These Indigo-Dyed Japanese Sheets Might Be the Answer to Your Skin Issues
Let’s review the basics: Sleep is good for your skin. Removing your makeup before bed is good for your skin. Washing your sheets regularly is good for your skin. But what about the sheets themselves? If your bedding is polyester and dyed with synthetic dyes, it could actually put more stress on your complexion, no matter how many z’s you’re getting. One new sheet brand is determined to change how we think about skincare with their organic, all-natural indigo-dyed sheets. Japan-based Aizome Bedding uses traditional dyeing techniques and top-grade organic cotton to create beautiful, soft sheets that are crafted sustainably and have an extra perk: they might just improve what you see in the mirror when you wake up in the morning too.
“Our first product, the original Aizome Bedding set, is made only from two plants: indigo and cotton,” says product designer Misa Muto. “We dye with the actual indigo plant, not the chemical version that is common today. In an age where people are looking to reduce pollution and want to live healthier, it seemed like the perfect time to invest our passion and love in a company that dyes only with plants!” Obviously, we love the all-natural element, but we’re even more interested in what these gorgeous sheets can do for our skincare regimen.
As it turns out, indigo is more than that deep blue hue it’s often associated with. But that doesn’t mean your favorite jeans have the same skin benefits. “Natural dyes were replaced with easy-to-produce chemical dyes during the industrial revolution, albeit with little regard to environmental pollution and potential sides effects on our health,” says Muto. Unfortunately, synthetic indigo just doesn’t pack the skin-loving qualities of natural indigo. “Indigo, whose active agent is tryptanthrin, is an absolutely fascinating plant that has been used for millennia in various cultures for its medical properties, especially its benefits to the skin. This includes a mild anti-bacterial agent as well as a tendency to keep insects and other pathogens away. It reduces further stress to the skin and allows for a natural healing process that usually happens when we sleep,” Muto tells us. “Conventional bedding textiles are chemically dyed and often contain polyester and residual toxins from the dyeing process, which put further strain on your skin.” Translation? Tired and stressed-out skin, no matter how long you sleep.
Aizome’s bedding aims to eliminate three distinct skin stressors. “One of them is chemical irritation, which is often the result of low-quality textiles, dyestuff, and added chemicals. For example, polyester sheets legally have to have flame retardant chemicals applied — what a nasty cocktail!” explains Muto. Aizome doesn’t use any added chemicals, because indigo is actually a natural flame retardant. Then there’s friction, but the brand’s high thread count sateen weave takes care of that. “The third and final one is pathogenic irritation. Everybody has heard the rumor of the millions of bed bugs and bed mites living in your bed; synthetic materials are an ideal breeding ground for such little creatures. Natural materials like cotton and indigo have anti-pathogenic properties that get rid of bacteria overgrowth with inhospitable conditions,” Muto tells us. While it makes our skin crawl to think of bed mites, it’s definitely something worth considering.
Aizome has already completed one round of crowdfunding, which exceeded their goal tenfold. In November, they’ll launch their second round, which will offer a 40 percent discount to customers before they begin retailing at sticker price worldwide, which range from $29 for pillowcases to $199 for a full bedding set. In the meantime, read more about them on their IndieGoGo page… We’ll be over here, sleeping our way to good skin.
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(Images via Aizome)
