Would you wear a Facekini?

[kenny]

http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/08/the-latest-chinese-beach-craze-face-kini.html

I would.
I hate what the sun does to my skin.
Actually I never go to the beach because of the sun, but this might open up a new experience for me.

Sure, I'd look silly but nobody would recognize me.
I don't think I'd wear it to the airport or the bank though.

SNIP ...

The Latest Chinese Beach Craze – Face-kini

A new kind of swimwear trend is sweeping the Chinese beaches in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province. As the weather get hotter, both men and women are seen appearing on the beaches wearing full body suits that cover from head to toe. The upper part of the swimsuit has a ski-mask with holes cut out at appropriate places to leave the eyes, nose and mouth exposed, giving the wearer an odd Lucha libre look. The Netizens are calling the swimwear "face-kinis”

The mask are a way for Chinese bathers to protect their skin from the sunburn, but it turns out that they are equally handy at repelling insects and jellyfish.

Unlike in western culture, women in Asian countries don’t like to get a tan particularly in the face. Tan is often seen as a connection to outdoor work and peasantry who toil in the sun. Fair skin, on the other hand, is associated with aristocracy and seen as a sign of feminine beauty unscathed by the indignities of manual labor. Preserving one's pale skin, which is an obsession across Asia, is encouraged in many Asian culture and cosmetic products that caters to this belief is a booming industry. Drugstore shelves across Asia bulge with rows of creams and cosmetic that promises natural-looking fair hue.

Facekinis started as a do-it-yourself garment that women made at home using scraps of fabric and a sewing machine, but now they can be found at swimwear shops for 15 to 25 yuan ($2.40 to $4.00) each.

 

[Gypsy]

Wow.

Stunned to silence over here.

 

[yennyfire]

Ummm.....as someone who's dealt with skin cancer, I'm all for protecting myself, but that's taking it a little far...though knowing it repels jellyfish might be enough to lure me into one....I'm terrified of jellyfish!!

 

[minousbijoux]

Wouldn't it be really hot? I don't know...how about using a hat/umbrella/tree?

 

[Gypsy]

This is my question: Why even go outside if you are going to wear long sleeves and a face mask. Just stay in doors and buy bigger windows.

Makes no sense to me.

 

[kenny]

To sharks we'd look like yummy gummy bears.

 

[jaysonsmom]

I would not, and neither would I subject my daughter to it! This just irks me to death because I have a "dark-skinned" daughter, and any Asian that we come across makes all kinds of hurtful remarks about her skin color, such as "she'd be beautiful if you didn't let her get so dark". They can't believe that as an "Asian Mom", that I don't try to her achieve her ultimate whiteness. FYI she is natually darker skinned, even on the parts that don't get exposed. My cousin even tried to sell me whitening lotion for my daughter! It's just SICK! Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and color!

 

[ForteKitty]

Um... Wouldn't they look like pandas? The skin around their eyes and nose and mouth would still tan.

 

[kenny]

I would not, and neither would I subject my daughter to it! This just irks me to death because I have a "dark-skinned" daughter, and any Asian that we come across makes all kinds of hurtful remarks about her skin color, such as "she'd be beautiful if you didn't let her get so dark". They can't believe that as an "Asian Mom", that I don't try to her achieve her ultimate whiteness. FYI she is natually darker skinned, even on the parts that don't get exposed. My cousin even tried to sell me whitening lotion for my daughter! It's just SICK! Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and color!

I'm very light-skinned and can't tell you how many times I've been told I "need" to get some sun.
I don't let it bother me too much, it's just the culture I live in.
I just let such comments roll off me like water on a duck's back.
I'm not a lemur and don't have a smart phone, air conditioning, a nice car and a zillion other so-called "necessities".
Think for yourself and let the lemurs race off the cliff.

For me health is more important than appearance.
For people who patronize tanning booths the opposite is their reality.
Too much sun harms health, as in cancer, and accelerates the aging of your skin.
But being the 'right' color gets you social acceptance in a group that values that skin tone.
To each their own.

