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Antivirus Medical Masks: Useful or Not?

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Faced with the coronavirus epidemic, is the medical masks really effective? When and how to put it well to protect yourself? Where to buy it? We take stock.

To fight the spread of coronavirus 2019-nCoV, which has been raging since the end of December 2019, many cities and provinces in China have made it mandatory to wear a mask. These measures push the world to rush to pharmacies to get them. Result: surgical masks are out of stock in most pharmacies. But can these masks really protect us from respiratory viruses? If so, how do you choose the right mask? Where to buy them? their reviews? When and how to wear them well? Follow our instructions.

What is surgical or medical masks?

Medical masks, also called an anti-virus mask, an anti-spray mask or a protective mask, is a product intended for sick people to avoid contamination. It traps the droplets of saliva or secretion of the upper airways (VAS) when the wearer expires. During surgical procedures, it prevents germs present in the caregivers’ mouth from contaminating the patient’s wounds.

When to wear a surgical mask?

It is useful if and only if you are sick yourself. This small piece of paper will protect those around a person with symptoms of respiratory infection, such as the flu or coronavirus. Please note, the surgical mask does not constitute a barrier against the virus and therefore does not allow you to protect yourself against it.

Protective mask: which one to choose?

There are two types of paper masks: the surgical mask, which protects the patient’s entourage, and the FFP2 protective mask, which protects the non-stick. Unlike the first, the second is used to filter the inhalation of infectious agents. Remember to choose products that comply with European standards: they must have the NF EN 14683 mention.

Where to find an FFP2 mask?

Like surgical masks, FFP2 masks are available in pharmacies and drugstores. They are also found on platforms like Amazon. Attention, faced with a significant demand, the prices of these have soared on the internet.

How much does a mask cost?

While surgical masks sell on average at 8 euros per box of 50 (or about 15 cents per unit), FFP2 is much more expensive. Their prices vary from 15 to 20 euros on average.

What is the lifespan of a mask?

The life expectancy of FFP2 surgical and protective masks varies between three and eight hours depending on the type of mask (read the instructions before application). They are not reusable and must be thrown in a closed bin with a plastic bag to avoid contamination.

How to wear your mask properly?

First of all, it is absolutely essential to wash your hands before touching it, whether surgical or protective. Then remember to position the nose strip in front of the nose, then place the elastics behind the head. Then check that the piece of paper covers the entire chin. When removing, be sure to wash your hands again.

Coronavirus: How to Choose the Right Hydroalcoholic Gel?

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To limit the spread of the coronavirus, the authorities insist on the need to wash your hands regularly with soap or, failing this, using an alcohol-based hydroalcoholic gel solution. But you still have to know how to choose it. Today at Review and Shop we will tell all the Dos and Don’ts while choosing the hand sanitizer.

We wear them several times a day in the face, squeeze those of our colleagues or our friends regularly … You will understand, the hands are real vectors of contamination. So to curb the spread of Covid-19, health authorities have placed handwashing at the heart of all awareness campaigns. “Each woman and each man must become an active participant in this fight, this fright. And for that, that means having in mind very simple things to do but which are essential: wash your hands every hour for twenty at thirty seconds […] either with a hydroalcoholic gel or with soap “, Health Minister recommended last Monday.

The choice of these gels, also called antibacterial gels, is sometimes difficult as the supply is large. In 2009, as part of the influenza A (H1N1) v epidemic, the world Agency for the Health Safety of Health Products (Afssaps) guided consumers when making their choices. Here are their recommendations:

NF standard must be present

The labels of the gels must mention the standard NF EN 14476. “The reference to this standard indicates that the product has been the subject of tests demonstrating its activity on naked viruses (therefore on viruses more resistant than enveloped viruses)”, explains Afssaps in a press release. Otherwise, if this standard is not indicated, the product must contain at least one of these three alcohols: ethyl, propyl or isopropyl.


 

To limit the spread of the coronavirus, the authorities insist on the need to wash your hands regularly with soap or, failing this, using an alcohol-based solution. But you still have to know how to choose it.
The alcohol concentration should be between 60 and 70%
For the product to be effective, the optimal concentration of alcohol must be at least 60%. And to avoid skin irritations, the latter should not exceed 70%. You will find these rates on the labeling of your product.

Triclosan gels should be banned

Present in many cosmetics, triclosan is a toxic compound, suspected of causing resistance to antibiotics, causing breast cancer and causing hormonal disturbances.

If the European Union allows its use, it is however regulated at 0.3% in soaps or kinds of toothpaste. It is, therefore, possible that it is part of the list of ingredients in your gel. Better to avoid it.

