Is Icelandic Wool Itchy? What to Know if You Have Sensitive Skin

Key takeaway:

Index:

  • Why is wool itchy in the first place?

  • What makes Icelandic wool special?

  • Is Merino wool itchy?

    • How to Use Merino Wool Base Layers

  • How Wool’s Potential for Itchiness Changes Based on Activity

  • Is virgin wool itchy?

  • How Wool Types Rank in Itch Potential

  • Are acrylic and other jumper materials itchy?

  • Best Solutions If Wool Feels Itchy

  • How to Care for Wool to Prevent Itch

Wool has kept people warm in Iceland for more than a thousand years. But let’s answer the important question head-on: is Icelandic wool itchy? The short answer is no, not for most people. If you have sensitive skin, or associate wool with itchy fibers, there are key details you should know.

Why is wool itchy in the first place?

Not all wool garments feel itchy, when you have something that does, there may be reasons. When wool does feel itchy, here are the possible reasons why:

  1. Fibre diameter: The thicker the fibre, the more likelihood of it poking into skin and cause itchiness. Wool measuring over 30 microns is more likely to feel rough or itchy.

  2. Lack of processing: Raw or minimally processed wool can have rougher textures.

  3. Synthetic blends: Blending wool with lower-quality synthetics can reduce breathability and lead to skin irritation.

  4. Lanolin sensitivity: Although it’s rare, some people are allergic to lanolin, the natural waxy coating on wool fibres.

Icewear’s wool garments and Icelandic wool-based products are always optimised to maximise comfort. The best functional features of Icelandic wool—such as natural water resistance and thermoregulation are balanced with the wearer’s comfort in mind.

What makes Icelandic wool special?

Icelandic wool has a unique history and makeup. Icelandic sheep have been raised in isolation since the 9th century, and they are genetically different to all other sheep breeds.  Maintaining the purity of Iceland’s sheep has been possible because Iceland is an island that doesn’t allow other sheep to land, thus ensuring the unique properties of Icelandic sheep. This together with Iceland’s weather conditions, means that Icelandic sheep wool is as unique as it is natural.

Icelandic wool is the only wool that features two distinctive layers:

  1. An outer fiber (tog): this fibre is long, coarse, glossy and water-repellent. It’s what gives Icelandic wool its durability.

  2. And an inner fiber (Þel): this fibre is soft, insulating and fluffy. It sits close to the body of sheep, and for sheep and people wearing Icelandic wool, it’s what maintains warmth.

The outer tog fibre is what most people associate with the “itchy” feeling in wool. But not all Icelandic wool products have the same texture. Some are processed specifically for extra softness by using more Þel and less tog.

Is Merino wool itchy?

No, Merino wool is not itchy. Merino wool is famous for being incredibly soft, even for people with sensitive skin.

Merino sheep produce wool fibres that are under 20 microns thick. That means Merino wool feels soft and smooth against the skin, making it on ideal base layer.  That’s why Icewear produce a range of Merino wool base layer clothing.  Merino wool is also naturally moisture-wicking, antibacterial, odour-resistant, and thermoregulating for all-year comfort.

Here are some Merino wool Icewear products to try:

  • Base layers: Perfect next to the skin for the first level of insulation

  • Socks: Comfortable and breathable for cold-weather and warmer weather wear

  • Soft wool hats: Keep your head warm without the itch

Read the guide to merino wool to learn more about this super-soft material.

How to Use Merino Wool Base Layers

Merino wool is as versatile as it is soft, so Merino wool base layers are designed for a wide range of activities, temperatures, climate types, and skin types,  even sensitive skin.

Here’s a breakdown of popular Merino wool base layers:

  • Merino wool lightweight tops: These are ideal for layering under jackets for autumn hikes, mild winter runs or even cooler spring strolls. The tops naturally regulate body temperature and wick moisture away.

  • Merino wool midweight tops: Because they offer warmth without bulk, midweight tops offer a great option for winter sports like skiing or snowboarding.

  • Merino wool thermal bottoms: Worn under snow trousers, hiking trousers or waterproof trousers in freezing temperatures, Merino wool leggings are great comfortable insulation for skiing, mountaineering, winter hikes or even winter garden work.

