Skinnies Silk Skinware for eczema

*This is a review post. All opinions are our own*

When I was training as a student nurse in London, I spent time on a Dermatology ward, and learned a lot about various skin conditions, that can cause many problems for children and adults. I worked with children with severe eczema and other issues, and one of the things we did was “wet wrapping” which involved layering on quantities of the creams they had been prescribed, then cutting out long lengths of tube stocking bandage and applying it over their skin. We would cut out arm, leg and body pieces and make makeshift suits, to cover the skin, and help the creams and ointments be absorbed better and also protect the very sore areas and this would help to clear up very severe flare ups. The children would come in for intensive “wet wrap” weeks, or we would teach them and their families how to do it, so they could help them at home. It worked, but was messy and fiddly. Now, I have a child of my own, with moderate to severe atopic eczema, I was pleased to learn that there are now specially designed clothes out there, for children and adults with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Skinnies Silk , are a range of clothing, from Skinnies Uk, designed to be worn close to the skin to protect and help skin to heal. They are seamless, therapeutic clothing garments, suitable for wearing under normal daytime or night clothes.

“Skinnies have developed a range of Therapeutic Clothing Products that help aid recovery from Eczema, Psoriasis and other skin conditions. Our garments are completely seamless, utilising technologically advanced yarns that are designed to be anti-irritant“

The clothing range comes in sizes to suit all ages, from infants (they do mittens to stop scratching, through to clothing for adults) and all can be worn under normal clothing. The are designed to be used therapeutically with the creams or lotions prescribed to treat skin conditions as well. They look nice, feel incredibly soft, and are available on the NHS on prescription too.

Big Girl was a little sceptical when I showed her the items of clothing she was going to be trying out. “They are a bit small Mum”, but I knew they had to be close fitting, to be in contact with her skin, so I reassured her that they would fit and be ok and they did.
Big Girl gets fairly itchy, inflamed eczema on her arms, trunk, in the creases of her elbows, and around her neck and back of her legs. It often flares up and requires continual monitoring to stop it becoming very sore and irritated. In the summer, when she gets hot in her school uniform, it can make it much worse. It’s unsightly, and it bothers her, and she gets very anxious about wearing short sleeved clothing, and that people might stare at her skin. She is getting old enough now to be self conscious, so we try as much as possible to keep on top of her skin and keep the eczema at bay.

The beauty of the Skinnies silk is that they keep cool, even when it is hot, due to the properties of silk, so even though it has been a bit hot and sticky, Big Girl felt comfortable, and was able to wear them in the day, and at night, without getting sweaty. The photos show her in her pyjamas, so you can see the Skinnies, but when she is dressed for the day, she was happy to wear them, and they weren’t visible under her clothes.

I asked her what she thought of them and if they were helping her skin, and she said “I like them, they feel soft on my skin, and don’t rub and make it sore, like my clothes do, and they stop my clothes making my skin itchy, and I think it has helped my skin to heal up”.

From my point of view, using the Skinnies silk clothes for ten days, in conjunction with her normal skin cream regimen, twice daily applications of aqueous cream, I definitely saw an improvement in her skin condition, and felt that it cleared up faster, than it normally would. It usually takes 3 weeks or so to clear up and get a bad flare up of her eczema under control, so the Skinnies clearly help quicken that process. We found the short sleeved t-shirt style top and shorts worked best, for her, but the long sleeved top would be idea for winter or for someone who needed more coverage. The shorts meant she could still wear shorts or skirts, but not worry about what she was wearing underneath.

They are comfortable and easy to put on and off, and also easy to launder. We used the special Laundry detergent, to wash the Skinnies clothing, and also for her normal clothes, it’s un-perfumed, and has only natural ingredients and is designed to help reduce symptoms of eczema. It seemed to work well, without being overly harsh.

I would say, that if you have a little one, or are an adult suffering with a skin condition like eczema or psoriasis, that these would be well worth a try to help ease and reduce your skin issues. They work well, and are not unsightly or embarrassing and can be worn under normal clothes and are available on prescription, so your health care provider can order them for you or your child.

I will be writing a post on my own experience with the adult Skinnies Silk clothing, next week.