, upholstery, floor tiles and cleaning materials, but have also found usage in the production of moisturizers, nail polish, hair products and soaps.

⚠️ Here’s a tip: if you can’t pronounce the name of an ingredient, it is time to look it up!

Here’s a list of ingredients you should avoid:
👉🏻  Phthalate
👉🏻  DEP
👉🏻  DBP
👉🏻  DEHP
👉🏻  Methylparaben
👉🏻  Butylparaben
👉🏻  Propylparaben 
👉🏻  Isobutylparaben (and honestly, any item that ends with –paraben)

As you go along and investigate the existing products in your home for these harmful chemicals, you will notice that they are everywhere and hard to avoid completely. However, due to world consumers now paying closer attention and redirecting their purchases towards greener, “cleaner” products, thankfully, many brands are now providing better and therefore “paraben-free” options for their customers.

As an health and environment-conscious brand, Mask Fragrances are 100% paraben and phthalate free, allowing you to safely eliminate any unwanted odors in your home.

Ever noticed that the homes of others smell like beautiful candles while some smell well, not so fresh? Ever had the thought ‘why can’t I smell my own home?’

Well, it turns out your brain is to blame for you becoming used to the smells around you 🧠
Environmental odours travel through your nose, to your odour receptors - this is how you smell things. The receptors then signal to the same part of your brain that is also responsible for determining threats, to decide what to do with them.

If the smell is pleasant and the brain decides there is no ‘threat’ associated, these receptors ‘calm down’ and your brain decides the smell needs little attention, your ability to detect that odour diminishes, and you become used to it.

This means the odour in your home seems to go on unchanged, until you return from a week away… this is your chance to smell your home like a guest would.
So maybe your home might have always smelt that way and your brain is to blame!

And if you are worried, here’s some good news…

Everyone’s place has a smell. It’s just up to you how you want to capture the essence of your home.

Air freshener sprays are ineffective, as they only contribute to those foul odours.

Mask offers a room spray that is a vital addition to your home, as it gets to those odour problems before they even begin ☺️
With a range of scents to choose from you can evoke dreams of beachside siestas to inviting spring gardens.

In just a drop you can be assured of no lingering smells in the bathroom and beyond.

Instead, you and your guests will be greeted at the door every time by refreshing scents, so you too can be on the ‘home beautiful’ list.