5 Smart Ways to Wear a Face Mask Under a Helmet

If you are planning to go on a road trip on your two-wheeler after the pandemic then it has become necessary to wear a face mask in addition to wearing a motorcycle safety helmet because of the apparent risk of contamination and contacting the virus. While that has become a part and parcel of the post-pandemic world, wearing a face mask in hot and humid conditions can be a chore especially when you're riding for long distances with the motorcycle helmet on your face already. Since you cannot compromise with your health, try these five smart ways using which you can keep the face mask on even when it's hot and humid outside.

Be smart about when and where to wear the face mask

When you are riding long distances on your motorcycle and you anticipate no human contact for a long distance you can safely put the mask away in your rear pocket or in the fuel tank luggage bag so that you have easy access to it whenever you need it. For most long distance riders wearing a face mask at all time is not necessary especially when you have a motorcycle helmet on your face which is very effective in deflecting air and other minute particles away from your face will stop having said that be sure to replace the the event filters in your helmet whenever you get a chance. Visit your nearest motorcycle helmet accessories shop and have it replaced. If you have been wearing the same helmet for many years it might be time to replace it with a new motorcycle helmet that comes equipped with the latest air ventilation technique and filters to reduce the effect of pollutants on your lungs.

Choose a light and breathable material

You can purchase a bunch of face masks at a very affordable cost even for high quality materials. When purchasing a face mask always make sure to pick light and breathable materials which are more convenient to keep on for long durations even under your helmet. The regular variety of cheap face masks are made of two layers of cotton clothes which do not have adequate ventilation. On the other hand, surgical masks have multiple layers which are more effective in keeping germs and airborne bacteria away but they might not have the proper ventilation which is necessary to wear under a helmet. Premium face masks are built with keeping all the basic things in mind such as facilitating good air flow and comfort.  The one key point that you need to check while purchasing a face mask is to see if it fits comfortably on the helmet because the padding inside might be a snug fit already. In that case go with surgical masks because they are very thin and set close your skin while protecting you from airborne pathogens.

Know How To Stay Cool

Staying cool under the helmet is a useful skill that every two-wheeler rider must know. Whenever you stop to take a break make sure to wash your face with cool water and splash some cool water on the eyes as well. Take off the face mask and replace it with another new face mask if it has been soaking sweat for long. Another technique that many motorcycle riders apply is to slightly wet their face masks before putting it on which gives them a better sense of cooling and here starts cooling the wet face mask as soon as they start riding. Good quality branded motorcycle helmets come with air ventilation systems on the front and you can open them up when you are riding in hot weather conditions.

Protect Your Skin From Humidity Problems

The fabric of the face mask can accumulate the stent sweat after wearing it for many hours which might cause skin disorder if you do not replace it frequently with a new one. In that case you can apply a little bit of aloe vera gel to give you a sense of coolness and also to protect the skin against infections and other disorders. One common problem with many long-distance motorcycle riders who used action cameras mounted on their helmets is that they end up blocking the ventilation system at the front which is necessary to keep the head dry.  If you use an action camera make sure to mount it at the top of the helmet rather than on the front so that the ventilation system stays unhindered allowing it to draw cool air from outside thereby reducing the problem of sweat accumulation on your face. When your face is relatively dry the risk of skin infection goes down significantly.

Try A Face-shield Instead

After you have completed your ride if you still feel the need to have facial protection, you can use a face shield instead. These are special personal protection equipment (PPE) which are made for healthcare service providers that look more less like a motorcycle helmet but without the outer shell. Face shields have a big visor in front which captures all airborne pathogens and other bacteria that might be incident from a sick person or from someone sneezing in front of you. Face shields are easy to carry because they do not occupy a lot of space and you can easily store one in your motorcycle luggage bag for special occasions when you don't feel like wearing a face mask.