Current trends show that consumers are more mindful of the products they purchase. As the overall education level rises, consumers now realize that there are many chemicals used in the manufacturing process. Some of these chemicals are harmful to the human body. When it comes to glasses, the safety of the materials used is very important. This is because it comes in physical contact with the human skin. Other personal care products are more scrutinized, as the harmful materials used in these products can more easily cause discomfort for consumers. This article focuses on the relationship between human sweat and the materials used in glasses frames.
Human Sweat?
Sweating, also called perspiration, is a normal function that helps the human body regulate temperature. Sweat is a fluid that contains mostly water and salt. It originates from sweat glands. Sweat can be regulated by the changes in body temperature, the outside temperature, and emotional states. Some of the common areas for human sweat to form are the armpits, the palm of your hands, and the face. The outer layer of human skin, the stratum corneum, is covered with a liquid layer of mainly sweat and sebum with minor amounts of cellular debris. Human sweat has an acidic level between 2-8.2 pH, which may be corrosive to certain materials. A regular adult may sweat up to 14 litres per day. Therefore, understanding the impact of sweat on glassware is crucial to prevent harmful releases of toxins.
Human sweat is known to contain more than 61 different chemical constituents at varying concentrations and this may change for different individuals. These constituents fall into one of four categories: electrolytes, ionic constituents, amino acids, and vitamins. These chemicals increase the chance of a reaction occurring between human sweat and glasses. Table 1 lists the most common components of human sweat as well as their concentration ranges.
Glasses frames?
In current society, glasses come in different sizes and designs and can be produced with a variety of materials. The most common designs are made using metal, plastic or wood. Among the three, metal frames are at the highest risk for corrosion due to its metallic properties and natural reaction to acid. Therefore in this blog, I will concentrate on the relationship between human sweat and metal frames.
Even among metal frames, there is a variety of metal used. Some metals are preferred due to their lighter weight, such as aluminum. Titanium is used for enhanced design. However, consumers now realize the materials chosen can impact the skin. Materials that react to sweat may cause rashes, redness, itchiness and general discomfort around the eyes. In more serious cases, an allergic reaction may occur, which may result in death.
What to Choose?
Well, it will depend on the customer’s skin condition. Different people consider different factors, either it is about the weight of the glasses or how they look. It is hard to say which material is the best fit because people have different styles. Down below shows a chart of the different properties of materials. However, customers can pick the best option for themselves. Which one would you pick?
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