A South African skin care brand has donated more than R1m worth of product to doctors and nurses at six hospitals on the front line of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic in Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal.

Products were donated to doctors and nurses at the Hospital of Hope, the Covid-19 field hospital at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, as well as to doctors and nurses at several hospitals in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The donations were handed over by Dr Des Fernandes, Environ’s founder and scientific director, and his sister Val Carstens, the brand’s group chair, director and CEO, at the Hospital of Hope.

“My overwhelming impression on visiting the Hospital of Hope was the cheerful dedication of the staff to helping our people get through this unusual time,” Fernandes says.

Realising the daily assault on skin as a result of the masks constantly being used by doctors and nurses, Environ decided to provide them with skincare boosters to help soothe and restore their skin.

The brand also wanted to do something to help lift the morale of healthcare workers making daily sacrifices.

Doctors battling the unseen enemy that is Covid-19 are often unable to see their families while working long hours, and for fear of spreading the infection, and are at higher risk of contracting the virus themselves.

The donations included products chosen for their ability to soothe and restore skin sensitised by hours mask-wearing. These included an immune-boosting serum, Colostrum Gel, that helps to protect sensitive skin from external and internal stressors, and Original Mild Night moisturising cream, to replenishes skin with vitamin A, antioxidants and essential nutrients.