Clothing

Clothing can cause allergic reactions due to the ingredients in the textiles and can also irritate the skin, especially in people with sensitive skin.

The ECARF seal of quality generally characterises products as allergy-friendly if they are proven to have special properties that make them more suitable for allergy sufferers and highly sensitive people.  Which properties are required depends strongly on the product. In the area of clothing, it depends on the intensity of skin contact, e.g. a lot of skin contact for socks, shoes, underwear and little for a belt, for example. In addition, the intended use of clothing must be taken into account, e.g. for sportswear, factors such as perspiration, water evaporation and mechanical properties can be of particular importance.

In all areas of clothing, the overall objective of the ECARF quality seal is to eliminate or reduce possible contact allergens and make the product more skin-friendly, as many allergy sufferers, but also many non-allergic consumers, suffer from sensitive skin. For these people, mechanical irritation caused by labels or seams, for example, can trigger itching. Some products can also be labelled for very special properties, e.g. mite-proof duvets or sportswear that protects against UV light. As the properties for which the label is awarded can vary, the details are always listed on the ECARF website.

In general, manufacturers must follow the rules below, but despite careful product composition and testing, the risk of an allergic reaction or skin irritation can never be completely ruled out.