Flax - useful, wool - warms better than any synthetics, cotton - is indispensable for underwear. These are the common truths that each of us knows. But is it all cotton, linen, wool, which appear as such on the labels of clothing? And what should be the fabric, so as not to cause allergies? Discuss - it's interesting.
How much can you trust the inscriptions "100% cotton" and is this label sufficient for quality assessment? Specialists in textiles unequivocally answer "no". The label of the product, which does not have additional environmental labeling, should be read as follows: "100% cotton" means that the cotton content is about 70%, 8% is dyes, 14% is formaldehyde, and the rest is improvers, softeners, etc. The fact is that any material, be it cotton or wool, does not fall directly into the hands of the fashion designer from the field or from the lamb. First, the raw material is transformed into a fabric, then this fabric is treated with chemistry, colored and only after that they sew clothes from it. "And what, in fact, is the problem?" - Probably, you will ask. After all, it would be strange in our time of scientific progress to make clothes as in olden times. This, of course, is true, but many substances that improve the consumer properties of tissues, at the same time make them dangerous for people with sensitive skin, and for those suffering from allergies - in particular.
WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF ALLERGY TO TISSUE?
The fabric should be safe - and with this no one argues. But the reality is that tissue can become "harmful" even before its birth. Sometimes during cultivation, cotton is abundantly watered with all kinds of chemistry, which then accumulates in raw materials. Nothing disappears without a trace: fertilizers, means for destroying pests - all this gets into the fabric. With the natural wool the same picture: if the animals were kept in poor conditions and constantly treated their wool with chemicals, then the fabric can not be clean by definition. Also used are various substances that make the fabric more durable, less creased, and the like. The treated cloth also passes the stage of coloring, and in fact there are no harmless dyes. In the end, the so-called natural cotton is not 100% full, but loaded with all known chemical elements.
In the West, on their own bitter experience, this was understood long ago and about 40 years ago began to study the safety of textiles. Steel was issued recommendations for manufacturers and consumers about choosing and producing such a tissue that would not cause allergies. For example, the German Alliance for Allergy and People with Sensitive Skin (Die Deutsche Haut und Allergiehilfe) warns that the most dangerous for the sensitive skin are dyes and "improvers" (which keep the form of clothing and do not allow it to crumble). Formaldehyde and synthetic resins, which are part of the improvers, can provoke an allergy. Every third thing, treated with improvers, according to German dermatologists, is the cause of allergies.
Of course, it would be possible to ban most of the chemistry, but it turns out that in addition to substances that are unequivocally hazardous to health, there are also those that become harmful only when mixed with each other. In total, there are more than 7,000 textile supplements approved for use. The results of their cross-reactions become known only after the textile products come into contact with our skin. Consumers to some extent are guinea pigs. Special studies (even in Europe) begin to be carried out only after the fact, i.e. when someone combed. In Europe, they are working to make an express test of tissue for allergens, but so far all attempts are not very successful. The strongest rapid test for tissue testing for allergic safety was developed at the University of Zurich, but the researchers themselves remained unhappy with him, as he "did not give a convincing and complete picture of the real danger."
In general, an allergy to tissue is a mysterious thing. It can manifest completely on level ground for reasons that are not completely understood. But responsible manufacturers make important steps to protect consumers, give them complete information about clothing.
LOOK FOR THE NEEDED PICTURE
In Europe, social life is boiling and the people are spoiled in a good sense of the word. The consumer wants to know about things as much as possible. As a result, non-governmental organizations appear that conduct an independent assessment of quality and each of the things assigns their logo - a quality mark. On these things there may not be additional inscriptions, but the picture itself should be the guarantor of a certain level of security. Here are some of them you can find on the Russian market: Naturokstil, Eurocat, EcoTex. If you are looking for simply safe and quality textiles of industrial production, then you will need the marking of Ecotex 100 (usually glued directly to the product) and Euro-flower (printed on a sewn tag). This level is enough for most people who have almost no problems with the skin.
If you want to wear things of the highest ecological quality for ideological reasons or you suffer from skin allergy, then you need to look for products with the sign of Naturtextile. It is not on a stitched tag, but is glued to the packaging of the product, it shows the license number, by which you can get all the information you need about the production of this thing by making a request via the Internet.
