Yes, I use a gaiter with a 4 layer cotton filter under it and have thru things. My wife started with a bandana until we could buy cotton masks (which was not easy during the PPE shortage).

I tried the masks and many of them don't fit right, the elastics don't hold up on me either. They have actually less material layers than my system does.

The Gaiter holds everything securely in place for me, but is harder to talk with it on with the filter so I generally don't.