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Effects of softened and unsoftened fabrics on infant skin
G E Piérard1, J E Arrese, A Dowlati
1Department of Dermatopathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire du Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
Insights
Softened fabrics showed a slight beneficial effect on infant skin compared to unsoftened fabrics, with no adverse effects observed. Advanced skin measurements indicated subtle changes, suggesting fabric softness impacts infant skin health.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Pediatrics
- Textile Science
Background:
- Infant skin is sensitive and requires careful consideration of fabric contact.
- Real-life conditions were used to assess fabric effects on infant skin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of softened versus unsoftened fabrics on infant skin.
- To compare the sensitivity of different skin assessment methods.
Main Methods:
- 24 infants (1-12 months) wore fabrics washed with detergent alone or with detergent and softener for 4 weeks.
- Skin assessments included visual grading, squamometry, elasticity measurements, and instrumental analysis (pH, capacitance, TEWL, erythema).
Main Results:
- No adverse effects were noted for either softened or unsoftened fabrics.
- Softened fabrics showed a decrease in squamometry (Chroma C*) and increased skin capacitance.
- Higher skin pH values were observed with softened fabrics.
Conclusions:
- Continuous wear of softened and unsoftened fabrics did not cause adverse effects on infant skin.
- Softened fabrics demonstrated a slight beneficial effect on infant skin.
- Instrumental methods for stratum corneum assessment were more sensitive than visual evaluation.
Background:
The effects of softened and unsoftened fabrics on the skin of infants of 1-12 months of age were evaluated under real life conditions of skin contact with fabrics.
Methods:
During 4 weeks, 24 infants wore cotton fabrics washed with a granular detergent on one side of their lower back, and on the other side, cotton fabrics washed with the same detergent and softened with a liquid fabric softener. Skin effects were evaluated by visual grading for redness, dryness, and smoothness, by skin stripping and measuring of Chroma C* (squamometry), by measurements of elasticity and bioelastic ratio, and by instrumental measurements of skin parameters (pH, capacitance, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and erythema by colorimetry).
Results:
No deleterious effects were observed in any infant. A decrease in squamometry (Chroma C*) and an increase in capacitance were detected in skin exposed to softened fabrics relative to unsoftened ones. Values of pH tended to be higher in the sites treated with softened versus unsoftened fabrics (pH 6.06 and 5.87, respectively, at end of study). All other parameters showed no significant differences in the two treatment groups.
Conclusions:
Neither softened nor unsoftened fabrics produced any adverse effects on the skin of infants after continuous wearing during 29 days. A slight beneficial effect on the infants' skin was observed with softened relative to unsoftened fabrics. Methods measuring the structure and function of the stratum corneum were more sensitive discriminators of the effects of fabrics on the skin than traditional methods of visual clinical evaluation.