Fabric Mask for a Christmas Gift — in a Different Shade of Blue

The original biofunctional textile mask by Dr. Teo Wan Lin is available in 3 designs for a meaningful Christmas gift – in original CUIONS™ GOLD, OSMIUM BLUE™ both with 100% copper fibre for anti-ageing and collagen stimulation, and ZINCOOL™ “whiter than white” self-cleaning technology with sebum control and bactericidal properties for maskne.

This festive season, consider a meaningful Christmas gift for a loved one. Particularly, in the form of a beautiful, functional fabric mask in a dermatologist-approved design, with additional biofunctional benefits of treating maskne, eczema and ultraviolet protection. 

Biofunctional Textiles

“Biofunctional textiles with UPF, anti-oxidant and anti-ageing benefits may incentivise mask-wearing. Copper oxide polyesters are associated with reduced facial wrinkles, elevation of elastin, pro‐collagen 1 and TGF‐ß1 levels.  Silver, zinc oxide and copper oxide nanoparticle textiles have broad-spectrum biocidal properties that are therapeutic for dermatological conditions, besides reducing antibiotic resistance in acne treatment.1Dr. Teo Wan Lin, dermatologist & chief scientific officer of Dr.TWL Biomaterials.

The original anti-aging CUIONS™ textile technology in the ideal biofunctional face mask design by Dr. Teo Wan Lin now comes in the lustrous blue-black metallic finish of OSMIUM BLUE™ in time for a luxurious christmas gift of love for the 2020 festive year-end. The OSMIUM BLUE™ finish incorporates CUIONS™ copper nanoparticles in the original anti-aging fabric mask design, a novel special effects textile with proprietary technology by Dr. TWL Biomaterials’ material scientists.

biofunctional textile mask

In addition, these fabrics easily saturate with moisture, leading to accumulated stickiness sensation (ASM), significantly affecting breathability and skin comfort,” shares Dr. Teo.

osmiium blue fabric face mask christmas gift

 © Dr. TWL Biomaterials. Watch the full video. The OSMIUM BLUE™ finish is inspired by the lustrous blue-black metal osmium, which is also the rarest metal in the earth’s crust.

The biofunctional textile fabric masks by Dr. TWL Biomaterials marries both protection and comfort— they maintain waterproof properties equivalent to the surgical masks with instrumental tests performed when tested with up to 5mls of fluid-loading. In contrast, surgical masks, besides being environmentally sustainable, are also not skin-friendly, a leading cause of maskne, as the polyester-created skin micro-environment is highly occlusive, resulting in microbiome dysbiosis.1

The Osmium Blue™ Finish and Nanoparticle Treatment 

Osmium, with the symbol Os and the atomic number 76 in the periodic table of elements. It is also the most rare stable element in the Earth’s crust. Moreover, it is a lustrous compound which exists in a blue-black state in its purest form—a transition metal in the platinum family. Its special nanoparticle coating simultaneously reflects light from all angles with a blue-black metallic coating, presenting all different hues at once with a 3-D chameleon effect.

Do People Have a Thing for Bling?

Objects reflect light in different combinations of wavelengths, which our brain picks up and translates into the phenomenon we call color. Color is not inherent in all objects. Rather, the surface of the object absorbs some colors and reflects others. We perceive only the reflected colors.

Academics who research evolutionary aesthetics theorise that people show preference for shiny objects because innate “glossiness connotes water”. Silvia et al published in the journal of the Empiral Studies of the Arts in 2018, that people consistently preferred shiny over tarnished coins, and glossy copper bars over the tarnished and brushed ones. In short, after adjusting for potential confounders these findings seem to conclude that people do indeed seem to have a thing for bling.

The Science & Art of Metallic Color Perception 

Metallic colors have a very unique appearance of shine and glossiness. This makes it a perfect Christmas gift for the festive season. Their features include highlights, contrasts, and reflections on their surfaces. Brightness, luminance, shine and reflective ability are characteristics in metallic color perception. For us to perceive a color as a metallic color, it requires a certain amount of brightness and luminance.

Our perception of traditional gold, silver and copper is uniquely influenced by learned experiences- subjective across cultures depending on abundance of the respective metals in either their oxidized or non-oxidized forms. For example, in the daily lives of Japanese people, many gold or silver objects with various textures and glossiness may exist, but there are fewer copper items. Most observers associated a 10 yen coin as their reference for a copper colored object. However, most of the 10 yen coins circulated in Japan were an oxidized brown color, rather than the shiny color of copper. Therefore, in the study, a reddish color was perceived as a copper color more than the actual copper color due to the memory effect.

