""You'll be sucking in air from around the mask if you use anything like plastic or leather," LaBrot explains. You want to breathe through it rather than around it. " These fabrics will at least protect others from your drops, but it's best to stick to cloth for safety. The only real danger with a face mask is asphyxiation. If you don't remove the mask quickly enough, you could suffocate yourself. Be sure to follow all instructions on how to take off and put away your mask.