With companies throughout the run industry looking to contribute their expertise and products to the cause of battling the COVID-19 pandemic, Body Glide, the leading provider of topical protection against chafed skin has done its part with the launch of Face Glide, an invisible barrier against rubbing by masks that causes irritation, chafing and raw skin.
The company immediately pivoted to meet an overwhelming need and demand for protection coming from frontline healthcare and other essential workers. Concept to delivery into hospitals was accomplished in 10 days, and now Body Glide is able to provide essential protection to everyone wearing masks.
“The new Face Glide balm was immediately put to use on approval of hospital Chiefs of Nursing and Heads of Infection Control,” says Bill Sternoff, Body Glide’s CEO. “One city hospital ordered 2000 to get our new product to the entire staff.”
As seen in pictures of nurses and doctors, masks trap heat and moisture, and combined with pressure from fabric and straps needed to make masks effective, faces are rubbed. It stings the skin, it burns, causes red rash in mild cases, and in others it can lead to swelling, bleeding, and the possibility of infection.
Face Glide is a non-messy, fragrance-free balm that swipes on from a pocket-size tube to cheeks, ears, nose, chin, wherever masks rub faces. It’s easy to use, gentle on skin, but it’s effective hour after hour whether the masks are homemade, surgical, KN95s or N95 respirators, and it’s also effective with face shields. It’s sweat and water-resistant but it lets skin breathe.
Because it’s not a lotion or other liquid, Face Glide balm will not run into the eyes. It will not harm rubber or latex, and it’s safe on children.
Open letter from Bill Sternoff
The following is a letter sent to the industry and to healthcare professionals from Body Glide CEO Bill Sternoff detailing the company’s efforts in fighting the COVID-19 oandemic.
The Coronavirus pandemic has paralyzed the world, but not everyone has slowed down. As we limit social interaction to stop the virus’ spread, friends, neighbors and millions of people we’ve never met are working 12, 18 and some are working 24 hour shifts to care for our health and keep us safe. Truly essential workers are nurses, doctors, EMTs and other first responders, and more who are grocers, pharmacists, and farmers.
Suddenly, people who are essential, and not, routinely wear masks to protect themselves, each other and us – and the types and styles range from simple to multi-layered masks, homemade to surgical, KN95s, and N95 respirators.
We see the effects of masks in the pictures of doctors, nurses and others on the front lines.
As they breathe, masks trap heat and moisture. Pressure from the fabric and straps needed to make masks effective, rubs, even scrapes cheeks, noses, behind ears, chins and foreheads. Rubbing wears away the skin and it stings, burns, causes red rash in mild cases, and in others it leads to swelling, bleeding, and opens the possibility of infection.
How do we know this? Since 1996, we’ve been helping runners, sports teams, the US military and people around the world reach and maintain peak performance. For nearly 25 years, our technically advanced products have offered a way to stop chafing and skin irritation before it starts . . . it’s what we do!
When nurses, doctors and EMTs familiar with our products reached out to us for a reliable, fragrance free, pocket size, easy to use formula to help protect their faces against chafing from masks, our team got right to work. We went from concept to production to approval by chiefs of nursing and infectious disease control and onto the faces of hospital and other frontline workers fast… in ten (10) days.
Face Glide™ is the ONLY anti-chafing protective balm of its kind, specially formulated for facial use, and we need your help to spread the word and get the product into the hands of people you may know – frontline workers who need it! Please share with those you know and purchase for anyone who can use it. Institutions and government should contact us directly. In most cases, we’ll cover the shipping!
Bill Sternoff, CEO, Body Glide