  • Merino wool underwear and socks: Ideal for backpackers, runners, and travellers who require moisture-wicking, anti-chafing, odour-resistant underwear layer options.

Key takeaway: Merino wool is soft and comfortable and adapts to your body temperature, making it perfect for activities with fluctuating effort levels or variable weather conditions.

How Wool’s Potential for Itchiness Changes Based on Activity

The activities you’re doing when wearing wool garments affects how the wool feels, too. Your outdoor activities create body temperature fluctuations, different levels of perspiration, and even friction between skin and clothing. Together, these factors influence how wool interacts with your skin.

These are the ways that high-level activities can potentially change how wool feels:

  • Increased body heat softens wool fibres Something that can reduces itchiness

  • If your wool isn’t naturally moisture-wicking, perspiration can create irritation

  • When the wool is breathable constant movement can reduce friction-related itchiness

Fortunately, Icelandic wool is naturally moisture-wicking and breathable, it’s the original performance fibre for cold weather high-level outdoor activities.

Low-level activities such as camping or watching winter sports outside can impact on clothing itchiness, too:

  • Without heat from movement, coarser wool can stiffen

  • Wool that feels fine while moving could feel itchy once your body cools down

  • Careful layering is critical to prevent contact with scratchier outer fibres, use softer fibres between your skin and the warmer outer layers

Key takeaway: If you have sensitive skin, wear Merino base layers for high-output activity and utilise warmth retaining Icelandic wool as an insulating mid or outer layer when you stop moving.

Is virgin wool itchy?

Virgin wool (also called lambswool) can refer to either:

  1. Wool taken from a lamb’s first shearing

  2. Wool that has never been processed or recycled

In both cases, virgin wool is typically softer and more breathable than recycled or blended wools. The wool’s softness is dependent on sheep breed and the thickness of the wool fibre.

How Wool Types Rank in Itch Potential

Here’s a list of common wool types ranked by potential itchiness. Remember, however, that wool fibres aren’t automatically itchy. The full potential for feeling itchy from wool depends on other factors including your skin type, the activities you do, and how you care for wool garments.

Low itch potential:

  • Merino wool: Ultra-soft and considered the best for direct skin contact

  • Cashmere: Luxuriously soft, but rather delicate

  • Lambswool: Fine and soft fibres from a lamb’s first shearing

Mild itch potential:

  • Alpaca: Soft and silky, but some people can find these fibresitchy

  • Léttlópi (Icelandic light wool): Lightly twisted and much softer than raw wool

Moderate itch potential when worn as the wrong layer or without proper care:

  • Icelandic plötulopi: Unspun, very warm, and ideal for warmth without itch when worn in high-level movement activities

  • Einband (one-ply Icelandic wool): Durable and strong, often treated to avoid itch

  • Mohair or camel wool: Insulating but they have a coarser feel

Are acrylic and other knitwear materials itchy?

Is acrylic knitwear itchy? The answer is: they can be. The term acrylic refers to any synthetic fibre that mimics wool. Acrylics can sometimes feel scratchy and less breathable, especially when worn close to the skin or when combined with other synthetics.

Other common knitwear fibres either mixed with wool or used to replace it include:

  • Cotton: Soft but less insulating, cotton will become heavy and chilling when it becomes wet with sweat or from rain

  • Blends: Often a mix of synthetic and natural fibres, the softness of a blend depends on the ratio and weight of the materials used

Look for knitwear made with a minimum of 30% soft wool like Merino or Cashmere if you’re sensitive to itchiness.

Best Solutions If Wool Feels Itchy

Just because you’ve had the experience of an itchy garment, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on wool.

Here are solutions to avoid the itchiness.

  1. Considerate layering

    When you have highly sensitive skin or wool allergies but still want to wear traditional wool garments then considerate layering is the easiest way to avoid itchy skin.

    Here are some tips:

    • Wear a long-sleeved base layer

    • Choose a polo-neck base layer to give full neck protection

    • Utilise super soft Merino and pair with soft Merino tights or leggings under wool trousers

  2. Soften wool fibres at home

    If you already have wool garments that make you itch, all is not lost, you can salvage the garments with these tips.

