What are facekinis that are in high demand in China amid rising heat?

As a heat wave sweeps the northern hemisphere, temperatures in China are reaching above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), with some regions experiencing surface temperatures as high as 80 degrees Celsius. Many residents and tourists have taken to carrying portable fans and covering themselves up to avoid getting a tan. Some hats even have fans built in. While many in Beijing have resorted to “facekinis,” making it the new hottest fashion trend. But what exactly are facekinis? Why it is suddenly high in demand in the neighbouring country? Let’s take a look. Also read: Why are sustained heatwaves dangerous to human health? How can we stay safe? Facekinis – a new sun protection gear Facekinis are full face masks with holes for the wearer’s eyes and nose. This summer, its sales have surpassed all previous records as more people are adopting it to cover their faces to prevent skin cancer and sunburns from ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. Although they are often composed of thin, synthetic textiles like polyester, they resemble balaclavas in certain ways. The idea of Facekinis is not new to China; it has long been popular there, especially in Qingdao, a beach-loving city in the northeast. [caption id=“attachment_12914092” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Mannequins with sun protection headgear are seen displayed at a store in a shopping mall, amid a yellow alert for a heatwave in Beijing, China. Reuters[/caption] Also read: Germany’s heatwave and the debate over siestas, explained It’s quite popular According to a salesperson, who gave her surname as Wang, in a shop that sells hats, “Compared to before the pandemic, two or three years ago, this year is much, much better than previous years. Sales volume is definitely up a lot this year.” “This product sells well because it covers the canthus, or the corner of the eye, where freckles may grow easily,” said Dong Wei, a vendor at Yiwu International Trade Market. According to Global News, she told China Central Television that her company has seen a 30 per cent year-over-year increase in facekini sales. Many female consumers in East Asia favour fair skin, and sun protection products are also popular in neighbouring countries such as South Korea. “The main concern I have is potential skin diseases or developing sunspots,” said 17-year-old student Li Xuyan who with her mother sported masks that covered most of her face when they visited a tourist area in Beijing. Chinese state television on Wednesday showed tourists taking selfies next to a 12-metre-tall thermometer that displayed a real-time surface temperature of 80 degrees Celsius at the scenic Flaming Mountains in Xinjiang. Also read: The Deadly Summer of 2023: Why long heatwaves are here to stay Sun protection gear sales are booming The trend has led to a boom in local brands that focus on sun protection products, such as Bananain, Beneunder and OhSunny. Other larger brands, such as Anta, Uniqlo, Lululemon and Decathalon have also added clothing such as UV-tinted hats and jackets to their local product assortment. Data from Shanghai-based China Insights Consultancy shows that China’s sun protection apparel market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4 per cent from 2021 to 2026, with the market size reaching 95.8 billion yuan ($13.24 billion) in 2026. [caption id=“attachment_12914102” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A man walks past sun protection headgear displayed at a store in a shopping mall, amid a yellow alert for heatwave in Beijing, China. Reuters[/caption] According to data from Alibaba Group’s Tmall shopping platform, during this year’s 618 shopping festival held last month, sales of “new generation” sun protection apparel grew 180 per cent year-on-year, with the number of pieces of sun protection gear purchased per consumer two to three times higher than in previous years. “Sunscreen blush masks” are also particularly popular, according to Tmall. The bottom half of the mask is white with pink at the top, so it appears the wearer has makeup on from a distance. Li Hongmei, a 26-year-old Beijing resident, said she’s a fan of such masks and also wears a sun protection jacket when going out. “During the pandemic, I didn’t put on makeup often because I’d wear a mask anyway,” she told Reuters as she browsed through a rack of sun protection clothing at Adidas. “Now I’m too lazy to return to makeup, I’d rather wear a sun protection mask and go out.” Chinese women were the first to adopt sun protection accessories, but today even men are using them to shield their skin. The country’s shopping website JD saw a year-over-year increase in sales of men’s sun-protective headgear of double. With inputs from Reuters