This culture of "cluttering" continuously adds to the growing piles of belongings that occupy significant space in the average urban household.

Oily skin, open pores, blackheads or acne; you name a problem, and there will be a whole army of face masks ready, from all kinds of brands, types, prices, and sometimes, even colours, to take care of it.

Despite being a common sight in polluted cities, particularly those in Asia, new research suggests that face masks designed to filter out pollution particles may not be as effective as they claim to be.