An Article featured in Alternative Medicine
Natural Beauty
Solutions for Healthy good looks.
Natural Beauty: Next to
Your Skin: Natural Fabrics
By Wendy Underhill
Do your allergies make finding something to wear
impossible? Try these natural fabrics?
Jill Sverdlove, of Boulder, Colo., doesn’t stop at the local
mall to look at the latest fashions because shopping for new clothes literally
makes her sick. She can’t go into a secondhand shop to buy, either. While the
original chemicals may have long since off- gassed or washed out of the used
clothing sold there, chances are that fragrance-enhanced detergents and fabric
softeners have taken their place. And these laundry products are equally likely
to make Sverdlove sick.
New or used, she says clothes can really set her allergies ablaze. “I’ve spent
many nights itching and fighting off hives from irritating fabrics and
detergents,” she says. And that’s on a good day. Sometimes she deals with a long
laundry list of symptoms, including headaches; swollen hands, throat and eyes;
numb teeth; asthma; and intense fatigue.
Short of moving to a nudist camp, Sverdlove had to find more reliable and safer
outlets for clothes. She now buys from websites devoted to natural or organic
clothing—and hopes for the best. When the clothes arrive, she immediately begins
a labor-intensive project involving pre-rinses, overnight soaks and multiple
wash cycles before she can wear her new things. (See laundry sidebar.) Even
then, certain clothes still cause reactions.
Such is the life of a person with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS). While
Sverdlove also has to be careful about almost everything she eats, breathes or
otherwise interacts with, fabric for clothing or bedding ranks at the top of her
list of concerns.
Clothes can hurt
It’s not just people with MCS who have to watch what they wear. Anyone with
psoriasis, eczema, allergies, asthma or plain old itchy skin can easily get
skin-specific responses to fabrics and the chemicals used to produce or clean
them. Call it uncomfortable, call it a rash, or call it contact dermatitis, more
and more people are recognizing that clothes can hurt.
What’s more, it seems that the incidence of fabric-related reactions has
escalated as the manufacturing of fabric has become increasingly chemically
based. Fabrics are often bleached and dyed, then treated with flame retardants,
permanent-press chemicals and sizing. The dirty little secret behind these
treatments is that they remain in the fabric. Although the general public may
not notice, sensitive people continue to react to the chemicals. Fabrics are
also being treated to add sun protection or to repel insects. This may help
guard against skin cancer and Lyme disease, but it’s not so great for reducing
environmental sensitivities.
What’s a body to do?
Learn to love your well-worn, tried-and-true standbys, and then to do a certain
amount of experimentation to see what works next to your body and what doesn’t.
You may want to give these natural fibers a try:
Bamboo
Fabric made from 70 percent bamboo and 30 percent cotton is the newest option in
the natural clothing market. It was developed because bamboo regenerates swiftly
and is grown without pesticides or fertilizer and, therefore, is easy on the
earth. Is it equally easy on the body? It appears to be. A spokesperson at the
online store, Bamboo Textiles, says that no one has complained or come down with
any allergic reactions so far. One caveat: The cotton in the fabric is not
always organically grown.
Organic cotton
By buying organic-cotton clothing, wearers avoid residues from the pesticides
used liberally in conventional cotton fields. Most manufacturers of
organic-cotton clothing are conscientious about using non-irritating dyes and
avoiding chemical processes all the way along the chain from grower to customer.
However, since the cotton seeds are not removed during the manufacturing of
organic cotton, those with MCS may find it worse for their skin than processed
cotton if they are allergic to cotton seeds.
Tencel
This patented fabric is cellulose-based and made from wood pulp. It feels cool,
smooth and dry to the touch and has proven to be easy on the skin for people
prone to contact dermatitis. One caveat: Many garments made from it say “dry
clean only.” Even though the fabric itself is washable, the linings or finishes
often aren’ t.
SmartWool
If you tend to get itchy or clammy skin from wool, check out SmartWool, a
particularly non-abrasive wool from New Zealand’s merino sheep. You’ll find it
most often in socks for outdoor wear.
Linen
This 10,000-year-old fabric has many wonderful traits: It’s breathable, not
likely to cause allergies and is quite durable. But some people find the texture
a bit harsh, while others get annoyed because it wrinkles so easily.
Silk
Silk is the strongest of all natural fibers. This sensuous fabric also absorbs
moisture, making it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. By virtue of its
pliant texture, it is known to be quite easy on the skin. It’s a myth that all
silk clothing must be dry- cleaned. Most of it is washable—if you use the gentle
cycle—although some delicate silk garments will need to be hand-washed.
Hemp
Although hemp-based clothing is primarily marketed for environmental
reasons—since hemp grows prolifically without pesticides— most hemp
manufacturers are also responsive to the sensitive-skinned market. And thanks to
more innovative design practices, hemp shirts are no longer the scratchy shirts
of yore. You can now find hemp-Tencel and hemp-silk blends that feel softer and
look appreciably better.
Even with all these options, however, it’s still “buyer beware.” Any fabric, no
matter how natural, can be rendered useless to a sensitive person because of the
way it is manufactured, processed and even packaged and shipped. That means the
only firm fabric rule worth noting is this: If the clothes work, wear ‘em.
An Article Featured In Delicious Living
A Natural Fit
"The Hippest, hottest, cloths for yoga, hiking and Nia"
Our Outfit
By Pamela Emanoil
Our favorite Nia (Dance-based workout) outfit
NiaWear Bell Sleeve Top ($50)
So you want to move? It’s hard to stop yourself once you don this top. The
dramatic design with flared sleeves really sways with you as you dance. And you
can take this look from dance floor to restaurant.
NiaWear Short Skirt ($30)
This stretchy skirt intended for layering over the NiaWear Diva Bells Pants has
a flirty, scalloped hem. The flattering length effectively covers you, so you
don’t feel bare even when bending over. When dancing in this skirt, you’ll not
only have a sleek look—you’ll feel hot!
NiaWear Diva Bells Pants ($52)
The low waist on these machine-washable pants compliments most shapes and is
comfortable enough for long dance classes. The bell bottoms are fun and flare
expressively as you move. If you perspire when you dance, you’ll be happy with
the quick-drying synthetic fabric. The pants look great alone and even better
with the NiaWear Short Skirt.
Outfitting tips
Be dramatic. Instead of playing down the female figure, choose
colors, textures, shapes, and fabrics that enhance your body’s movements while
dancing. For some women, that means a tight and sleek outfit; for others, the
clothing design is loose and full. “Know what makes you feel alive, sexy, and
fit,” advises Debbie Rosas, cofounder of Nia with Carlos Rosas.
Find the right fabric. Cotton feels great, but it doesn’t hold
its shape or color after several washings, according to Rosas. “A little Lycra
hugs the body and can move [with you],” she says. “The right fabric and the
right fit is how you can create a ‘moving conversation’ with your body.” The
design will also encourage you to integrate the hips, pelvis, chest, and spine
into your movements.
Shake your booty. “Clothes that expose individual body parts,
as in the shoulder, help me be aware of that body part, so I can move it more
consciously and with more joy,” Rosas says. Her personal favorites are low-slung
pants that keep her moving her belly and pelvis and thus engage her abdominal
muscles.
