Natural Fabrics for GAPS Skin Care: Wool, Cotton and Bedding

Clothes and bedding sit against your skin for hours. In the eczema section of Gut and Physiology Syndrome, Dr. Natasha asks readers to consider those materials alongside food, baths and skin-care products.^[1] Her guidance looks at both the fiber and the way it has been processed.

During our third child’s eczema in 2026, we changed our laundry products, stopped using fabric softener and rewashed all her clothes and sheets while following Full GAPS. Her skin cleared over five to six months. That experience is why I pay attention to what touches the skin as well as what goes into the wash. The fabric recommendations below come from Dr. Natasha’s book; my three-child eczema story explains our separate family timelines.

Why GAPS Looks at Fabrics

GAPS treats eczema and many other skin rashes as conditions rooted in the gut, not the skin itself.^[1] The book explains the mechanism this way: abnormal gut flora produces toxins, a damaged gut wall lets undigested food particles through, and the skin, as one of the body’s major detoxification organs, ends up carrying a lot of that toxic load out through sweat. Where those toxins interact with the skin’s microbial community on the way out, they cause damage, and the immune system responds with inflammation, which shows up as a rash.^[1]

In the same eczema section, GAPS repeats the rule “if you cannot eat it, do not apply it to the skin,” then addresses clothing and bedding materials separately.^[2]

What GAPS Says About Wool

The book singles out superfine merino wool and cites research on its use for eczema. Dr. Natasha describes it as gentle against the skin and helpful for retaining moisture.^[3] The word superfine matters when you are comparing a soft base layer with a coarse, scratchy sweater.

The study she cites, DESSINE, compared superfine merino garments with cotton clothing chosen by parents. It followed 39 children aged four weeks to three years with mild to moderate eczema in a 12-week crossover trial. Each clothing period lasted six weeks. Eczema severity scores improved during the superfine merino periods.^[4] This gives you a specific material and garment type to look for, rather than treating every item labeled wool as the same fabric.

Why Wool Processing Matters

Dr. Natasha attributes wool’s reputation for irritation to chemicals left by standard industrial processing, rather than to wool or its natural lanolin. She recommends looking for producers that use more natural processing.^[3] When comparing products, ask about the finished garment or bedding item, not just the word wool on its label.

The book mentions clothing, mattresses, duvets and pillows made by companies using more natural wool processing.^[3] That gives you several places to apply the guidance. You can begin by asking about an item that touches the skin directly, without replacing every piece of bedding at once.

What GAPS Says to Avoid

For people with skin conditions, Dr. Natasha advises avoiding synthetic materials and conventional cotton, which she describes as often genetically modified and chemically treated.^[3] Cotton being a plant fiber does not answer her concern about its processing. Look at the complete fabric composition and ask how the item was processed, dyed and finished before choosing what will touch your skin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wool Safe for a Child with Eczema, or Will It Make Things Worse?

The book points specifically to superfine merino wool, and the DESSINE study tested superfine garments in young children with mild to moderate eczema.^[3][4] Look for that level of detail when comparing an item. Its texture, complete fiber composition and processing are more useful than assuming any wool garment will feel the same against your child’s skin.

Is Regular Cotton a Safe Choice?

GAPS specifically says to avoid conventional cotton alongside synthetic materials, because conventional cotton is often genetically modified and treated with toxic chemicals during processing.^[3]

Does This Apply to Bedding Too, or Just Clothing?

The guidance includes both. Dr. Natasha names clothing, mattresses, duvets and pillows when discussing more naturally processed wool.^[3] Start by asking about the materials in the part that sits against the skin, as well as any covers or fillings in the finished product.

Why Does the Eczema Section Address Fabric?

GAPS describes eczema as a gut-related toxic and inflammatory process, then points to naturally processed superfine merino wool as gentle and moisture-preserving while advising against synthetics and conventionally processed cotton.^[1][3]

Your Next Step

My low-tox home article explains the laundry and household changes we made, while my personal-care guide covers products used on the body. For help working through those choices, my Low-Tox Home Swap Guide and The Low-Tox GAPS Home course are listed in the WFLI Shop. If you are choosing products for a baby, read my Baby GAPS skin-care guide.

References

1. Natasha Campbell-McBride. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), “Eczema,” p. 416, gut flora, toxins, skin microbes and inflammation.
2. Natasha Campbell-McBride. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), “Eczema,” pp. 416–417, topical skin care and clothing as separate parts of the discussion.
3. Natasha Campbell-McBride. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), “Eczema,” p. 417, superfine merino wool, processing, cotton, synthetic materials and bedding.
4. Su JC, Dailey R, Zallmann M, et al. Determining Effects of Superfine Sheep wool in INfantile Eczema (DESSINE): a randomized paediatric crossover study. British Journal of Dermatology. 2017;177(1):125–133. doi:10.1111/bjd.15376. This is reference 15 in the book’s eczema section.