Research has revealed that fine real wool can be kinder to your skin than other materials and can be helpful for people with eczema and other skin conditions. This challenges misconceptions that real wool is always prickly and itchy on the skin.
Caring for sensitive skin
As a natural fibre, wool can be kind to your skin, but choosing the right coarseness and the right size of fibre is important. This is something to think about if you have sensitive skin, whether you are buying clothes from your favourite retailer or using knitting kits from online specialists such as https://www.woolcouturecompany.com/collections/knitting-kits.
Fine wool is less irritating and gentler on the skin, and the type of animal that the wool comes from can also be something to consider. Some people will react to the coarseness of wool differently depending on the source animal.
Naturally Good
In general, however, wool is good for your body. It offers natural temperature regulation and has antibacterial qualities. These properties can be particularly important when it comes to looking after symptoms associated with sensitive skin or eczema. You can read about other ways to treat eczema on the NHS website here.
Eczema and Wool
Wool can act as a type of dynamic buffer to the skin, alleviating and preventing the symptoms of eczema. This is particularly true of wool with fibres of 17.5 microns or less.
Wool can absorb and then release double the moisture of cotton and 30 times the amount of polyester, helping to stabilise temperature and humidity levels. This can give the advantage of a ‘second skin’, which is helpful if the body’s skin is extremely dry, leading to a reduction in rough and dry skin, and in flaking, weeping, oozing, bleeding, pain, and itching.
Managing eczema through the winter months
Winter can be especially hard on sensitive skin. As the weather turns and the central heating comes on, eczema-prone skin can become even drier, itchier and more cracked. There is no single treatment, but several approaches help. Moisturising treatments called emollients reduce flaky dryness, which matters most in winter when the air indoors and out is drier. They are available from pharmacists or your GP, who can also advise on steroid creams and antihistamines to ease itching.
Try not to scratch, as it can worsen the skin and create bigger lesions. Keeping nails short makes scratching harder and reduces the risk of infection. Avoid exfoliators and highly perfumed soaps, which can trigger flare-ups, and consider a food diary to spot whether something you eat makes symptoms worse.
Be gentle with your skin. Natural fabrics such as cotton and silk, non-irritant moisturisers and cleansers, and a warm shower can all help soothe it.