 

[Gypsy]

Um... Wouldn't they look like pandas? The skin around their eyes and nose and mouth would still tan.

Good point.

I get being healthy, wearing sunscreen, etc. I do not get this.

As for white as the standard of beauty.

Let me tell you: I am middle eastern, often whiter is better, and my mom disliked it when I got a tan. I'm not naturally dark, or white just olive and medium fair. I tan easily and rarely burn (unless I'm in Australia, in which case all bets are off even with my pigmentation).

None of real friends or the men that truly cared for me ever gave a hoot. Neither does my husband.

If the color of your skin matters that much to another person. It's their issue. Don't own it. Don't react to it. Just walk away.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Kenny, and Gypsy,
You're right, I need to walk away. Usually I do not react well. What pains me is that they say things in front of my daughter, and make her feel she is not as good as someone with fairer skin.

I hope the crazy facekini people do end up like pandas because they are probably the type to comment about my daughter's skin!

 

[anne_h]

Yes, I could entertain wearing this. Mainly because I don't like to tan and also hate wearing sunscreen (but do anyways). In summer I can never seem to avoid the sun enough. I'm a big hat wearer.

Anne

 

[monarch64]

One of these might be a bit more realistic:

http://www.buffusa.com/sports/collections/uv-buff-reg/styles/filter/sun-protection

You can wear it as a balaclava so that most of your face, head, and neck is covered. They're actually really useful, good for all types of outdoor activities. Sunglasses would help complete the protection.

Edited for clarity.

 

[iLander]

There are many Asians that want to be pale. My DD has an Asian friend that uses this stuff (see pic) religiously. DD wanted to ask me what it was for (hence the pic), and I explained that her roomie doesn't want to look like an outside worker. I explained that it likely doesn't work well, or takes a long time to work, and is probably a mild peroxide solution (DD and I have a chemist tendency and discuss formulas a lot. Yup. Geeks.). My African-American friends also frequently wear sunscreen. Lots of people dislike the sun and it's effects on skin.

I wonder if there is a huge Asian market for sunblock. How can I make money on that?

 

[ForteKitty]

iLander, you're too late. :p The Asian market is eons beyond sunblock alone. They have whitening-everything products everywhere these days.

 

[Circe]

Kenny, and Gypsy,
You're right, I need to walk away. Usually I do not react well. What pains me is that they say things in front of my daughter, and make her feel she is not as good as someone with fairer skin.

I hope the crazy facekini people do end up like pandas because they are probably the type to comment about my daughter's skin!

How unfortunate that they're compounding their bigotry by inflicting it on a *child.*

For what it's worth - I don't know how old your daughter is, so this might be a for-the-future suggestion - but just staring at people who say stupid things, for as long and as blankly as possible, before saying something like "... I'm not following you," or "Say more?" tends to eventually make them realize how dreadful they sound. Something about explaining twittery robs it of its power.

That, or just saying, "My, what a silly thing to say" and walking away. It sounds like the *least* they deserve. I applaud you for keeping your temper in the face of such provocation.

 

[Circe]

And as for the facekini (which, amusingly for a diamond board, my autocorrect insists must be a misspelling of "faceting") ... uh, no. Life is just too short for this nonsense. I am not going to let vanity rob me of my joy in the world. Not when it comes to my hair drizzling in the humidity, not when it comes to that last cupcake, and *certainly* not when it comes to the sybaritic pleasure of feeling the sun on my skin.

Of course, I may be the wrong person to ask: if I can remember to apply sunscreen *at the beach* I'm having a good day. Whenever I read one of those magazine articles about people who look like they're 20 at 40 because of their religious application of sunscreen, all I can think is "HOW?" It needs to be reapplied throughout the day! I even buy the lipstick that lasts 8 hours! How do they find the TIME?

 

[iLander]

iLander, you're too late. :p The Asian market is eons beyond sunblock alone. They have whitening-everything products everywhere these days.

Awww, man! Just when I thought I was going to make it big.

 

[movie zombie]

I can say no I would not.
btw, lips get cancer, too......

