Facial mask

Abstract

A facial mask includes a mask body impregnated with a cosmetic composition and a composition retention structure for retaining the cosmetic composition in the mask body. The mask body includes a facial mask layer and a holding device including at least two ear mask layers integrally extended from two side portions of the facial mask layer and/or a chin mask layer integrally extended from a bottom portion of the facial mask layer, adapted for overlaying on the skin surfaces of the face, the ears and/or the chin of the user respectively for skin care treatment of the facial skin surface of the user while the holding device is adapted for wearing the facial mask layer on the user's face by holding to the ears of the user.

Claims

1. A method of wearing a facial mask which comprises a mask body comprising at least a facial mask layer and two ear mask layers extended from two sides of said facial mask layer respectively, wherein said method comprises steps of: placing said facial mask layer on a face of a user for overlaying said facial mask layer on a skin surface of the face of the user, wherein said facial mask layer has one or more openings positioned and shaped corresponding to the face of the user, wherein said one or more openings include at least one of a mouth opening and two eye openings and each of said one or more openings has a flip portion formed on said facial mask layer with a U-shaped cut; pulling said two ear mask layers sidewardly and hanging said two ear mask layers to two ears of the user respectively by passing the ears of the user through two ear wearable slots provided in said two ear mask layers respectively so as to wear said facial mask layer to fittingly cover the skin surface of the face of the user; overlaying said two ear mask layers on rear ear skin surfaces of the two ears of the user respectively by folding said two ear mask layers to cover the rear skin surfaces of the ears of the user respectively, wherein said mask body has a plurality of composition retention apertures formed in said facial mask layer, at least a thickened retention brim integrally formed at said facial mask layer to encircle around each of said composition retention apertures, and a plurality of tension bridges each of which integrally extend between one side of said retention brim to an opposed side thereof to across said composition retention aperture, wherein said thickened retention brim is thicker than said mask body such that a thickness of said thickened retention brim is larger than a thickness of said mask body, such that said thickened retention brim enhances an absorption of a cosmetic composition being retained within said composition retention aperture and provides a greater surface tension of said cosmetic composition within said composition retention aperture; and folding said flip portion of said one of said one or more openings to open up said corresponding opening, such that a double amount of a cosmetic composition impregnated in said flip portion and said facial mask layer is provided.

2. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein said mask body further comprises a chin mask layer extended from a bottom portion of said facial mask layer, further comprising a step of: folding said chin mask layer inwardly and pulling two side wing portions of said chin mask layer sidewardly to overlay said chin mask layer on a chin skin surface of the user.

3. The method, as recited in claim 2, further comprising a step of: extending said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer toward the two ears of the user and hanging said two side wing portions on the two ears of the user by passing the two ears of the user through two holding slots of the two side wing portions of the chin mask layer respectively so as to securely hold said chin mask layer and said facial mask layer in position.

4. The method, as recited in claim 2, further comprising steps of: when said side wing portions of said chin mask layer is not long enough to reach the ears of the user, connecting said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer with a connector, by connecting said connector through two holding slots of said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer, so as to securely hold said chin mask layer and said facial mask layer in position; and when said side wing portions of said chin mask layer is long enough, tying up said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer to directly wrap said chin mask layer around a neck of the user.

5. A method of wearing a facial mask which comprises a mask body comprising at least a facial mask layer and two ear mask layers extended from two sides of said facial mask layer respectively, wherein said method comprises steps of: placing said facial mask layer on a face of a user for overlaying said facial mask layer on a skin surface of the face of the user, wherein said facial mask layer has one or more openings positioned and shaped corresponding to the face of the user, wherein said one or more openings include at least one of a mouth opening and two eye openings and each of said one or more openings has a flip portion formed on said facial mask layer with a U-shaped cut; pulling said two ear mask layers sidewardly and hanging said two ear mask layers to two ears of the user respectively by passing the ears of the user through two ear wearable slots provided in said two ear mask layers respectively so as to wear said facial mask layer to fittingly cover the skin surface of the face of the user; overlaying said two ear mask layers on rear skin surfaces near the rear portions of the two ears of the user respectively by extending said two ear mask layers to cover the rear skin surfaces near the rear portions of the two ears of the user respectively, wherein said mask body has a plurality of composition retention apertures formed in said facial mask layer, at least a thickened retention brim integrally formed at said facial mask layer to encircle around each of said composition retention apertures, and a plurality of tension bridges each of which integrally extend between one side of said retention brim to an opposed side thereof to across said composition retention aperture, wherein said thickened retention brim is thicker than said mask body such that a thickness of said thickened retention brim is larger than a thickness of said mask body, such that said thickened retention brim enhances an absorption of a cosmetic composition being retained within said composition retention aperture and provides a greater surface tension of said cosmetic composition within said composition retention aperture; and folding said flip portion of said one of said one or more openings to open up said correspondingly opening, such that a double amount of a cosmetic composition impregnated in said flip portion and said facial mask layer is provided.

