Cotton Incorporated recently sponsored a study to evaluate the hypoallergenic properties of cotton. To do this, Cotton Incorporated enlisted the resources and experience of Product Investigation, a leading testing lab, to perform a clinical trial testing the hypoallergenic properties of cotton.
Product Investigation conducted a contact dermatitis test to gauge a products irritation and allergy potential. This included a regimen of nine sequential 24-hour induction applications followed by two challenge applications across seven weeks. The study included 200 participants who were exposed to both natural and purified cotton.1 Of these, 50% perceived themselves to have sensitive skin. They were ages 18-84. The female to male ratio was 60:40.
Participants were asked to rank the effect the cotton had on skin from zero to four with zero meaning no change and four indicating redness and ulcerations.
In both the induction and challenge phases, both types of cotton registered all zeros meaning no observable irritation was recorded. When the results were recorded, both natural and purified cotton passed the sensitivity test with no irritation. Therefore, both types of cotton were deemed both hypoallergenic and safe.2
Sources: 1Cotton Applies Hard Science to Sensitive Skin. Cary, NC: Cotton Incorporated, Web. https://www.cottonworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Cotton-Hypoallergenic-Brochure.pdf
2Cotton Incorporated 2019 clinical trials on Determination of the Irritating and Sensitizing Propensities of Mechanically Cleaned and Purified Cotton on Human Skin.