RUSSIAN ACTIVITY
Safe clothing is not prohibitive, but it should not be cheap either. Perhaps, domestic goods can be no worse, but at the same time cheaper? Unfortunately, we, as buyers, find it difficult to rely on Russian safety certificates - many of them are simply bought without any testing. Moreover, the manufacturer can buy low-quality cloth in the East, without thinking, because our textile industry is going through hard times. But there are positive moments. So, Western companies in the production of goods in Russia retain the European quality, which can be trusted. So be guided by proven brands. The firm she and in Africa should be a firm, the quality standard of the brand is everywhere one.
In addition, Russia has a lot of cheap flax, which abroad is worthless money. Flax in general is very good material, especially unbleached. This plant is so powerful that it is practically not processed by any chemistry during cultivation. Flax is naturally anti-static, does not accumulate electricity, so it is recommended to townspeople in the first place. Len bactericidal - under linen bandages, wounds heal faster than under cotton ones. It is better than cotton, absorbs sweat and does not create a sense of wet tissue, so it is optimal for bed linen. In the heat in clothes made of linen, sweating is half as much as in a dress made of chintz. Flax is very durable, spoils little, is neutral to smells. Perfectly supports the natural thermoregulation of the body. Flax does not shrink, it is easy and well erased. Soluble can be a problem mainly because of the dyes, if the fabric is treated with resins from crushing (real flax must be crushed, like real milk is sour, and not stand for years). So if you see a thing of a specific linen color produced in Vologda or Kostroma, take it boldly. But things "cheerful" coloring makes sense to be afraid: the dye can be unsafe.
ECOSHOPING RULES
So how is it better for buyers to act if they have a desire to choose really safe clothing?
1. Those who do not suffer from skin diseases and do not consider it particularly sensitive should beware of only those things that are or are obviously harmful to health. For example, synthetic underwear, or underwear of black and close to black shades.
2. People with problem skin or those who feel at least one itch or flaking due to clothes, it is advisable to listen to our recommendations and carefully read the labeling. Irritated skin is particularly painful to respond to chemistry, even in small amounts. Therefore, you need to know what kind of tissue should be in order not to cause an allergy.
3. We advise everyone to wash clothes before the first sock.
4. When washing, it is recommended to run the rinse mode twice, so that as little as possible detergent traces remain on the clothes (adding usual table vinegar at the rate of 1 table, spoon per liter of water, vinegar is guaranteed to neutralize the remaining detergent in the fabric fibers). If possible, buy hypoallergenic detergents, for example for children's underwear, or environmental detergents, which can now be found on eco-shelves in supermarkets.
As you can see, the choice of clothes is not an easy task for those who care about their health. But forewarned - means, armed. And it is protected from allergic reactions, which so often occur when wearing poor-quality clothing.
READ LETTERS
If before you is not a blouse from the market of unknown origin, then it has a sewn label or other kind of marking. You should pay attention to the following items
1. Mercerisiert Mercerized (Mercerized) - after treatment with chemistry, cotton becomes smoother, more durable and starts to shine. It is not recommended for people with exacerbation of skin diseases;
2. Buegelfrei, pflegeleicht No need iron (Easy-care No ironing required) - This cotton is treated with artificial resins that contain formaldehyde. This is the most allergenic substance!
3. Gebleicht, stone-wasched or Chlorine bleached - Chlorine is harmful to humans and the environment. Not recommended for allergy sufferers;
4. 100% kbA Baumwolle or 100% Baumwolle Kontr.Biol.Anbau (100% organic cotton) or 100% organic cotton (100% organic wool) or 100% kbT Schurwolle, 100% organic wool, 100% kbT Seide, 100% organic Silk (100% organic silk) - Cotton / wool / silk of the highest ecological quality. One of the few options that are harmless to any skin and ease the condition of people with dermatitis;
5. Alpakka (Alpacca) - Be careful: if it is written with two "k" in the foreign version, then this product has nothing to do with the wool of alpaca llamas, it was made from woolen residues;
6. Waschmaschienenfest (Machine wash resistant) - Resin treated with artificial resins
7. Superwash (does not melt down) - Dangerous in any dermatitis, especially at the time of exacerbation.