BRILLIANT BAMBOO - HOW OUR ECZEMA CLOTHING HELP TO RELIEVE MY DAUGHTER'S ECZEMA
One thing all new parents know about are sleepless nights – but when my own baby daughter was still waking regularly after 8 months I began to wonder if the reason might be her eczema.
I suffered with eczema as a child and unfortunately, both my young daughters suffer too. Their flare-ups come and go, but I am acutely aware of the pain and misery the itching can cause. I am scrupulous about their skincare routines and have always tried to manage their conditions in a holistic way.
I have always been a little apprehensive about using some of the treatments on offer, so I have tried to implement preventative measures into our routine wherever possible. There are a number of ways to reduce the chances of an eczema outbreak.
1. Try to limit the skin's contact with excess moisture, while maintaining a regular bath routine. Baths are helpful as they add moisture to the skin and rid rashes of germs and other possible irritants, such as perfumes and chemicals. The key here is to moisturise immediately after getting out of the bath, to seal in any water that is left on the skin. Try to keep bathtime to ten minutes maximum, or the water will begin to wash away natural oils.
2. To prevent scratching, keep baby's nails short and use mittens at night.
3. Avoid all synthetic fibres and wools. Wool fibres are short and stubby and can really irritate the skin.
4. Try to minimise contact with irritants such as chemicals, cleaning products and fragrances. I always use eco-friendly and natural cleaning products; for cleaning the bath, wiping over toys, cleaning highchairs and for any other surfaces that the girls come into contact with.
5. It may sound basic, but wash your hands or use an alcohol rub, especially after nappy changes! This is a simple but effective way to prevent the spread of germs and infections!
6. Minimise overheating and sweating by keeping bedrooms cool. Keep bedding and clothing light and layered.
7. If possible, try breastfeeding for at least four months, as this is a fabulous and natural defence against eczema and other allergies. I am a real advocate of the benefits of breast milk and still breastfeed my youngest Isabella morning and night (she is 20 months old)!
I was always careful not to put the girls down on the carpet because wool is so irritating to eczema sufferers. I'd always put Isabella down on a cotton playmat and being a creative type of person, it was usually a patchwork one I'd made myself. It was while I was searching the internet one day for new fabrics that I came across bamboo.
The more I read about bamboo fabric, the more I began to see how it could be used to help with eczema and I began to develop my idea for a range of eczema baby clothes. Let me explain more about the properties that make it ideal for eczema clothing:-
Bamboo clothing readily absorbs moisture. Four times more absorbent than cotton, bamboo maintains the body temperature by quickly wicking away moisture from the skin, which then evaporates leaving baby dry and comfortable. Limiting the skin's contact with water is a key factor in relieving eczema.
Bamboo eczema clothing has natural 'air conditioning' built in allowing the skin to breathe and helping to soothe irritated skin.
Unlike any other fabric, it remains cool to the touch, even when its warm, bringing immediate comfort and relief. How? The bamboo fibre is filled with micro-gaps and holes, giving it fantastic ventilation properties. In hot weather, it will keep the user cooler than regular fabrics in the equivalent knit or weave.
Variations in temperature can trigger eczema flare ups; most commonly hot humid or cold dry conditions. Bamboo fabric is a natural temperature regulator with fantastic insulating properties.
Antibacterial by nature, Bamboo fibre has natural elements to help kill and prevent the spread of bacteria. This property is retained in the fabric, even after multiple washing at regular temperature.
Our Bamboo eczema clothing is naturally hypoallergenic, mild and gentle – perfect for baby's sensitive skin, therefore there will be no allergic reactions as with other natural fibres such as cotton or hemp. This is because bamboo fibres are naturally smooth and round without any chemical treatment, meaning there are no sharp spurs to irritate the skin.
It is mould and mildew resistant, both of which are common allergens and can often trigger an eczema flare up.
It does not retain odour from common irritants such as fragrances, perfumes, chemicals and other products.
Bamboo is also naturally organic, environmentally kind and sustainable.
And so my idea grew from making a play mat into thoughts of creating a special range of eczema baby clothes. I voiced my idea to my friend, Victoria and between us we created Ickle Eco - a company specialising in bamboo baby wear specifically designed for children with eczema and skin allergies!
In addition to capturing the amazing properties of bamboo in the range of eczema baby clothes, my partner and I wanted to take the designs further. We ensure that there are no man made fibres in the clothes: the fabric is a mix of 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton, our thread is 100% cotton, we use nickel free poppers and 100% cotton labels.
The fabric is certified OEKO-Tex 100, which means it is completely chemical free. We also use the most advanced eco-friendly, water-based inks for our hand screen-prints. We have also incorporated a number of design features that make the eczema baby clothes even comfier; all the seams on the under garments and sleepwear are external. The clothes are cut to fit closely to the skin, to maximise the benefits of the fabric. We introduced optional mittens on the sleep suits and pyjama tops, to help prevent scratching and the sleep suits also have a double fabric layer around the knee and ankle, as this area is prone to eczema.
It's taken 10 long months of hard work, but the company will have its first collection on sale in December 2008. We are keen for other parents to try the benefits of our bamboo eczema clothing for themselves!
If the range is successful, we are planning to expand the Ickle Eco eczema clothing range to include cot sheets and sleeping bags, to compliment the existing sleepwear. As bamboo also contains natural UV protection, our summer range includes romper, shorts, tunic and sunhat – all perfect to help protect that delicate skin.
The full range is available in our online shop, so please take a look. In addition to the information on how our bamboo clothing can help eczema, we will be introducing a news section, with hints and tips on all aspects of looking after you baby’s precious skin!
I have been so pleased with the improvement in Isabella's skin since she has been wearing her baby eczema clothes. She recently had a flare up over her back, with her skin turning red and scaly. I bathed, moisturised and dressed her in the bamboo sleep suit – by morning, the redness was really reduced and only one or two small patches remained. She had also slept soundly, so I assume that she had been comfortable too. Ickle Miracle!
Kelly