6. The method, as recited in claim 5, wherein said mask body further comprises a chin mask layer extended from a bottom portion of said facial mask layer, further comprising a step of: folding said chin mask layer inwardly and pulling two side wing portions of said chin mask layer sidewardly to overlay said chin mask layer on a chin skin surface of the user.

7. The method, as recited in claim 6, further comprising a step of: extending said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer toward the two ears of the user and hanging said two side wing portions on the two ears of the user by passing the two ears of the user through two holding slots of the two side wing portions of the chin mask layer respectively so as to securely hold said chin mask layer and said facial mask layer in position.

8. The method, as recited in claim 6, further comprising steps of: when said side wing portions of said chin mask layer are not long enough to reach the two ears of the user, connecting said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer with a connector, by connecting said connector through two holding slots of said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer, so as to securely hold said chin mask layer and said facial mask layer in position; and when said side wing portions of said chin mask layer is long enough, tying up said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer to directly wrap said chin mask layer around a neck of the user.

9. A method of wearing a facial mask which comprises a mask body comprising at least a facial mask layer, two ear mask layers extended from two sides of said facial mask layer respectively and a chin mask layer extended from a bottom portion of said facial mask layer, wherein the method comprises steps of: placing said facial mask layer on a face of a user for overlaying said facial mask layer on a skin surface of the face of the user, wherein said facial mask layer has one or more openings positioned and shaped corresponding to the face of the user, wherein said one or more openings include at least one of a mouth opening and two eye openings and each of said one or more openings has a flip portion formed on said facial mask layer with a U-shaped cut; pulling said two ear mask layers sidewardly and hanging said two ear mask layers to two ears of the user respectively by passing the ears of the user through two ear wearable slots provided in said two ear mask layers respectively so as to wear said facial mask layer to fittingly cover the skin surface of the face of the user; folding said flip portion of said one of said one or more openings to open up said correspondingly opening, such that a double amount of a cosmetic composition impregnated in said flip portion and said facial mask layer is provided; folding said chin mask layer inwardly and pulling two side wing portions of said chin mask layer sidewardly to overlay said chin mask layer on a chin skin surface of the user; when said side wing portions of said chin mask layer are not long enough to reach the two ears of the user, connecting said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer with a connector, by connecting said connector through two holding slots of said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer, so as to securely hold said chin mask layer and said facial mask layer in position; and when said side wing portions of said chin mask layer is long enough, tying up said two side wing portions of said chin mask layer to directly wrap said chin mask layer around a neck of the user.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the facial mask according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the facial mask according to an alternative mode of the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the facial mask according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the user wearing the facial mask.

(4) FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the facial mask according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the composition retention structure.

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of the facial mask applied to the user according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the facial mask worn on the face of a user by looping and hanging at the ear of the user.

(6) FIG. 5A is a rear view of the facial mask applied to the user according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the covering of the rear skin surfaces near the rear portions of the ears of the user by the ear mask layers of the facial mask.

(7) FIG. 5B is a rear view of the facial mask applied to the user according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the covering of the rear ear skin surfaces of the ears of the user by the ear mask layers of the facial mask.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(8) The following description is disclosed to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the present invention. Preferred embodiments are provided in the following description only as examples and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The general principles defined in the following description would be applied to other embodiments, alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

(9) Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a facial mask according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the facial mask, which is a wearable mask that can be worn on the face of a user, comprises a mask body impregnated with a cosmetic composition 40. The mask body comprises a facial mask layer 10 and a holding device which comprises two ear mask layers 20 and a chin mask layer 30.

(10) As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the facial mask layer 10, which is sized and shaped corresponding to the face of the general user adapted for wearing on the face of the user while enabling the user to breathe normally. According to the preferred embodiment, the facial mask layer 10 has a plurality of openings positioned and shaped corresponding to the size and position of the user's eyes, nose and mouth, wherein the openings include two eye openings 11, a nose opening 12, and a mouth opening 13, which are pre-formed on the facial mask layer 10 in such a manner that when the facial mask layer 10 is applied to place on the face of the user, the eye openings 11, the nose opening 12 and the mouth opening 13 should be aligned with the two eyes, nose, and mouth of the user respectively so as to enable the eyes, nose and mouth of the user to communicate.

