How to Choose Clothing for Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin skincare has become more popular over the years. In fact, a quick search on the web shows thousands of creams, balms, and soaps that target specific skin conditions. However, have you ever thought about clothing for sensitive skin?

Like skincare, clothing can be an extremely beneficial factor in healing skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, rosacea and much more. This is for 2 main reasons:

1. Opting for clothing that uses more natural, non-synthetic fibers can actually improve skin conditions. Much clothing today is manufactured with synthetic materials like polyester and latex, as well as dye chemicals like formaldehyde. These types of clothing can actually further irritate skin and trigger skin conditions like eczema due to an allergic reaction. In fact – textile dermatitis, latex hypersensitivity and polyester allergies are real! Check out our Guide to Textile Dermatitis to learn more about these types of reactions.
2. Many forms of clothing can offer relief to sensitive skin through nourishing fibers such as 100% organic cotton, bamboo cotton, as well as TENCEL. Not only do these fibers feel like a second skin, but they’re usually soft, cooling and moisture wicking. This soft clothing for sensitive skin by Remedywear can also double up as layers for wet wrap and dry wrapping eczema therapy.

Clothing for Sensitive Skin: Materials

100% Organic Cotton

If your skin reacts to almost anything, then 100% organic cotton clothing is usually the best option. Organic cotton is grown without the use of both toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. In fact, unlike synthetic materials it is one of the most well known materials that do not irritate skin.

Bamboo

Another well-known natural fiber that is bamboo. Look for OEKO certified bamboo clothing to ensure they do not use toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers to manufacturer the bamboo fibers. Clothing for sensitive skin that is made from this fiber is usually extremely cooling, as bamboo makes for a very lightweight material.

TENCEL ( with Zinc!)

Although 100% organic cotton and bamboo are some of the most popular materials for sensitive skin, TENCEL is becoming more popular among those with sensitive skin conditions.

TENCEL is a natural fiber that is made of renewable birch pulp. It has absolutely no impurities and is both eco-friendly and contains harsh chemcials from planting all the way to thread and fabric creation. The addition of zinc helps to inhibit the growth of bacteria – which is perfect for those who might be suffering from skin infections. Zinc oxide is a compound that can be found in various skincare products as it is known for it’s ability to reduce inflammation. In fact, zinc oxide powder is the active ingredient in calamine lotion and most diaper rash creams – good bye red, irritated skin! Not only does zinc stop bacterial growth and blocks odor, but it’s also been proven to soothe skin.

Remedywear™, clothes for eczema are made from TENCEL and zinc. Dermatologists in a recent study [1] found that a group of patients with atopic dermatitis noted rapid improvement of eczema severity, less redness and itching and improved sleep quality after using the same fabric blend of TENCEL and zinc as found in Remedywear.

These garments are perfect for all types of sensitive skin including: