What Are The Best Fabrics For Eczema

Do you feel like you’ve tried everything and your child’s eczema is still actively flaring? 

Eczema is most commonly triggered by various factors at once. There isn’t usually one culprit and a combination of things like low skin protein (filaggrin), irritation from environmental factors (pollen, dust, animal allergy, chemicals such as washing detergents, bath products such as shampoos and body washes and even skincare), immune system, genetics and in some cases deficiencies - all impacting the skin at once.

Eczema also isn’t a dry skin condition, contrary to popular believe and actually is a broken skin barrier which results in dry skin due to moisture leaking out through the microscopic gaps.

Eczema management and treatment can be very personal to every individual however, when it comes to clothing fabrics, there are ones to avoid and better options, for everyone with eczema. 

Some fabrics can even be used to support healing, protect the skin barrier and used as effective wet wrapping therapy - as well as reducing irritation.

So, let’s first talk about which fabrics we should avoid. 

First on the list is wool. I have come across wool as a recommended material because of it’s natural fibres however, it is not uncommon to have an allergy to wool. If you have eczema, it can put you at higher risk of all types of allergies such as food allergies, drug allergies, contact dermatitis (skin reactions with contact is made) and other allergies such as pollen, dust and animals.

Wool also can be itchy, and eczema already is an incredibly itchy skin condition. The last thing we want to do is wear clothing that enhances this sensation. Whilst cashmere is soft unlike other wools, the loose fibres can also be problematic as these can fall and stick to the skin or irritate the skin barrier. Wool could also be ‘too’ warm, as people with eczema can find it hard to tolerate heat.

Another natural fabric to avoid is linen. Whilst linen is a great summer fabric due to its great breathable properties, the fibre itself is rough and can also be itchy, like wool. Unfortunately this makes it unsuitable, too.

Moving on to man-made fabrics. ALL synthetic fabrics should be avoided, at all costs. Even low mixes can be problematic such as 95% cotton and 5% polyester. 

The synthetic nature can cause irritation. Polyester is now the most used fibre to make clothing and accessories, as well as in home furnishings. It was first introduced in the 50’s and grown in use due to its resistance to wrinkles (creases) and shrinking. It also can make non-stretchy fabrics stretch, when mixed. All of which is not present in natural fibres such as cotton. 

Polyester is derived from petroleum, an oil that goes through a process of chemical reactions. A cheap process. 

As polyester is a form of plastic, it lacks breathability, and thus can trap moisture against the skin rather than allowing it to evaporate or absorb into the fabric itself. Sweat can be problematic when you have eczema due to the nature of the gaps in the skin barrier. When the sweat gets into these gaps, resulting in irritation leading to inflammation. 

During the summer, sweat is a major problem and often the reason for summer flares. 

Synthetic fabrics requires more chemicals and dyes to form fabrics and make into garments. These further irritate the skin. 

Non-organic cottons, bamboo, silk, hemp, lyocell and all other natural fibre fabrics are grown and produced using chemicals that can be damaging and harmful to our skin by causing skin irritation.

Organic fabrics are not as freely available due to the more specialist manufacturing and growing processes required. This increases the cost and does not allow for businesses to compete with other organisations. This means organic clothing is harder to find, and at an affordable price tag is even harder. 

As an example, a non-organic cotton jersey would be mixed with polyester to create its stretch and would be around £5-£15 per meter. An organic cotton jersey, that has 0% synthetic mix, would be in the region of £20-£30 per meter. 

You may have heard of the term Okeo-Tex standard or GOTS certified, which regulates harsh chemicals within the fashion industry and if a fabric is made without the detailed chemicals, it can be classified as such. Whilst this is better than non-organic fabrics, they are no chemical free and range greatly. Some can be 100% chemical and dye free whilst others are not. The latter more the case. Whilst there dyes used are not considered harsh, for people with eczema they may still cause skin irritation. 

On to the good stuff!

Organic fabrics (and foods) are constantly debated. Some opinions are that certain chemicals are not harmful to us at all, whilst other studies have shown increased cancer risk, especially to workers who are exposed to high volumes, which is incredibly worrying. On the whole, there is no debate though, that chemicals used on clothing is a common skin irritant.

Cotton is a very good choice for people with eczema because the fibre is smooth and flat, it is soft and not itchy. The properties are also very beneficial. It has a high absorption rate, very breathable yet can keep you warm and is incredibly versatile. It can range from stretchy jersey to poplin cottons to shirt material and brushed cottons. 

Bamboo is starting to have its moment. Like cotton it is a smooth, breathable and highly absorbent fibre but is is MUCH softer, MUCH more breathable and MUCH more absorbent. We are starting to even see bamboo being used for reusable kitchen tissue, towels and baby clothing. 

The speed bamboo grows at is much quicker than cotton and is not considered to be very sustainable providing it is not used with high volumes of chemicals, which can be needed. Organic will be the best option for people with eczema. 

Bamboo has some other incredibly beneficial properties that make it even more suitable compared with cotton. It will keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, but unlike other fibres, it has the ability to wick away excess moisture (a culprit for eczema flaring) therefore can actually help to reduce eczema flareups. 

Like cotton, bamboo can be prone to shrinking. We wash all of our fabrics before that are made into garments. We use Surcare laundry detergent which is a sensitive powder with zero perfumes and no other irritating chemicals. You could still react, as it is a detergent at the end of the day, so we still advise you wash again before using.

Bamboo is now considered the most sustainable fabric which is great for people with eczema as this could help to encourage manufacturers to start using it. 

Silk is known for being silky soft and a premium fabric. Silk comes from a certain type of worm (silkworms)and is pricy because each worm only produces a small amount of silk as they create a cocoon which is then unravelled resulting in a single string. There are different types of weaves used to create the fabric and some are soft but can have a slightly rough feel too. We use the most premium and softest type of silk called Mulberry Silk. This is a thicker type of silk so that damage to the skin can not occur. Our attached built-in scratch mitts glide over the skin even if the child is actively trying to itch. 

Silk is more difficult to wash so this is why we not do create full silk outfits.

Note: Please consult with a medical professional if you are concerned about your child’s health in any way. This article is just sharing my experiences and is not intended to treat or diagnose your child. Always consult with your doctor before starting any treatments.