If makeshift bandana face coverings weren’t the post-apocalyptic fashion you were hoping for, there’s a futuristic face mask on the horizon that might be more your speed.
Okay, so it’s not quite the apocalypse out there, but things are bound to look a bit different as we’re eventually freed from our homes and sent back out into the world in the coming months. For now, many of us have learned how to cope with our socially-isolated lives in inventive new ways. We’ve learned to cook for ourselves, work out at home or maybe even cut our own hair, and humanity’s future is thus shaping up to be a far more self-sufficient one than we might have imagined just a few months ago.
As we learn to do more for ourselves and accomplish our usual rituals in our own homes, designers have been inspired to create solutions. To give us one idea of how the future of at-home skincare might look, Korean concept designer Min Chang Kim has dreamt up what would be an absolute game changer in both skincare and wellness in a post-COVID-19 world.
Sure, Kim’s LED mask looks like it’s made for some unnamed full-contact sport of the future, but it’s actually a concept that imagines what would happen if Nike diversified their health-first efforts and took the leap into the skincare realm. After all, the Nike brand has always been dedicated to wellness and inspiring confidence in taking care of one’s body, so why shouldn’t skincare be a part of that?
Combining the power of LED lights and the athletic identity of a brand such as Nike, the design for the skincare mask ultimately meets at the sweet spot where the wellness and sports worlds collide. And now, Kim is bringing his idea to life in collaboration with the product design education institution PDF HAUS.
“From exercise to the post-exercise skincare process, I tried to reflect Nike’s identity which emphasizes confidence, exercise, challenge and passion through this beauty device,” Kim stated alongside a photo of the mask’s smooth and sleek design.
The mask comprises a sleek outer shell in one of three color options — yellow, green or red — with a comfortable face cushion and ergonomic LED face pads lining the interior. The device is meant to sit securely on the wearer’s face with an attached rubber strap that wraps around the head. The impressive attention to detail extends to the interior, as well, with Nike’s iconic swoosh logo and “Just Do It” slogan. The product would also come with a handheld face massager inspired by the soles of Nike’s athletic shoes (albeit not made of previously-used ones, we’re sure).
Imagine sweating through a tough workout and then slipping on this ultra-futuristic, athletic-looking mask to clean up your face and tighten your pores. You’ll look like the Iron Man of skincare as the LED lights get to work blasting acne-causing bacteria, reducing wrinkles and rejuvenating your skin cells to keep you looking your best at all times.
That would be pretty damn cool, to say the least, but the design is still just a dream for now. There’s been no word from Nike that they would actually be interested in developing the concept, though they are a bit busy at the moment transforming their sneakers into much-needed PPE for COVID-19 healthcare workers. However, Kim still hopes that his design will someday come to fruition to give young adults the confidence to build a healthy self-development routine around skincare and wellness.