In 2018, Que Choisir magazine pointed out the toxicity of two hydroalcoholic solutions containing triclosan: The Antibacterial action – Hydroalcoholic hand gel and Microdis Hand gels – Hydroalcoholic antiseptic gel.

The hydroalcoholic gel does not replace hand washing

As a reminder, the use of hydroalcoholic solutions and gels must be done in the absence of an available water point. If they have antibacterial properties, they do not clean their hands. These products should, therefore, be used in addition to regular hand washing.

Hair care: Technological Evolution from the Classic Hair Dryer to the Ionic Straightener

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The times when you had to go to the hairdresser to boast of a perfect mane have gone down in history. Technology applied to personal beauty and hair care allows us to obtain professional results without leaving home. Today, At Review and Shop we will have a detailed overview of the very first vacuum cleaner hairdryer to the latest ionic straightener.

We all like to wear healthy, well-groomed and stylish hair, without repeating the same boring hairstyle and adapting the trends of the moment to our personal style. The care of the hair is now a cornerstone of our beauty routines, and thanks to technology no longer have to dream about attending specialized centers every morning to boast mane.

But tables have turned since a few decades ago. Although it seems difficult to imagine life without a hairdryer or ionic straightener in the bathroom, for our grandparents it was a luxury more typical of celebrities and movie stars. And it is that the first devices for drying or styling hair seemed more like science fiction machines, bulky, tremendously expensive and very inefficient.

In the 21st century, advances in technology not only offer us the latest generation of smartphones, computers or televisions; We also have to thank the innovation of large companies for being able to enjoy beauty technology gadgets that make life much easier for us to pamper ourselves at home.

Get on our time machine to see how this sector has evolved and discover the latest developments in the sector that are the object of desire today in the gift lists.

It all started with a vacuum cleaner

The second industrial revolution changed for the way of life of the average citizen. In large part, by the creation of all kinds of devices that were not already designed to increase productivity at work, but to lighten the burden of household chores. This is how the first cleaning and kitchen appliances appeared.

The funny thing is how the first personal beauty gadgets have their roots in cleaning. Some very keen inventors noticed that the first vacuum cleaners emitted a huge volume of hot air during operation, and thus the first hairdryer appeared in 1890, designed by the Frenchman Alexandre-Ferdinand Godefroy. Its primitive design adapted a chair in which it placed a hood connected to a gas stove.

Godefroy did nothing but adapt the operation of a vacuum cleaner to something suitable for the clients of his Paris beauty salon. And although it should not be exactly comfortable or efficient, it laid the foundation stone for a multitude of designs that would arrive in the first half of the 20th century.

From tube to hood of professional dryers

Although some timid prototypes of portable dryers appeared as early as the 1920s, they were heavy, very expensive, uncomfortable, and even dangerous, as they could cause short circuits in contact with water. Until the 70s, hair care was reduced to professional salons, where the typical drying chair lived its own evolution.

At first, they consisted of huge tubes connected to a heat-generating coil, which the stylist had to place directly on the hair to be dried. They were barely able to generate about 100-150 W of heat; An insignificance if we compare them with the current most powerful dryer models, which reach 2,400 W, such as the Rowenta CV7460 Premium Care Pro.

Little by little the designs were specialized towards a more comfortable and efficient use, although today they would seem to us like machines from a space movie. Shortly after the helmet or hood model would appear, which allowed direct heat to the head, with different more or less fanciful designs, seeking to make the most of the air.

Quickly, like all modern technological advances, the hairdryers were gaining in strength and lightness. They even appeared proposals to dry by means of lamps of light, but hardly they reached good temperature. In the middle of the century, women with unruly hair only had the option of putting on curlers to fix the hairstyle under the hot air hood; straightening and waves would have to wait a little longer.

Ionic straightener: Towards the hair revolution

Between the 1960s and 1970s, there was the emergence of mass popular culture, with enormous technological advances in all areas highly focused on domestic life and family leisure. This is how the first portable hair dryers appeared, which imitated the “bells” of the salons. But the revolution would come with hand dryers.

Women wanted to imitate movies and fashion stars, and the blow dryer became a must-have ally to achieve those magazine hairstyles. More powerful, lightweight, and affordable, the design was very similar to today’s more conventional models, but bulkier, less efficient, and still dangerous; overheating and burns were common.

Beauty salons were losing clients and had to reinvent themselves betting on the professionalism of stylists. You could dry your hair at home, but the professional knew how to change your style to the current fashion and was able to style your hair as you wanted. They also played the role of social leisure for housewives who did not work outside the home.

That situation was also to change dramatically.

Latest technology dryers, ionic straightener, and curling irons: the home hair salon

The ways of life have changed a lot and now nobody wants to give up feeling comfortable,  sporting hair, ionic straightener, and hairstyles without the complications of having to go to a professional. No one has time to go to the hairdresser every day, nor is it necessary. Now we makeup and shave at home, and we also take care of our own hair.

