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

Key takeaway:

Icelandic wool has been worn comfortably for over a thousand years. Icelandic wool is especially adaptable to different skin types, because its two different fiber types are used to make varying weights and softness of yarn. The right care for Icelandic wool clothing keeps it from feeling itchy, too. All the best solutions to keep wool from feeling itchy are detailed here.

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 sweater 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 itches, and when it does, there might be one or more factors at play. When wool does feel itchy, here are the possible reasons why:

1. Fiber diameter: The thicker the fiber, the more likely it is to poke into skin and cause itchiness. Wool that measures 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: This is rare, but some people are allergic to lanolin, a waxy coating on wool fibers.

Icewear’s wool sweaters and other Icelandic wool-based products are optimized to ensure each product’s comfort for the activities they’re made for. The products maximize the best features of Icelandic wool—such as its natural water resistance and thermoregulation—with the wearer’s comfort in mind.

What makes Icelandic wool special?

Icelandic wool has a unique history and makeup. Since the 9th century, Icelandic sheep have been raised in isolation (since Iceland is an island), keeping them genetically different from all other breeds of sheep. That, plus the unique weather conditions in the country, and Icelandic sheep produce a wool unlike any other.

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

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

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

The outer tog fiber 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, it’s not. Merino wool is famous for being incredibly soft, even for people with sensitive skin.

Merino sheep produce wool fibers that are under 20 microns thick. That means merino wool feels smooth against the skin, making it ideal for base layers, like those made by Icewear. Merino wool is also naturally moisture-wicking, antibacterial, odor-resistant, and thermoregulating for year-round comfort.

Here are some merino wool Icewear products to try:

• Base layers: Perfect under sweaters or jackets

• Socks: Comfortable and breathable for cold-weather wear

• Soft wool beanies: 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 range of activities, temperatures, climate types, and skin types.

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

• Merino wool lightweight tops: These are ideal for layering under jackets during fall hikes or mild winter runs. They naturally regulate body temperature and wick away moisture.

• Merino wool midweight tops: These are best for winter sports like skiing or snowshoeing because they offer warmth without bulk.

• Merino wool thermal bottoms: Worn under snow pants or waterproof pants in freezing temps, these are great for skiing, mountaineering, or even extended outdoor yardwork.

• Merino wool underwear and socks: These are ideal for backpackers, runners, and travelers who want moisture-wicking, anti-chafing, odor-resistant gear.

Key takeaway: Merino wool adapts to your body temperature, making it perfect for activities with fluctuating effort levels.

How Wool’s Potential for Itchiness Changes Based on Activity

What you’re doing in wool garments affects how the wool feels, too. Your outdoor activities create a change in body temperature, different levels of perspiration, and 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 actually softens wool fibers and often reduces itch

• Perspiration could cause irritation if your wool isn’t naturally moisture-wicking

• Constant movement can reduce friction-related itch as long as the wool is breathable

Fortunately, Icelandic wool is naturally moisture-wicking and breathable, making it the original performance fiber or high-level outdoor activities.

Next, here’s how low-level activities like camping or watching winter sports outside can impact itchiness, too:

• Without heat from movement, coarser wool can feel stiffer

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

• Layering becomes critical to prevent contact with scratchier outer fibers (by keeping softer fibers between your skin and the warmer outer layers)

Key takeaway: If you have sensitive skin, wear Merino base layers for high-output activity and switch to heavier Icelandic wool as an insulating 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 softness still depends, though, on the breed of the sheep and the fiber thickness.

How Wool Types Rank in Itch Potential

Here’s a breakdown of common wool types ranked by potential itchiness. Remember, however, that wool fibers aren’t automatically itchy. The full potential for itch comes down to 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 fibers from a lamb’s first shearing

Mild itch potential:

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

• 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

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

• Mohair or camel wool: Insulating but with a coarser feel

Are acrylic and other sweater materials itchy?

Are acrylic sweaters itchy? The answer is: they can be. Acrylic refers to any synthetic fiber made to mimic wool. It can sometimes feel scratchy and less breathable, especially if worn close to the skin or combined with other synthetics.

Other common sweater fibers either mixed with wool or used to replace it include:

• Cotton: Soft but less insulating, this becomes heavy and cold-inducing when it becomes wet with sweat

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

Look for sweaters made with 30% or more of soft wool like Merino or alpaca if you’re sensitive to itchiness.

Best Solutions If Wool Feels Itchy

You don’t have to give up on wool just because you had an experience where something felt itchy. Here are the solutions you can turn to, including who each solution is ideal for.

1. Layer smart

   This is best for people with highly sensitive skin or wool allergies who still want to wear traditional wool. Layering is the easiest way to avoid direct contact between your skin and itchy fibers.

   Here are some tips:

   • Use a long-sleeved cotton or Merino base layer

   • Choose high-neck base layers for full neck protection

   • Pair with tights or leggings under wool bottoms

2. Soften wool fibers at home

   This is best for anyone who already has wool garments that itch but want to salvage them for everyday wear. You can condition your wool items using everyday ingredients.

   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 fibers

3. Freeze it

   This is best for anyone who wants to try a quick fix without altering the wool chemically. Freezing wool causes the wool fibers to contract slightly, reducing 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 fiber type

   For everyone choosing wool products or gifting something to a friend or family member with sensitive skin, some Icewear options are softer than others. It depends on how the wool is processed.

   Here are the different ways wool is processed, and what it means for potential itch:

   • Plötulopi
     
     Icelandic for “plate wool,” plötulopi is unspun wool (pencil roving) and is used in authentic Icelandic lopi sweaters. Since it’s unspun, that means it’s a little “furry” and is bulkier than other types of yarn. It’s also fragile and needs to be handled delicately.
     
     Plötulopi is mostly knitted using two or three strands, making garments exceptionally light and airy. The wool is surprisingly strong once knitted.
     
     Beginning knitters sometimes wonder how this is used in wool clothing. It’s strongest when the strands are gently wound together, but it can also be knitted straight from the plates, too. If you want to strengthen a single strand of plötulopi, it can be knitted with one strand of einband. Plötulopi is also great for felting and hand spinning.

   • Léttlópi
     
     This is slightly twisted, making it less bulky and rustic than plötulopi. You can see léttlópi in Icewear products like Brynjudalur, Elís, Elmar, Fróði, Fróðný or Gestur.

   • Einband (sometimes called loðband)
     
     Einband is the finest yarn, making it ideal for shawls, light garments and lace knitting. It 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.
     
     Einband is strong because it’s twisted again and again when turning wool into yarn. Einband is also the roughest type of yarn. Durable and traditional, it’s best worn over base layers.
     
     You can see einband in Icewear products like 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

Itchy wool is sometimes just wool that’s improperly cared for. When wool fibers are damaged or stripped of their natural oils, they can feel rougher and produce an itchy feeling. And stripping wool of its natural oil, lanolin, also removes the natural water resistance of Icelandic wool. This is why it’s so important to use special mild soaps when washing Icelandic wool.

Follow these care tips to keep your wool at peak performance without 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 them.

• 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 inherently itchy. Even the warm fibers of Icelandic wool don’t have to itch. With the right type of wool, the right care, and a few layering tricks, the most sensitive skin can enjoy the same warmth, breathability, and luxury of wool in Icewear products.

If you’re still unsure, you can start with Merino wool, the gold standard in soft, itch-free woolwear. For absolute certainty, you can choose Icelandic wool filled apparel instead. That way, you get all the benefits of the natural material that’s safely embedded in modern technical wear.

Whatever you choose, always check the fiber makeup of garments before you buy. Your skin (and closet) will thank you.