    Here’s how:

    • Soak in cold water with 2 tbsp white vinegar for 15 minutes

    • Rinse, gently squeeze water out, and dry flat

    • Use diluted conditioner for extra softness

    • Avoid rubbing or wringing to preserve fibres

  3. Freeze it

    A quick fix that doesn’t chemically alter the wool.  When you freeze wool, it causes the wool fibres to contract slightly, therefore reducing the itch.

    Here’s what to do:

    • Place the wool garment in a plastic bag

    • Freeze it overnight

    • Let it thaw and dry while laid out flat on a towel

  4. Choose the right Icewear product and fibre type

    When choosing wool products or gifting something to a friend or family member with sensitive skin, how the wool is processed impacts on softness and itchiness potential. Here are some different ways wool is processed at Icewear.

    • Plötulopi

      Icelandic for “plate wool,” plötulopi is unspun wool (pencil roving), this wool is used in authentic Icelandic lopi sweaters. It’s unspun, which means it’s a little “furry” and bulkier than other types of yarn. It’s also fragile and needs delicate handling.

      Plötulopi is mostly knitted using two or three strands. Garments made with Plötulopi  are exceptionally light and airy and once knitted the wool is surprisingly strong.

      Plötulopi is also a great choice for felting and hand spinning.  Beginner knitters sometimes wonder how plötulopi  is utilised in wool clothing, it’s strengthened when the strands are gently wound together, but it can also be knitted straight from the plates, too. Another way to strengthen a single strand of plötulopi, is to knit it with one strand of einband.

    • Léttlópi

      Léttlópi is slightly twisted, which makes it less bulky and rustic than plötulopi. View léttlópi made Icewear products such as Brynjudalur, Elís, Elmar, Fróði, Fróðný or Gestur.

    • Einband (sometimes called loðband)

      Einband is the finest yarn, this fineness makes it ideal for shawls, light garments and lace knitting. Einband can be knitted using more than one strand of yarn at once, and it can also be used to add strength to one-ply plötulopi.

      Einbands strength comes from it being twisted over and again during the spinning process of turning wool into yarn. Please note that Einband is also the roughest type of yarn. It’s a durable and traditional choice, that is best worn over base layers.

      You can view einband products in the Icewear range such as Ása poncho, Borgarfjlall, Dalsbrún, Eiríkur, Föðurland, Gilsá, Hildur, Ingólfur, Íslendingur, Karen, Kata, Pétur, Ríkey poncho, and Vaglaskógur.

How to Care for Wool to Prevent Itch

Sometimes itchy wool is just wool that’s improperly cared for and needs some TLC. When wool fibres are damaged or stripped of their natural oils, they can feel rougher and produce an itchy feeling. Harsh chemical cleaners can strip wool of its natural oil lanolin something that also removes the natural water resistance of wool. That’s why it’s so important to use special mild soaps and no conditioner when washing Icelandic wool.

Follow these care tips to keep your wool at peak performance without the potential itch:

  • Do not machine wash. Instead, use lukewarm water and a wool-safe detergent with no dyes or perfumes

  • Do not wring or rub wool garments. Instead, gently squeeze out water, roll in a towel, and reshape

  • Then, lay flat to dry. Hanging can stretch the garment and increase itchiness

Read Icewear's wash and care instructions for more.

 

Wool is not naturally itchy. Even the warm fibres of Icelandic wool are not inherently itchy and don’t have to itch. By using a few thought out layering tricks and the right wool that is correctly cared for even the most sensitive skin can enjoy the warmth, breathability and luxury of Icewear wool products.

If you’re still unsure about taking the plunge into the benefits of wool garments, start with Merino wool, it’s soft and gentle, the gold standard of itch-free knitwear. Another option is to enjoy the benefits of wool by selecting Icelandic wool filled insulating apparel instead.

Whatever you decide, if you’ve experienced an itch or have sensitive skin, then always check the fibre makeup of any wool or wool mix garments before you buy. Your skin will thank you for it.

 

Posted in June 2019

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