This is how we have state-of-the-art hair dryers that are no longer only very light, extremely easy to use and very powerful: they also incorporate revolutionary technologies to keep hair healthier, and we do not have to choose just a hairstyle.

Curlers have gone down in history; now with a hairdryer or an iron, it is very easy to imitate fashionable hairstyles to create very natural waves that flee from artificiality. Without damaging the capital fibers, they adapt to any type of hair and cut to achieve completely smooth curls, waves, corkscrews or manes from the comfort of home.

At the same time, ionic technology has become the best bet for this ionic straightener and all other devices, offering more efficient results and neutralizing static electricity. This makes styling easier and provides a brighter, healthier finish.

The same brand offers us a very compact professional-quality dryer with its Ultimate Experience CV9820 model, which incorporates the exclusive Air-To-Care technology with the emission of negative and positive ions that prevent frizz, provide shine and protect from the action of agents. external such as pollution or dust.

Also, multifunctional devices are increasingly popular. That is why this dryer allows easy molding with a single click through the Switch & Style system, taking advantage of the design of its high precision concentrator nozzle.

The wide range of temperatures and speeds in ionic straightener are also essential today to create the desired style, something that was unthinkable in primitive dryers. The Babyliss ShinePr or 6713DE dryer includes three temperature levels including the already essential cold air mode to finish adjusting each hairstyle, and features a professional AC motor with maximum performance.

In the same way, the irons opt for ionic technology to avoid damaging the hair when straightening or shaping the strands directly. The BaByliss Salon Straight 235 ST391E model also has tourmaline ceramic plates for better protection, and all without losing power as it heats up instantly and has 6 adjustable temperature levels.

The Bellissima My Pro Steam B28 100 iron includes steam technology for an anti-volume and anti-frizz effect, stretching the fibers without damaging them, maintaining natural hydration to enhance shine. With the tilting plates, you can get a smooth or wavy hairstyle customized to your liking.

We can also go further with models such as the BaByliss Sensitive Pearl ST460E, with Deep Black Ceramic coating, removable comb and a technology that detects the type of hair to adjust the temperature automatically.

If our grandmothers had to settle for wearing the same hairstyle day after day, now we can change our look almost instantly even if we are in a hurry in the morning. With an advanced styler like the Multistyler Rowenta CF4512, it is easy to straighten, curl, wave or volume any type of hair. The ion generator and ceramic coating guarantee maximum protection, giving a silky finish and enhancing natural shine.

In a matter of a few decades we have gone from having to go to the beauty salon just to refresh the hair to be able to have the hairdresser at home; small great advances in personal care that have brought together speed, security, functionality, and comfort. It should come as no surprise therefore that these gadgets like ionic straightener have become one of the star gifts when it comes to surprising.

 

Hydroalcoholic gel: The DIY for Making your Own Hand Sanitizer

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Covid-19 coronavirus is spread through salivary droplets emitted during coughing or sneezing, but it can also be spread through contaminated objects. Apart from using the Hydroalcoholic gel to combat the spread of the virus, the government has issued recommendations:

  • Wash your hands regularly
  • Cough and sneeze into his elbow
  • No more shaking hands
  • Use single-use tissues
  • Wear a mask when you are sick

When the coronavirus began to spread in World, the outlets were quickly emptied of their stock of anti-bacterial solutions. These products sold in bottles are sanitizing and skin solutions which are used to disinfect the hands. Because of the shortage of hydroalcoholic gels, their price had increased sharply, but the government decided to introduce fixed costs: $2 for the 50ml bottle and $3 maximum for the 100ml bottle. They will be maintained until May 31, 2020.

 

How to properly use hydroalcoholic gels?

First thing: do not use hydroalcoholic gel on wet hands. More importantly, apply them on dry hands. These solutions are not a substitute for washing with hot water and soap, as they do not completely clean your hands. But in the absence of water or soap, they can be useful.

Can we make our own sanitizing solution?

Here at Review and Shop, we will tell you how to make your own hand sanitizer in this coronavirus epidemic. To compensate for the absence of hydroalcoholic gels in our pharmacies or our supermarkets, you can make them in a few steps:

  • Remember to disinfect your bottle and utensils with alcohol at 70°C, to eliminate any germs.
    Then pour into your container, 3 tablespoons of alcohol at 70°C
  • 3 tablespoons of glycerin.
  • 3 tablespoons aloe vera gel.
  • 46 drops of lavender essential oil (essential oils being very allergenic, remember to test them upstream on a small part of your skin).
  • 18 drops of tea tree essential oil

For this hydroalcoholic gel recipe, you will need a small container of about 75 ml. Do not forget to note the date of preparation, since the solutions made by hand do not keep for more than three months.

