Bamboo Sheets Sooth Eczema Symptoms
What is Eczema?
Healthline says 'Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, is a common skin condition marked by itchy and inflamed patches of skin". It can occur anywhere but usually affects the arms, inner elbows, backs of the knees, or head (particularly the cheeks and the scalp). It’s not contagious, and, in some cases, becomes less severe with age.
32 million Americans are affected by eczema, searching for relief that you probably already know dermatologists don't have a permanent cure for the condition, as experts are still baffled by what exactly causes these temporary breakouts.
There are many products on the market that can help alleviate symptoms or keep flare ups at bay. Some creams will soothe irritated skins, and some fabrics will bring immediate comfort and relief. One fabric highly recommended for eczema sufferers is bamboo, due to the silky soft and smooth fibers that feel cool to the touch and are hypoallergenic. Fibers that are scratchy, too 'natural' or have frayed threads can grab onto your sensitive skin, sore patches or inflamed areas. Some fabrics that are considered no-no's are microfibers, wool, synthetic nylons or polyester and linen. Wool and linen can grab your sensitive skin, which causes it to itch or inflame more, and synthetics don't breathe which can cause already sensitive skin to prickle in pain.
Bamboo fabrics help alleviate symptoms for many reasons, being an ideal choice for those that suffer from eczema, listed here:
- Bamboo is 3 times more absorbent than cotton, so if you do perspire the bed sheets will wick that moisture AND evaporate it 3 times faster than cotton, so you stay cool and dry.
- The micro-gaps and holes in the fiber release heat, allowing your skin to breathe, as moisture and perspiration can cause flare ups
- The cooling effect of bamboo is simply indescribable, hot irritated skin is very comforted against the fabric because those micro-gaps and holes keep the fabrics cool, like fabric air-conditioning!
- Bamboo fibers are naturally resistant to bacteria and mildew, which are common allergens that can trigger flare ups
- Bamboo is grown without the need for pesticides and fertilizers, so you can rest easier knowing you are sleeping on an eco-friendly fabric without added toxic coatings (no formaldehyde used in BedVoyage bamboo linens, and their tight twill weave guarantees no pilling, which also hurts sensitive skin)
- Bamboo fibers are hypoallergenic and therefore a non-irritant to sensitive skin. If you were to put a cotton fiber and a bamboo fiber under a microscope; the cotton fiber would look like a hemp rope and a bamboo fiber would look smooth, round and tubular, so it does not snag on your skin.
Some other fabrics that are eczema friendly are 100% cotton, if its very soft, as well as Cotton Sateen because it feels like silk, but Bamboo fabrics have all of the other great benefits that cotton does not. For those reasons, consider switching your bed sheets, duvet covers, comforters, pillowcases and pillows to bamboo if possible, you won't regret it!
"I’ve suffered from eczema my whole life, I'm a red-head, with pale and dry sensitive skin, basically genetically born with eczema! Yay me." says Sarah Koster, wife and mother of 2 small children. "I've suffered from cradle cap to inflamed itchy skin, scaly dry patches on my hands and feet, unbearable itchiness, weird patches on my legs and scalp, and swimming in a chlorine pool almost made my feet unbearable. My mom switched from product to product to try to find a solution, they didn’t have CerVe or bamboo linens at that time, so very little worked to soothe my symptoms.
During Pregnancy, oh do I envy those women that had the easy pregnancies. I was sick for the first 2 trimesters and had eczema flare ups, in the weirdest places. Bamboo maternity sheets were my life saver in fact, there was nothing BETTER than a warm shower, bamboo towel, bio-oil and my bamboo bed sheets. I called it Bamboo Bedtime - the ONLY luxury that I looked forward to every day after my organic honey nut cheerios (the only thing I could keep down).
Bamboo has been a staple in my regimen and gives me immediate relief, from bamboo towels after a warm shower, to bedtime with bamboo sheets on my itchy legs and dry patchy feet - they are simply a must have for me. So much, that they are part of my bag when I travel, MY CARRY ON BAG!
No better way to explain but bamboo fibers soothes my skin, anyone who know Sarana lotion, and that instant cooling feeling that calms your skin, bamboo is kind of like that, but without the lotion, tingle and smell - oh the relief. It's life changing. So much so that I reached out to BedVoyage after using their products for a number of years, and asked if I could join their team! I've been their marketing and sales director since Feb. 2018 and have helped develop the Panda Baby line of baby crib and bath linens, because babies suffer from eczema too!
Let me tell you about some other items that I've found soothing:
Moisture-Wicking Pajamas by Cool-Jams
CerVe Moisturizing Cream. Honestly - CerVe everything!
Aquaphor - for lips, feet and bleeding cracked hands.
Eucerin relief cream
Cetaphil soothing cream, with no sulphates or fragrance
Bio-Oil Skincare
Thank you for learning about my journey with eczema, and I hope that this helped you in some way to get relief!
Sweet Dreams~
Article From Bedvoyage