In accordance with the present invention, a flexible face
mask is provided for protecting the face from
sunlight, wind, and other outdoor elements. Various embodiments of the face
mask provide varying levels of facial coverage to suit user preferences. In a first embodiment, the face
mask comprises a
nose shield portion configured to cover and conform to the user's
nose, a lip shield portion configured to cover the user's
upper lip, a pair of
cheek shield portions configured to cover the sides of the user's face, and a pair of ear strap portions configured to cover the ears, and receive the user's ears and
eyewear via a pair of “C”-shaped cuts and
insertion slits, respectively. A reinforcing strip on the
skin-facing side of the
nose shield provides structure and allows the nose shield to better conform to the user's nose. The face mask features two means of attachment to various forms of
eyewear. For eyeglasses, a pair of small “C”-shaped cuts in the upper center portion of the nose shield are configured to receive the nose pads of the user's eyeglasses to further secure the face mask to the user's face. For goggles or eyeglasses, a set of hook and loop (i.e. Velcro) patches with
adhesive backings can be utilized, wherein one patch is affixed to the underside of the
eyewear's
nose bridge and the
mating patch is affixed to the area inside the “C” cuts of the nose shield. A second embodiment of the face mask provides less facial coverage and only covers the nose,
cheek bones, and ears. A third embodiment of the face mask provides more facial coverage and covers the nose, cheeks, ears, upper and lower lips, and
chin. In a preferred embodiment, the face mask is composed of an outer first layer of spandex having a sun protective factor, an intermediate second layer of open-
cell foam, and a third layer of micro-suede material that contacts the
skin.