 

Your first time with a Crock-Pot? Let’s Review the first week in the kitchen

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Have you just bought a Crock-Pot, or are you thinking of getting one. In our detailed crock pot review, we mentioned all the features, benefits, advantages, and all the possibilities that it offers you for your kitchen.

Stew, barbecued chicken, pulled pork, stuffed peppers… North American homes smell like these and many other stews mid-morning. There may not even be anyone at home, the adults are working and the little ones are in class.

In the United States, for example, it is very typical to get up, prepare the Crock-Pot in a short time with the ingredients that the dish needs, program the pot and “forget” it until the return of work, when it touches that of “Dinner’s ready!”

The reasons to surrender to the Crock-Pot

A good part of households have pressure cookers, a kitchen robot, a hand mixer and many more utensils that make our day to day easier, slow cookers like Crock-Pot are not yet widespread. Thanks to word of mouth, yes, they begin to become popular in the world.

What is driving so many people to recommend it as its demand has increased in the last two or three years? There are basically four reasons for those who have surrendered to the Crock-Pot :

    1. no need to keep an eye on the food, no fire or stirring to prevent food sticking or passing;
    2. dishes are healthier and healthier, cooking food at low temperatures for a long number of hours, better preserve nutrients;
    3. the taste, being habitual that its users invoke the homemade food or the stews of the grandmothers when they boast of the recipes that they have made with this small appliance; and four, and perhaps the most important reason,
    4. how easy it is to cook delicious dishes.

Enjoying the “unboxing” moment

After listening and, above all, reading so many compliments in recent months, it is not strange that the “Review and Shop” feel a certain curiosity to try the Crock-Pot and thus draw our own conclusions.

The model we have in our hands is the SCCPRC507B with digital display. In its box, we will discover five things: the lid, a metal base with electric power, the ceramic pot, the cable to connect it to the light, as well as a crockpot instruction manual and recipes in several languages.

In this one, three and a half sheets, so in less than five minutes we will be clear on what to do before using it for the first time (washing it) and how to use it thereafter, including nine recipes (pulled pork or crumbled pork, included). For us to debut in a big way.

Getting us to handle the Crock-Pot will take us a minute, the time we need to place the only four buttons that facilitate its use:

  • the on and off switch, on the right;
  • those in the center, with two up and down arrows, to raise or lower the timer (from 30 to 30 minutes);
  • and the one on the left, to select the power (high or low).

With these indications, it is enough to delve into the world of low-temperature cooking. The rest is about finding the right recipes to test and succeed with the family.
Click to view on Amazon

Meats, fish, desserts … It can with everything

During this week of crock pot review and testing, we have not let the pot rest. As everyone speaks highly of the texture and flavor of cooking meats, we started with a beef stew, followed by the famous pulled pork and a shoulder of lamb.

These first stews have served to corroborate the simplicity of its use; how practical it is to forget that you have food “on fire” for hours,  the three dishes with which we premiered required seven hours at low power; and the juiciness of the result,  the meat is cooked with its own juice, there is no need to add water. That is why gelatinous meats are usually recommended, which after cooking are tender and mellow.

In this intense week of use, we have dared to prepare (both in the image) a cheese fondue (150 grams of gruyere, 150 of Emmental and 50 of gorgonzola, plus white wine, pepper, and cornstarch).

The first foray with fish was a tender and tasty confit cod (4 cod fillets, spices, and olive oil), which was ready in an hour and a half.

Click to view on Amazon

For dessert, we have not opted for rice pudding (750 ml of milk, 125 grams of rice, a cinnamon stick, half an orange peel and 75 grams of sugar) that has tried to rival that of the grandmother. It has stayed very close to the traditional recipe, and a second attempt is sure to bring better quantities and times closer.

Click to view on Amazon

In the same way that in the last year we have been recommended the Crock-Pot several times, we think that it is a product that those who enjoy cooking will appreciate so much, for its texture and flavor; such as those who do not have the time or desire to face the stove since the preparations usually take a few minutes. He does not cook alone, yet, but it is true that he gives a lot of freedom to be able to leave it programmed and that all the dishes we have prepared were frankly tasty.

Click to view on Amazon

For those who are not convinced of having a device for seven (or more) hours connected to the electricity grid, it should be noted that in our crock pot review ts consumption is very low, using between 75 and 150 W in low temperature and between 150 and 210 W in high temperature. In fact, when comparing the cost of a dish if done in an oven, the ceramic hob, and the slow cooker, the lowest always corresponds to the Crock-Pot, a device available at Amazon.