 

[packrat]

pppft heck no I would not wear that. They look like insane terrorists. I do, however, like how I look w/a tan. I hate being glow in the dark so white my legs have a lavender tint to them. Seeing all the veins and weirdness. Ick. I've not tanned in a bed for 12 years. I'd do spray tans if it wasn't something you didn't have to do all the time and if it wouldn't come off on clothes and in water. So, meh, I'm lavender. But I don't look like something you'd want to usher your kids behind you and give the narrow side eye of suspicion.

 

[AprilBaby]

I would wear it to trick or treat!

 

[artdecogirl]

Interesting look and I agree with packrat, they look like terrorists and the idea of trying to lighten the color of the skin you are born with for fashion or appearance of socioeconomic status is abhorrent to me, all that being said.... I am a fair skinned auburn haired girl who had my first basal cell carcinoma removed when I was in my 20's, most sunscreens cause me to break out in lovely red rashes not to mention the constant reapplications needed and I love the beach, I could swim in that thing all day and not have to keep applying or to deal with the rash the next day, now if I could just deal with the kids running screaming from me (the whole terrorist thing).

 

[momhappy]

I would never wear that. Ever.
In my youth, I was a sun worshiper and my skin shows it. It'a a regret of mine and one of those if-I-had-known-then-what-I-know-now sort of things. I religiously wear sunscreen and stay out of the sun as much as possible. I still go to the beach, pool, etc., but now I wear a good quality SPF, a visor/hat, and I stay under an umbrella as much as possible. The facekini, however, is just too much.

 

[Polished]

It looks like the face coverings people who have suffered burns have to wear. No reason though why their use (in light cotton) couldn't be extended for sun sensitive people. I wouldn't use one though. At the beach we're more of a go for a swim, a short walk then straight back home for refreshments and a good read types. Besides I'm low on vitamin D so a little sun exposure is good for me.

 

[CJ2008]

I'd be tempted to wear it for all the reasons Kenny mentioned...

But I wouldn't...

I'd be embarrassed to stick out to that extent. And DH would kill me he already thinks I'm sometimes ridiculous with the sunscreen - I put up with looking a little ghostly or shiny sometimes knowing my skin is protected.

 

[Ninna]

No, a big hat/suncreen is enough for me. Many Japanese woman here wear gloves for driving 24/7 and even wear hooded jackets for swimming. How? I don't know.

 

[Ximena]

That would scare the kid

 

[lulu]

Forget the beach. This could be the answer to all my beauty issues! But I would want it to match my outfit.

 

[CJ2008]

This could be the answer to all my beauty issues!

 

[missy]

No, never lol. That is taking sun protection a bit too far.

Jaysonsmom, that's awful that people say that to you and in front of your daughter as well. What the heck is wrong with people. Stupid stupid stupid. In a way it's ironic-people love to criticize. I used to get criticized for being too pale and others get criticized for being too dark. Why can't people just mind their own business and manage their own lives.

Interesting look and I agree with packrat, they look like terrorists and the idea of trying to lighten the color of the skin you are born with for fashion or appearance of socioeconomic status is abhorrent to me, all that being said.... I am a fair skinned auburn haired girl who had my first basal cell carcinoma removed when I was in my 20's, most sunscreens cause me to break out in lovely red rashes not to mention the constant reapplications needed and I love the beach, I could swim in that thing all day and not have to keep applying or to deal with the rash the next day, now if I could just deal with the kids running screaming from me (the whole terrorist thing).

artdecogirl, I have this same problem and sunscreen that contains only physical UV filters (Titanium dioxide and/or Zinc Oxide) are the way to go. I break out with any other kind i.e. chemical UV filters like Octylcrylene,Avobenzone, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Oxybenzone, Homosalate,Helioplex etc.

I love being outdoors and am extremely photosensitive (I have polymorphic L.E. as well as rosacea and being exposed to UV rays worsen both but especially the PLE) and physical sunscreen has been a lifesaver. Not to mention keeping my face pretty much wrinkle free so far. And I love big hats too.
HTH!

I was wondering the same thing about the panda look. Maybe the people who wear the facekini's like that look LOL.