Metallic colors & their production

The visual sensation usually associated with metallic colors is in its shine. This cannot be reproduced by a single solid color. This is because the shiny effect is due to the metal’s surface reflection of surrounding objects. To illustrate, on metal surfaces, high radiance contrast occurs by reflecting the surrounding environment such as light sources and nearby objects. 

All atoms in a piece of metal share valence electrons (outer shell electrons) equally. These electrons are able to move freely over the whole piece of metal. Therefore, causing the metallic sheen we associate with metals. When a photon of light is absorbed by an electron near the top of the band, the electron absorbs more energy. Because metals are conductors of electricity, the absorbed light, which are electromagnetic waves, induces alternating currents on the metal’s surface. These currents transmit the photon that was absorbed back out of the metal. Hence, providing the strong reflection of a polished metal surface. 

The Science of Metallic Textiles and Heat Reflection

When an object absorbs and reflects light, the energy in that light transfers to that object and dissipates as heat. Heat can be transferred in many different ways, but one way is through infrared radiation. In general, shiny colored and metallic surfaces emit or absorb infrared radiation energy more slowly, since they reflect radiation1

Osmium Blue face mask - the perfect christmas gift

The festive Christmas gift giving season is associated with shiny, glossy house decorations and Christmas gifts-wrapped in sparkly packaging. Now how about adding some bling to your fabric mask gift for Christmas?

Inspiration from Space and Cosmic Stardust
In space, blue moons are observed when the atmosphere contains enough dust particles measuring specifically 900 nanometers-scattering red light.

The OSMIUM BLUE™ finish reflects light from all angles with a blue-black metallic nanoparticle coating, presenting all different hues at once under a single lighting with a 3-D chameleon-like holographic effect.

Color is about fashion, and it also affects your mood 

There is a close link between colors and emotions. Colors can make us feel happy or sad, hungry or relaxed. Psychological effects, cultural influence, and biological conditioning are what roots these reactions in us. 

Much of the evidence in this emerging area of psychology is largely anecdotal. But many researchers and experts have made a few significant discoveries and observations about the psychology of colours and its effect on mood and feelings. For example, red usually evokes a strong emotion. It has opposing emotional associations such as passion and love, as well as power and anger. Blue on the other hand, is often described as calm and serene, with dark blue associated with stability and reliability. In colour psychology, black is symbolic of mystery, power, elegance, and sophistication. Meanwhile, in physics and the light spectrum, black is the absence of colour.

color psychology behind osmium blue as a fabric mask for a christmas gift

The colour psychology behind the blue-black metallic finish of OSMIUM BLUE™.

And out of the darkness shall come the light

“I have long fancied creating my own shade of blue – my favourite colour. This year, in my work with metal nanoparticles, I imagined a shade transitioning with black- yet solemnly blue, with a metallic finish that reflects light from every single angle. A playful treat for the eyes, and changing like a chameleon from day to night. The OSMIUM BLUE™ nanoparticle face mask is engineered with a proprietary blue-black metallic finish. It is inspired by the element osmium, a transition metal in the periodic table of elements.

“2020 is a year of darkness and uncertainty. The paradox of darkness is that while it is the objective absence of light, our subjective perception allows us to contrast it to light, heightening our sensorial experiences. When I first started my work with biofunctional textiles- I originally intended it for treatment of skin diseases on the body, like eczema and body acne. It is poignant that it should be relevant today in the form of a fabric mask- a reminder of the deadly pandemic raging worldwide. When I worked amongst patients with infectious diseases as a  junior doctor, the masks we wore allowed us to care for those who needed us. Today, this simple garment worn by the public as a textile covering can protect another person, and can become rightly a symbol of hope and unity for all,” Dr. Teo Wan Lin.

Dr. TWL Biomaterials is a material science engineering arm of Dr. TWL Dermaceuticals, a cosmeceutical research company. It focuses on biofunctional textiles which have cosmeceutical effects. The OSMIUM BLUE™ and CUIONS™ are examples of unique reflective metallic finishes with nanoparticle incorporation.

References

1. Teo WL. Diagnostic and Management Considerations for ‘Maskne’ in the Era of COVID-19 [published online ahead of print, 2020 Oct 1]. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020;S0190-9622(20)32664-5. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2020.09.063

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