Wool for Wellbeing in a Post-COVID World

Dalena White - Secretary General, International Wool Textile Organisation

Emerging from the chaos of 2020 one thing is clear: health is not merely the absence

of disease but a state of physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Of the many fibres on the market, how many can say – backed up with peer-reviewed research – that they have an active, positive effect on health and wellness? Wool is unique in many respects, but its natural abilities to boost wellbeing to those who wear it is truly one of a kind. Synthetic textile innovators have been attempting to replicate wool’s natural characteristics for the past 60 years. The result: a plethora of polyesters that outlive their purpose.

Wool – Creating a Positive Microclimate

The virtues of wool in both skin health and sleep health stem from the fibre’s ability to maintain a more stable microclimate between the garment and the skin.

Skin is the largest organ of the human body. The use of wool base layers supports skin health in ways researchers are only beginning to discover.

Eczema

Clinical studies around the world show an improvement in eczema symptoms when wearers change from non-wool undergarments to superfine Merino wool base layers.

Eczema, also known as Atopic Dermatitis (AD), affects up to 28% of children worldwide. Its prevalence varies geographically and is increasing in many countries.

Worn next to the skin, superfine Merino wool works as a dynamic buffer, helping to stabilise the humidity levels and temperature of the micro-climate between the fabric and the skin. It appears superfine Merino wool acts like a second skin for people whose ‘first’ skin is too dry. This has been proven in dermatology trials with infant, adolescent, and adult eczema sufferers. All reported reduced symptoms when wearing superfine Merino wool next to their skin. The wool in these trials had a mean fibre diameter of ≤17.5 mm and the garments were worn at least six hours per day for six weeks.

Sleep

A good night’s sleep boosts immunity, enhances memory, and even helps manage anxiety. According to the latest science, wool can get you to restful sleep faster and keep you there for longer. When we sleep, and especially in deep sleep, the body’s capacity to regulate temperature is also relaxed. Wool steps in to fill the gap, helping to ensure that we do not become too hot or too cold.

Research undertaken at Sydney University compared wool, cotton and polyester sleepwear on adults aged 50 years and older. Wool performed best, allowing a faster sleep onset and less fragmented sleep. Research also shows that newborns sleep more restfully (with fewer movements) when they sleep on wool underlays. Restful sleep promotes healthy growth and good weight gain.

Sleep is an up-and-coming area: more research is on its way. The Woolmark Company for example reports positive feedback from parents following pilot programs in which Merino wool sleeping bags for babies were tested.

Protective Clothing

Alongside wool in “everyday life,” wool also plays an important role

in protective clothing. Wool’s natural resistance to fire has been further endorsed in a study by AgResearch, finding that wool and wool-rich fabrics perform better in resisting flame than a number of non-wool blends. Polypropylene and polyester, both 100% synthetic, performed worst. Both showed a propensity to melt onto the skin.

Worn next to the skin in base layers, wool provides a “last line of defence” for military and first responders. Wool’s high ignition temperature and self-extinguishing characteristics can help prevent severe skin injuries stemming from fire and high heat.

The Active Fibre

Wool is an active fibre that interacts with the human body to changes in temperature and humidity.

Wool does this as well in the Arctic as it does in the Sahara. The inimitable natural 3D crimp of the wool fibre makes this possible.

In the post-COVID world and for some time to come, health – in all of its forms – takes priority. If there’s ever been a time to choose wool, that time is most certainly now.

About IWTO

With a worldwide membership encompassing the wool pipeline from farm to retail, the IWTO represents the interests of the global wool trade. By facilitating research and development and maintaining textile industry standards, IWTO ensures a sustainable future for wool.

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