A brief introduction to Wool
For years I specified wool for projects. The hand of the fabric, and durability is quite luxurious, but recently I started to find more of my clients had specific allergies to products containing wool. Wool is a great material used predominantly in the interior design industry in carpets and rugs, but there is more that you need to know about the process.
Specified by Vegandesign.org, “It is unknown, in the U.S., how many people are dealing with allergies to wool. Statistics from WebMed Medical Reference indicate that over 30% of adults and 40% of children have allergies. It is likely that if you are allergic to products that contain wool, such as lanolin, you are more likely to also have a bad reaction to wool fibres itself. Side effects aren’t fun. No one wants to see their face, arms, or hands breaking out in a rash or breathing difficulties.” Beyond allergies, in the United States alone there are 7 million people with sensory issues. For someone affected by these sensitivities, the texture, and smell alone can cause additional challenges.
What is lanolin?
Lanolin oil is a secretion from sheep’s skin. It’s similar to human sebum, an oil secreted by the sebaceous glands that you may notice particularly on your nose.
Unlike sebum, lanolin contains no triglycerides. Lanolin is sometimes referred to as “wool fat,” but the term is misleading because it lacks triglycerides needed to be considered a fat.
The purpose of lanolin is to condition and protect sheep’s wool. This conditioning property is why the substance is now widely used in human cosmetics, skin care, and hair products. (https://www.healthline.com/health/lanolin-oils)
Mass production of Wool
Not only does wool contain this chemical, the process in which we harvest wool is inhumane. There is no such thing as “responsible wool.” There is evidence that sheeps are left in inhumane conditions before a shearing, where some have cuts to their skin, left with broken necks, back, and legs. It is incredibly sad to watch how these innocent animals are abused for us to capitalize on. In my research, I learned about “flystrike,” which is a condition where the sheep is literally eaten alive by maggots. To prevent this condition, the sheep have the skin cut away from their anus and tail, all without anesthetic. This is so hard to even mention, because of how disturbing it is. But as I mentioned before, we as consumers need to be aware of what is happening, and where our products come from. Sharing this information is key to trying to end the torture and abuse to these innocent creatures.
The positive is that there are some incredible alternatives to wool. It makes me so happy to share and substitute will in my projects because of the benefits these products provide.
Options include:
Tencel
Bamboo Wool
Hemp
Banana Fabric
They all have an amazing hand, durability and sustainability. We will cover more of these projects and highlight them in weeks to come. If you have more questions about these alternatives, do not hesitate to contact us!
A great source to follow is, www.vegandesign.com