Bamboo Bubby Bags™ are made from 70% bamboo/30% organic cotton that, especially selected after an extensive search and testing process, for its superior qualities which research suggests may be beneficial to the healing of sensitive skin with conditions like eczema or dermatitis.
Eczema Mitten Sleeves are also made from bamboo, elastane & silk blend fabric for the same beneficial reasons.
How can bamboo fabric help eczema?
Bamboo fabric is absorbent & breathable
Bamboo is the softest and least abrasive fabric to delicate skin, due to its ability to pull moisture away from the body The scientific term for this is the capillary effect or wicking effect and research shows that of the five leading fabrics available on the market, bamboo has the highest capillary effect, absorbing more moisture and drawing it away from the body than other fabrics and also decreasing the level of abrasion and damage to sensitive skin.
When skin becomes sweaty, fabric used to cover it causes the level of abrasion to increase, which then worsens skin conditions like eczema and is especially harsh on the delicate skin of babies with eczema. This is why synthetic fabrics which do not let the skin 'breathe' are notoriously bad for eczema skin.
It is a fact that if a baby sweats under their clothing then the level of abrasion caused to the skin is almost doubled.
Even when compared to other 'breathable' fabrics such as cotton and viscose rayon in the photographs below, bamboo is superior due to the spaces between the individual fabric fibres, allowing greater moisture absorption while at the same time allowing more air ventilation through the fabric.
(Source: http://www.ajol.info/index.php/jfecs/article/viewFile/61642/49754)
The combination of great absorption and ventilation can result in a baby wearing bamboo keeping almost two degrees cooler in warm weather and at least this much warmer in cold weather when the bamboo fibres contract and help to keep warmth in and around the body covered by fabric.
Bamboo fabric is hypoallergenic
The fibres within bamboo fabric are round and naturally smooth with no sharp spurs which will irritate sensitive skin, making it perfect for babies with eczema or anyone who may suffer allergic reactions to other types of fabrics like wool or hemp.
This is also why bamboo fabric feels so soft.
Bamboo fabric is antibacterial
Bamboo contains anti-bacterial and bacteriostatic bio-agent called "Bamboo Kun", which is what allows it to naturally flourish and grow in the wild without the use of pesticides or fertilizers.
There has been some studies undertaken in whether or not this anti-bacterial benefit remains when bamboo is manufactured into fabric. The Japan Textile Inspection Association (JTIA) completed a study that claims that even after 50 industrial washes, bamboo sheets showed a 70% effectiveness of antibacterial properties.
The China Industrial Testing Center completed a similar study, where bamboo fabric was tested over a 24 hour incubation period with the bacterial strain Staphylococcus aureous. Their results showed after a 24 hour period, the 100% bamboo fabric showed a 99.8% kill rate.
These reports suggest bamboo may be an ideal fabric to use on eczema skin which is often inflamed and even infected.
The bamboo fabric used by Bamboo Bubby has passed Oeko-Tex 100 Class 1 testing which means that it is free from harmful substances, manufactured to cause the least possible harm to the environment and safe to use for baby products.
While a lot of time and effort has been taken to determine the ideal fabric for the Bamboo Bubby Bag & Eczema Mitten Sleeves in the end it was simple - no other fabric can sooth sensitive skin quite like bamboo.