Linen is not just for looking fabulous. It is also extra gentle on the body. Read on to discover the surprising health benefits of linen.
Turns out life really is on our side. Green juices and pumping iron are not the only ways to keep healthy.
Do not worry if you missed every Pilates class this week. According to personal experience and the experts (they wear white lab coats), wearing organic linen can be a big boost to your overall well-being.
Linen improves everything from your mood to skin and blood circulation. Now, if it could just give you a few extra hours in the day, it would be perfect.
The French Riviera is never far away when you are sporting an all-linen look. Wherever you may be or however behind you are on your laundry, linen ensures you always feel like your most confident self and gives you that post-holiday glow.
Why do linen tops feel so lovely and light on the skin? There is now evidence of linen’s countless healing properties. Science has finally caught up to our genius and discovered what we had known all along that linen is a fantastic natural fabric.
Read on below to discover the health benefits of linen that will leave you looking effortlessly elegant and healthy.
Linen Benefits
Free of harmful chemicals
The kinds of fabrics we choose to wear matter.
Go back in time (just a few years) to high school biology class, where we were all taught that the skin is our largest organ and is permeable. Whatever touches our skin for long periods of time will likely end up in our bodies.
No one would drink a bottle of poison willingly. So why is it acceptable to buy synthetic fabrics full of chemicals? These harmful ingredients will eventually wind up inside us, albeit at lower concentrations.
Our LUXMII linen is proudly OEKO-TEX® 100 certified, which is like the golden stamp of approval in the fabrics world. Basically, it means our linen pieces contain 0 nasties and 100% elegance. Our linen is rigorously tested to ensure that it does not contain any chemicals toxic to the human body.
What’s OEKO-TEX® 100? It’s an international and independent body that tests products at every stage of the production process. There are more than 100 harmful chemicals that are tested for, making this linen the only option for those with allergies, sensitive skin or anyone looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Flax plants are very low maintenance and need hardly any water or fertilizers to grow well. This makes them more healthier than the majority of man-made textiles. But organic-certified linen goes one step further.
Discover more about what is flax linen in our blog.
Why are natural fabrics better for our health?
While pricier, natural fabrics are worth the investment, they’re much better for us. Think of it as paying a little extra for something that is priceless, our health.
The book Killer Clothes: How Seemingly Innocent Clothing Choices Endanger Your Health, is a must-read. It makes a compelling case for natural fabrics.
Synthetics have only been widely used for the last 60 years, coincidentally the time during which chronic diseases have skyrocketed.
The health issues synthetics could cause include dermatitis, hormonal, and respiratory issues. The US military even outlaws artificial fabrics. They are classed as a severe fire hazard and aren’t allowed to be worn off base.
No one can be perfect, but it does help to limit the chemicals we use in our lives. These include cleaning supplies, cosmetics, food and the clothing we wear. While we are healthy, these everyday items may not pose such a big risk, but if we get sick, then they can make a significant difference.
Linen’s long medical history
Flax has been used as a bandage for thousands of years, at least since Ancient Greece, where it was talked about in Homer’s Illiad. The Ancient Egyptians recommended a remedy of linen, honey and oil in their medical manuals for almost all soft tissue injuries.
There’s a recent trend towards using more natural materials in medicine, so new studies have been done on linen’s healing properties. Flax is known to help repair DNA damage, with wounds bandaged with flax showing decreased levels of free radicals, AKA the bad guys.
Here’s an interesting fact you can bring up next time there’s a lull in the convo. Hospitals use bed sheets made from linen. Why linen? Because it’s known to promote recovery and fight infection.
Some days, bed looks like the place to be, and now there’s a perfectly valid excuse. It’s called healing. As long as your bed sheets & covers are made from the finest organic linen and freshly washed, sleeping on them is the ultimate act of self-care. Now, if only that could also somehow count as ‘work’.
More Benefits Of Linen
Body temperature regulating
Please bear with us as we get a little technical for just a second and talk about body temperature regulation, which is essential for good health.
Our ideal body temperature ranges between 36.5C and 37.5C. Now, that is not a lot of room for error. As soon as our temperature goes outside this range, essential metabolic and enzymatic processes can start to function poorly.
It is a beautiful, complex dance that happens within our bodies and can be quickly disputed because of overheating or cooling. Here is where linen comes in to save the day, as it naturally regulates body temperature.
This means when you are hot, linen keeps you feeling fresh, and when it is cold, linen helps warm up your skin. It is what makes linen sheets the perfect companion for bed.
Mood booster
Linen cannot help your overflowing email inbox, but it can at least make you feel more Zen.
The natural cooling properties of linen clothing and how effortlessly it allows air to circulate from your body through the fabric. It is why you will feel calm and peaceful wearing your favourite linen pants, even if you are behind on your to-do list.
Is linen good for the skin?
Linen feels delightful on the skin. But is that just our bias getting in the way of cold, hard facts? Apparently not. There is plenty of evidence that it is beneficial for the skin.
Breathable
Hot days ask for ultra-breathable linen. For surviving the summer, there’s nothing better than breezy linen dresses — and icy drinks, in that order.
The fabric’s breathability is thanks to the natural characteristics of the flax plant. The plant features a woody stem that is hollow. This allows air and water to move freely, leaving your skin feeling fresh and cool.
Breathability is actually so important when it comes to caring for your skin. So look out for it if you suffer from allergies, psoriasis or sensitive skin.
Wearing constricting clothing can cause sweating and irritation, which then leads to flare-ups, and the vicious cycle begins again. What else can’t organic linen do? Other than pay taxes, almost everything.
Anti-microbial
We could write a whole album of tearjerking love songs about linen, and here’s yet another reason to fall in love. Linen is naturally anti-microbial, which makes it an absolute dream for your skin.
Clean freaks look away, this next bit is a horror story with scary main characters like bacteria, fungi and mould. Synthetic fabrics keep all these nasties trapped in the fabric, so much so that they do not even come out in the wash. But linen does not. It allows bacteria to escape through its loose weave, guaranteeing cleanliness.
Environmentally-friendly
Say hello to the Greta Thunberg of the fabric world. Linen is the most sustainable fabric by a long shot. When it is not too busy ridding the world of pesticides, it is hugging trees and making the modern woman look sophisticated.
Hoping to cut down on screen time? Yeah, it has not happened for us yet either, but let a woman dream. At least you can save water by choosing linen clothing. Linen needs a whopping 400% less water than cotton. Plus, it will also make you feel 400% more elegant. (That number may not be scientifically proven yet.)
Discover even more reasons why we love linen in our blog.
Conclusion: The Surprising Health Benefits Of Linen
Get you a fabric that can do both — instantly transport you to the Mediterranean every time you wear it and help heal your body. There are several surprising health benefits of linen that will leave you looking both sophisticated and feeling your most energized self.
There is a reason why linen has been used in hospital bed sheets and wound dressings for hundreds of years. It is a superstar at fighting infection and promoting healing. Here are our top health benefits of linen:
- Organic and toxin-free: Nature knows best. So, going with organic linen is a game-changing decision for your overall health. It ensures that no harmful chemicals will permeate into your body, leaving you with plenty of energy to live your best life.
- Positive emotions: Thanks to linen’s natural breathability and cooling properties, it infuses its wearer with a sense of peace and optimism – a mighty achievement, seeing as how busy everyone is. Plus, the texture of linen feels like pure luxury, so you cannot help but feel fabulous.
- Anti-microbial: There is nothing better than linen clothing for a full day out. You will stay fresh and clean for longer. The textile naturally fights off bacteria and germs, so they are nowhere near your skin. Unlike, synthetics that have many of these nasties trapped within their threads.