(11) In particular, the facial mask layer 10 further comprises a U-shaped nose cover 14 movably formed above the nose opening 12 for covering a nose surface, including the nose wings, of the user without covering the nostrils of the user, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. It is preferred that the entire skin surface of the face of the user is covered by the facial mask layer 10.

(12) The two ear mask layers 20 are integrally extended from two side portions of the facial mask layer 10, or provided at the two side portions of the facial mask layer 10 if the two side portions are large enough to reach the ears of the user, for being extended to rear portions of the two ears respectively for covering the rear skin surfaces of the two ears of the user respectively so that even the rear skin surfaces of the user's ears can be provided with facial care treatment by the facial mask. In particular, when the ear mask layers 20 are held at the ears of the user respectively, the mask body is worn. In other words, the ear mask layers 20 provide multiple functions of enabling the facial mask layer 10 to be worn on the facial skin surface of the user and of providing a treatment of the ear skin surfaces of the user. It is worth mentioning that the ears of the user are high risk areas for getting sunburned. The cosmetic composition 40 impregnated with the ear mark layers 20 can ameliorate irritating skin conditions of the ear of the user.

(13) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the ear mask layers 20 has an arc configuration adapted for the arc shape of the ear and defines two ends spacedly and integrally extended from the corresponding side portion of the facial mask layer 10 and an ear wearable slot 21 between the two ends thereof. Please further referring to FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B, the ear wearable slots 21 are arranged to enable the ears E of the user passing therethrough respectively so as to wear the facial mask layer 10 on the face F of the user and, simultaneously, to extend the ear mask layers 20 to the rear portions of the user's ear respectively for covering the skin surfaces near the ears E, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A, or folding back the ear mask layers 20 to cover the rear ear skin surfaces of the ears E, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5B. According to the preferred embodiment, each of the ear wearable slots 21 is an elongated slot having an arc shape for facilitating the ear E of the user to pass therethrough and a width enabling the user's ear for fittingly looping and hanging on the respective ear of the user so as to securely hang the facial mask in position on the face of the user while enabling the user to have normal activities, such as walking around, sitting down, and laying down, with the facial mask of the present invention worn on his or her face.

(14) It is worth mentioning that the ear mask layers 20, integrally extended from the facial mask layer 10, can be stretched sidewardly to increase the distance between the two side portions thereof, i.e. the width of the facial mask layer 10, via the ear mask layers 20. In other words, when the ear mask layers 20 are held by the ears of the user, the ear mask layers 20 provide two opposite pulling forces at the facial mask layer 10 along a center axis A thereof at the same time. As a result, the facial mask layer 10 can be fittingly overlaid and ensure a complete coverage of the skin surface of the face of the user.

(15) In addition, the cosmetic composition 40 soaked or impregnated in the facial mask body will also provide an adhesive effect between the facial mask layer 10 and the skin surface of the face of the user to ensure the cosmetic composition 40 to be in good, firm and direct contact with the skin surface of the user's face. At the same time, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5A, and 5B, when the ear mask layers 20 are held by the ears E of the user, reaction forces will also pull the ear mask layers 20 toward the facial mask layer 10 that helps the ear mask layers 20 to fittingly overlay on the rear ear skin surfaces E1 of the user's ears E respectively (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5B) or on the rear skin surface E2 near ears E of the user (as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A), while the adhesive effect of the cosmetic composition 40 ensures a good and direct contact between the ear mask layers 20 and the rear ear skin surfaces E1 of the user's ears E or the rear skin surfaces E2 near the user's ears E.

(16) As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 the chin mask layer 30, which is integrally extended from a bottom portion of the facial mask layer 10, is arranged to be folded inwardly for covering a skin surface of the user's chin under the jaw of the user for ameliorating irritating skin conditions of the skin surface of the user's chin, as shown in FIG. 4. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the chin mask layer 30 may further have two side wing portions 31 sidewardly extended from the two opposing sides of the chin mask layer 30 respectively, such that the side wing portions 31 of the chin mask layer 30 are adapted for inwardly folding to cover two side portions of the skin surface of the chin of the user towards the ears, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

(17) The chin mask layer 30 further has two holding slots 32 formed at the two side wing portions 31 respectively, wherein when the side wing portions 31 of the chin mask layer 30 are long enough to extend to the ears of the user while folding inwardly to cover the skin surface of the user's chin under the jaw, the holding slots 32 function as ear holding slots to loop and hang on the two ears of the user respectively to ensure the chin mask layer 30 in good, firm and direct contact with the skin surface of the user's chin, as shown in FIG. 2.

