Does Skin Actually “Breathe”?

Here at Cottonique, we make a big deal about letting skin breathe, especially if you want to avoid the symptoms of atopic dermatitis showing up. That’s why we make sure that our 100% organic cotton apparel is not only soft, but breathable as well. But what exactly does “breathable” mean? And why is this so good for the skin?

Skin doesn’t breathe in the traditional sense, that is, inhaling and exhaling air. It does, however, need to maintain healthy levels of heat and moisture, and that’s where breathable clothing comes into the picture. If you’ve ever been inside a stuffy room, you know what it feels like – it’s hot, humid, and a little harder to breathe in that sort of environment. That’s because all the heat and moisture generated by whatever’s inside, including yourself, isn’t exiting the room fast enough.

It’s the same situation with your skin and clothes that aren’t breathable, like apparel made of synthetic fibers. These garments tend to keep the heat from your skin inside, rather than let it leave. At the same time, they also can’t draw excess moisture away from your skin fast enough, and suddenly it feels like your outfit is a miniature sauna.

Put the excess heat and moisture retention together, and you’ve got the recipe for a heat rash. The humidity underneath your clothing can make your atopic dermatitis symptoms flare up, and that’s certainly no fun.

We at Cottonique strive to develop clothes that not only help your skin stay cool by letting heat flow freely outwards, but also maintain a decent amount of moisture through our fabric’s moisture-wicking properties. Even better, our all-natural cotton is extremely soft to the touch and, coupled with our advanced stitching techniques, is very non-abrasive.

Give your skin a breather today!

Image from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human-nose.jpg