masks

As the situation in Victoria remains concerning, we have an update, sent to all purchasers of Cambridge Masks, but also of interest to everyone anywhere. Our understanding of the threat we face is constantly evolving, as we learn more and receive new information. The following was sent to all purchasers / enquirers today:

“Hi!

You are receiving this email as you purchased a Cambridge Mask, or expressed interest in purchasing a Cambridge Mask from us earlier this year.

It’s been a few months, and while we’ve updated the website, we didn’t send personal messages to purchasers letting them know that we raised a wonderful total of $1,327.58 for the Shoalhaven Bat Clinic from Cambridge Mask sales. Thank you for being a part of that effort!

We are writing now to let you know that in the last few months there’s been continual updating of understanding of mask use in the context of Covid19. One of the issues that has only recently come to our attention is the issue of masks with valves.

From the DHHS website:

https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/face-coverings-covid-19#how-do-i-wear-a-face-covering-correctly

“Make sure that your mask does not have holes or any unfiltered one-way valves. This can result in breathing out the virus if you have coronavirus (COVID-19).”

Unfortunately for this current context, Cambridge Masks (and most N95+ masks) contain a one-way valve. Cambridge masks are now supplying free “valve deactivators” from their website (https://cambridgemask.com/shop/accessories/valve-deactivator/) – these were not available when we placed our order and supplied masks back in January. However, as noted on the Cambridge Masks link above – the use of an N95+ mask with the valve deactivated is more strenuous, and we would advise that instead of the increased work required (and higher humidity) that you save your Cambridge Mask for next bushfire season or use in heavy pollution areas, and instead use reusable fabric masks (or disposable surgical masks at a pinch) for covid19 Source Control, as is currently being advised and legislated in many regions around the world. Even if your region is not currently suffering an outbreak, this could change and we recommend you prepare for that possibility. We felt it was very important to advise all purchasers or enquirers directly, as they may not be aware that their Cambridge Mask is not recommended, under updated advice.

We began making our own WeFu fabric masks for sale in April (http://www.wildilocks.com/masks4all) because Cambridge Masks had a massive backlog for orders and we wanted to help immediately, and we also have a DIY guide here (https://wildelan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wefumaskguide.pdf) if you’d like to make your own. The DHHS also has a mask pattern (https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/202007/Design%20and%20preparation%20of%20cloth%20mask_0.pdf), but we believe our mask pattern is more comfortable and less bulky to wear. We’ve made some adjustments in the recent weeks too, and the masks we are selling now have ear loops, stronger nose clip wire and extra-soft stretch cotton lining. They have a pocket for the removable NWPP filter layer, which can be replaced with PM2.5 filters for pollution (note: we do not stock these at this time & these DO NOT protect against viruses: NWPP is better for this). We also suggest and detail in the DIY guide, to coat the NWPP filter in salt crystals – we are not providing filters with this coating, as it is fairly labour intensive. It’s also a bit of a hunch on our part and not yet proven effective – but the science is very encouraging.

At the moment we are shipping fabric masks within 1 week of ordering, but this may change as demand may increase as people shift from disposable masks or masks that aren’t comfortable for all-day use. If you order our fabric masks and find them comfortable and good value, we’d hugely appreciate a review! Personally, I find them significantly more comfortable than Cambridge Masks, but then – I am a little biased! We have a range of fabrics which we intend to increase over time too.

We hope you appreciate this updated information and are staying safe in the uncertain world we’re now navigating.

Cass @ Wildilocks”

We have tentatively resumed seeing clients since the mandatory mask order came into effect, as we are confident that risk is now reduced and we should see this reflected in figures in about 7-10 days. While we encourage clients to stay home, we are also aware of the debilitating mental health effects of self isolation and know we play a part in keeping people feeling connected and less isolated, and we know the risk is extremely low of transmission in a salon context where both stylist and client are wearing masks.

Stay safe everyone!

Hi people! Anyone who’s visited our website in the last couple of weeks will have noticed a little bit of a change – including some occasional disarray. But we are pleased to say that after about a year in the background of intentions and plans – finally wildilocks.com has had a long overdue makeover, and while there’s still a few snags here and there, largely the website seems to be functioning as intended after all our hard work re-jiggering everything. Apologies if you come across something that doesn’t seem quite right – we’re still finding a few quirks post-migration. But there’s so many awesome things – especially the new photo gallery with our awesome before & after comparisons! We hope you all enjoy the new site too and it helps showcase our long history a little bit better!

Masks & BATS!

Some people may be curious about the outcome of the fundraising drive during the bushfires for the Shoalhaven Bat Clinic, as part of our Cambridge Mask bulk purchase, which we’ve finalised over the last couple of weeks. As masks became much more sought after post-bushfires with the rise of Covid-19, we placed some unsold masks on eBay to increase fundraising. We’re pleased to announce that we have now finalised sales, and have transferred a donation of a whopping $1,327.58 to Shoalhaven Bat Clinic to continue their very important work. Thanks so much to everyone who bought a mask!

One of the unfortunate side effects of Covid-19 is that there has been a rise of fear of bats and so these lovely creatures truly need every bit of help we can give them, as important members of our ecosystems. Yes, they have amazing immune systems and so humans should be incredibly careful around them – but they need to be protected, not vilified.

COVID & our salon – action, NOT security theatre!

Obviously the world is now quite aware of the spread of Covid-19 and the reality is that it is likely to arrive in most communities eventually – but everything we can do to assist in slowing the spread will be helpful. As one of the few industries where direct contact with clients is 100% necessary for us to do our jobs, we understand that some clients may be concerned about the risks of having their hair maintained in the coming months.

We would like to remind people that, as a niche & specialist salon we do not have a high throughput of clients, and we are only open 4 days of the week, with bulk of clients on Saturdays. This means the risk of contracting Covid-19 in our salon is significantly lower than during such daily activities as going to a supermarket or catching a train. However, we are upping our hygiene protocols even further than normal to help with the community efforts of mitigation and reduce risk of transmission.

This means:

Hand sanitiser available on arrival (as well as good old soap & hot water!)
Single use disposable masks available for clients during appointments at no charge (the type used for basic face protection when doing nails, not Cambridge Masks – they are all gone!)
Staff will wear single use masks during appointments on request, and no staff will work if even slightly sick
All styling stations fully cleaned between clients with 100% isopropyl alcohol, which we have always had in the salon for cleaning (though we also use and recommend probiotic cleaners too!)
If you are not feeling well PLEASE cancel your appointment in advance – we definitely appreciate your thoughtfulness: and we WILL ask clients who are visibly not well on arrival to go home, for the protection of our staff and community. We really would appreciate not being put in that awkward position, though!

We know these next few months are a bit of an unknown: they may be challenging, they may be less unsettling than we are expecting. We hope that we will be able to continue servicing our lovely clients through this time. If you are uncomfortable or unable to come in person, remember you can always order from our webstore for home delivery – noting we now also have a great range of healthy delicious snacks & self-care products at our sister-site, Wildélan.

xx
Cass

Important update on Cambridge Masks: not recommended for Source Control :(

MASSES of news: NEW website (YAY!), BATS update & COVID action

Masks & BATS!

COVID & our salon – action, NOT security theatre!