Thanks to Mother Nature and a few innovative thinkers, we now have clothing and linens made with bamboo. Although not yet available in every store in town, and the clothing styles are still limited, bamboo clothing and linens are well worth the search: They surpass organic cotton and silk in every way that matters to those with dry skin or eczema. Although they won't take the place of an effective dry skin care lotion, bamboo clothing and linens actually address some of the factors that cause and exacerbate skin problems.

What are the unique qualities of bamboo?

• The fabrics are three to four times more absorbent than cotton: bamboo absorbs and evaporates sweat so quickly you'll stay dry and cool in the hot summer and dry and warm on the slopes. Retaining natural moisture is vital for those with dry skin and eczema, but sweat sitting on the skin actually worsens the condition.
• Bamboo clothing and linens are soft, smooth and silky. On a microscopic level, bamboo fibers are round and smooth. Consequently, the clothing feels and hangs like silk, doesn't cling to the body and doesn't snag on rough patches of skin.
• Bamboo breathes: the same porous qualities that enable absorption also make bamboo fabrics cooler than others. They are cool to the touch and, if you could take their temperature, you would see they are two or three degrees cooler than other clothing.
• The fabrics, like the plants, are naturally antibacterial and antifungal. Although skin is designed to fight bacteria and fungus, this function in damaged or dry skin is greatly inhibited. Tests done on bamboo fabric exposed to bacteria found that, when new, it kills 99.8 percent of the bacteria and still eliminates 70 percent after being washed 50 times. As the unpleasant odors associated with sweat are caused by bacteria, bamboo will also help you smell fresh.
• As the bamboo plant is not prone to bugs and other pests, it is grown without the usual chemicals that can also irritate the skin.

No fabric will actually heal dry skin: for that you need adequate exercise, a nourishing junk-free diet free of chemicals, cleansing and other skin care products that don't exacerbate the conditions, and a dry skin care solution that locks in natural moisture while protecting against damage from chemicals and other irritants. However, bamboo will certainly make you more comfortable and at least you'll know that your skin problems are not caused by your clothes.