(18) It is worth mentioning that the chin mask layer 30 can be enlarged to further cover the skin surface of the neck of the user. Alternatively, when two side wing portions 31 of the chin mask layer 30 are long enough, the chin mask layer 30 can be directly wrapped around the neck the user to cover the skin surface of the user's neck while simply tying up the two ends of the two side wing portions 31 or utilizing a thread or the like T to hold the two side wing portions 31 together through the two holding slots 32 at the back of the neck, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B. In other words, it is worth mentioning that when the two side wing portions 31 of chin mask layer 30 are not long enough to reach the ears of the user, the user may use a connector T, such as a thread or an elongated piece of paper, to connect the two side wing portions 31 through the two holding slots 32.

(19) Similar to the ear mask layers 20, the side wing portions 31 of the chin mask layer 30 are stretched sidewardly when the side wing portions 31 are held by the ears of the user via the ear holding slots 32 according to the embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, or by connecting with the connector T through the ear holding slots 32 according to another embodiment as shown in FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B. Therefore, the pulling forces of the side wing portions 31 along the center axis A of the facial mask layer 10 will ensure the chin mask layer 30 to fittingly overlay on the chin skin surface of the user. In addition, the cosmetic composition 40 will also provide an adhesive effect between the chin mask layer 30 and the chin skin surface of the user to ensure the cosmetic composition 40 being directly in contact with the chin skin surface of the user. The pulling forces of the side wing portions 31 of the chin mask layer 30 will also stretch and firm the muscle at the chin area below the jaw of the user.

(20) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the facial mask of the present invention further comprises a composition retention structure 50 for retaining the cosmetic composition 40 on the mask body through surface tension effect. Accordingly, the composition retention structure 50 has a plurality of composition retention apertures 51 spacedly formed on the mask body. In other words, the composition retention apertures 51 are provided in the facial mask layer 10, the ear mask layers 20, and the chin mask layer 30 in such a manner that, when the mask body is impregnated or soaked with the cosmetic composition 40, the cosmetic composition 40 is retained in each of the composition retention apertures 51 due to surface tension so as to enable the cosmetic composition 40 to be in good and direct contact with the skin surface of the user directly, including the skin surfaces of the face, the rear ear portions and the chin portion of the user. In other words, the surface tension of the cosmetic composition 40 in the composition retention apertures 51 can hold the cosmetic composition 40 within each of the composition retention apertures 51. As a result, the fluid retention power of the mask body of the present invention is formed not only by the absorbability of the material of mask body itself but also by the surface tension effect of the cosmetic composition 40 in each of the composition retention apertures 51.

(21) According to the preferred embodiment, the composition retention structure 50 further comprises a thickened retention brim 52 integrally formed at the mask body to encircle around each of the composition retention apertures 51. In other words, the composition retention aperture 51 is defined within the retention brim 52. According to the preferred embodiment, each of the retention brims 52 is thicker than the mask body not only to enhance absorption of the cosmetic composition 40 but also to ensure the cosmetic composition 40 to be retained in the composition retention aperture 51 through the surface tension effect. Therefore, more cosmetic composition 40 can be absorbed by the retention brim 52, such that a greater surface tension of the cosmetic composition 40 can be provided at the composition retention aperture 51 within the retention brim 52.

(22) The composition retention structure 50 further comprises a plurality of tension bridges 53 spacedly formed within each of the composition retention apertures 51 for enhancing the surface tension of the cosmetic composition 40 therein. Accordingly, each of the tension bridges 53 is integrally extended between one side of the retention brim 52 to the opposed side thereof to across the composition retention aperture 51. Therefore, when the cosmetic composition 40 is filled at the composition retention aperture 51, the tension bridges 53 therewithin will enhance the surface tension of the cosmetic composition 40 in order to firmly hold the cosmetic composition 40 at the mask body. Since the surface tension of the cosmetic composition 40 will retain itself on the mask body, the cosmetic composition 40 will not be dropped down from the mask body by gravity.

(23) It is worth mentioning that once the mask body overlaps on the skin surface of the user, the surface tension of the cosmetic composition 40 will disappear, such that the cosmetic composition 40 can directly contact and penetrate through the skin surface of the user.

(24) According to the preferred embodiment, the mask body is preferably made of absorbent fabric being woven by stretchable materials, including but not limited to gauzed, knit, weavable non-woven, and synthetic threads. Accordingly, the mask body has a predetermined thickness that integrates the ear mask layers 20 and the chin mask layer 30 with the facial mask layer 10. In addition, the thickness of the retention brim 52 can be larger than the thickness of the mask body and the tension bridge 53 can be made of thread like material.

