Synthetic vs Natural Fabrics

About a month ago I went into a fabric warehouse to find a piece of fabric that was made from 100% natural material and to my dismay, the selection was very limited. I was not able to find a single piece of cloth made from 100% silk. I have been sewing since my teenage years and over the years I have noticed a spike in the price of natural fabrics like silk, wool, cotton, and leather. I also noticed a decline in the quality of fabrics that are used in the clothes we wear today. I have suffered from night sweat since my mid-thirties and a few years ago I learned that my nightgown and bedsheet were contributing factors to my nightly perspiration problem. So, I wanted to share the following article to inform others who may suffer from the same condition as me. Hopefully, I can inspire our young people to pay attention to the clothes they wear since it may be a contributor to some of their health issues.

Mackeline Wilson Gibbs Editor & Chief

By: Michael Lam, MD, MPH; Carrie Lam, MD; Jeremy Lam, MD

An assortment of healthy fabrics in different patterns and colorsEven though you make sure to choose the best body butter, massage oil, and healthy foods for your skin, there is one more important factor that you might have been overlooking. Guess what always remains in contact with your skin? Fabrics. There are various types of fabrics on the market. However, selecting healthy fabrics ensures your skin and body is in optimal health. Glowing skin says a lot about your health. Skin is the largest organ of your body, and it performs a vital role in various crucial bodily functions. Therefore, it is important to take good care of it.

What Is In a Fabric?

Your skin can look simple from the outside. However, it is a very complex multitasking organ playing a multitude of crucial roles such as protecting your body against the external environment, regulating body temperature, minimizing water loss, excreting waste from the body in the form of sweat, and helping to detect sensations such as cold, heat, pressure, and pain. With such various functions to perform, the health of your skin is extremely important.

Scientifically, the skin can be classified into three different layers – the dermis, epidermis, and subcutaneous layer. Each of these layers is responsible for performing important functions in keeping your body healthy. The surface of your skin contains thousands of tiny pores and hair follicles. It is through these tiny pores that your skin breathes, absorbs moisture from the air, and releases sweat, which helps maintain an ideal body temperature. The fine hair follicles protect your skin against dust.

As your skin is always in direct contact with fabrics, the type and structure of fabrics can significantly influence the health of your skin. What you wear determines the health of your skin. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the type of fabric. From clothes, undergarments, socks, and towels to bed sheets, switching to healthy fabrics allows your skin to breathe freely, preventing rashes, allergies, and other skin issues that can damage your overall health. On the other hand, using synthetic fabrics restricts your skin from breathing, clogs skin pores, and causes