--- title: "There’s a Hot New Climate Change Accessory: “Facekinis” That Cover Your Entire Head" description: "Meet the \"facekini,\" a ski mask of sorts made from UV-resistant fabrics and designed to cover a wearer's entire head and face." date: "2023-07-24" modified: "2023-07-24" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/climate-change-accessory-facekinis" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "china" - "climate change" - "global warming" - "the digest" --- # There’s a Hot New Climate Change Accessory: “Facekinis” That Cover Your Entire Head ![Meet the "facekini," a ski mask of sorts made from UV-resistant fabrics and designed to cover a wearer's entire head and face.]() *\Image: Visual China Group via Getty / Futurism\* ## Mad Maxxinista Tired: bikinis. Wired: facekinis. As climate change continues to send [global temperatures skyrocketing](), apocalypse-friendly fashion accessories are apparently becoming increasingly commonplace. Case in point, according [to new reporting from *The Guardian*](), residents and visitors of the blistering city of Beijing, China have taken particularly fondly to a little something called the "facekini" — a summertime ski-mask-meets-swimming-cap of sorts made from UV-resistant fabrics and designed to cover a wearer's entire head and face. The skintight coverings have openings only for a wearer's eyes, nostrils, and mouths. Yes, they're terrifying. But with Beijing air and ground surface temps reportedly reaching highs upwards of 95 and even roughly 176 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively, you can't say it isn't practical. https://twitter.com/globalnews/status/1682467342087749635 ## Hot Couture Per the report, wide-brimmed hats — 0ften equipped with built-in fans — along with lightweight jackets and even UV-resistant arm sleeves have exploded in popularity as well, as city-goers look to keep their skin out of the harsh, hot Sun. "Compared to before the pandemic, two or three years ago, this year is much, much better than previous years," a hat shop salesperson told the *Guardian.* "Sales volume is definitely up a lot this year." Health and [regional beauty standards]() can play a role as well, per the *Guardian*. "The main concern I have is potential skin diseases," Li Xuyan, a 17-year-old student visiting Beijing with her mother — both of whom, per the *Guardian*, were wearing masks that covered most of their faces — told the newspaper, adding that "developing sunspots" is of concern as well. "We're concerned about getting sunburned and tanned," a 34-year-old shopowner, who went only by her surname Hong, [told *Reuters*]() back in June, "so we're fully prepared." Are facekinis dystopian? Undoubtably. But with temperatures rising all around the scorching — as in, [literally-on-fire]() — planet we call home, we might expect to see any number of similarly Mad Max-ish heat wear fly off shelves in the coming years. In the meantime, you might want to snag a facekini for yourself. You know, just in case. **More on this very hot summer:** [*Climate Change Is Getting so Bad That the Ocean Is Changing Color*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()