(25) It is worth mentioning that the mask body can be made of re-useable material that the mask body is able to be washed by water and dried after every use. Then, the clean mask body is impregnated or soaked with cosmetic composition 40 or any facial skin care treatment composition. In other words, when the mask body is dried, the mask body can be re-impregnated with different kinds of cosmetic compositions 40. In other words, different kinds of cosmetic compositions 40 can provide different functions of facial treatments, so the mask body can provide different functions of facial treatments. It is appreciated that the mask body can be made of disposable material as well.

(26) It is appreciated that the facial mask of the present invention can be made with the mask body without impregnated or soaked with cosmetic composition 40. The user may have his or her homemade prescription of cosmetic composition or purchase necessary cosmetic composition from the market and then soak or impregnate the mask body with the cosmetic composition 40 or apply cream or gel form skin care product or any other concentrated thick consistency textured formulations to the inner surface of the mask body by himself or herself while the skin care product or self prepared cosmetic composition can be well retained by the composition retention structure 50.

(27) According to the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the eye openings 11, the nose opening 12 and the mouth opening 13 are holes with predetermined size.

(28) However, it is appreciated that each of the eye openings 11 and the mouth opening 13 can be alternatively formed by providing a U-shaped cut in the facial mask layer 10 to form a flip portion 11A, 13A, as shown in FIG. 1A, so that the user may fold up (if the connecting portion of the flip portion 11A, 13A with the facial mask layer 10 is at the upper position) or fold down (if the connecting portion of the flip portion 11A, 13A with the facial mask layer 10 is at a lower position as shown in FIG. 1A) the flip portion 11A, 13A to form a hole as the eye opening 11 or mouth opening 13 with desired size for the eyes or mouth of the user to communicate with outside. The user may also control the size of the eye openings 11 and the mouth opening 13 by flipping different amount of the flip portion 11A, 13A. It is also worth mentioning that when the flip portions 11A, 13A is folded down, the cosmetic composition 40 impregnated in the flip portions 11A, 13A substantially enables the puffiness under the eyes and the chin portion under the mouth of the user to have a double amount of cosmetic composition 40 provided by the facial mask layer 10 and the respective flip portions 11A, 13A.

(29) According to the present invention, a wearing method for the mask body of the facial mask of the present invention is provided, which comprises the following steps.

(30) (A) Place the facial mask layer 10 of a facial mask on the face of the user to overlay the facial mask layer 10 on the skin surface of the face of the user. In one embodiment, the wearing method further comprises a step of aligning the two eye openings, the nose opening and the mouth opening provided in the facial mask layer with the two eyes, nose and mouth of the user.

(31) (B) Pull the two ear mask layers 20 sidewardly and hang the two ear mask layers to the ears of the user by passing the ears of the user through the two ear wearable slots 21 of the two ear mask layers respectively so as to wear the facial mask layer 10 to fittingly cover the skin surface of the face of the user.

(32) In one embodiment, the wearing method further comprises a step of overlaying the two ear mask layers 20 on the rear ear skin surfaces E1 of the two ears of the user respectively by folding the two ear mask layers 20 to cover the rear ear skin surfaces E1 of the two ears E of the user respectively.

(33) In one embodiment, the wearing method further comprises a step of overlaying the two ear mask layers 20 on the rear skin surfaces E2 near the rear portions of the two ears of the user respectively by extending the two ear mask layers 20 to cover the rear skin surfaces E2 near the rear portions of the two ears E of the user respectively.

(34) (C) Fold the chin mask layer 30 inwardly and pull the two side wing portions 31 of the chin mask layer 30 sidewardly to overlay the chin mask layer 30 on the chin skin surface of the user under the jaw thereof.

(35) In one embodiment, the wearing method of the present invention further comprises a step of extending the two side wing portions 31 of the chin mask layer 30 toward the two ears E of the user and hang the two side wing portions 31 on the two ears of the user by passing the ears E of the user through the two holding slots 32 of the two side wing portions 31 of the chin mask layer 30 respectively so as to securely hold the chin mask layer 30 as well as the facial mask layer 10 in position.

(36) In one embodiment, the wearing method of the present invention further comprises a step of connecting the two side wing portions 31 of the chin mask layer 30 with a connector T, such as a thread or the like, so as to securely hold the chin mask layer 30 as well as the facial mask layer 10 in position.

(37) The holding device, including the ear mask layers 20 and/or chin mask layer 30, of the present invention not only enables the user to wear the facial mask easily and securely holds the facial mask in position during application while enabling the user's normal activities, but also provides facial skin care effect to the skin surfaces of the ears and the chin of the user.

(38) One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting.

(39) It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. The embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.