For eight hours or so every night, your skin is in close contact with your bedding, and also very close to your mattress. That’s a lot of contact!
That’s why it’s important to know that mattresses can affect you skin a few different ways, and make conditions like eczema, TSW, psoriasis and acne worse.
New Synthetic Mattresses
Some materials in new synthetic mattresses can be problematic. Mattresses are often coated with flame retardants or have layers of petroleum-based synthetics like polyurethane. These can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde through off-gassing that you breathe in all night.
Mattresses Host Microbes
Your mattress absorbs moisture from the air and from your body while your sleep. Most adults produce 26 gallons of sweat each year while they sleep. This creates a warm, humid environment inside your mattress for fungi or bacteria to thrive. This can include yeasts and molds. The amount and variety of microbes colonizing your mattress grows over time, which can give it a musty odor.
In addition to sweat and bacteria, your mattress can also collect dead skin cells that you shed each night. This is in addition to traces of other bodily fluids, as well as remnants of spilled beverages and food (if you eat in bed). Shoes set or worn on the bed can deposit nasty bacteria from outdoor walkways, including e-coli or staphylococcus aureus, which is why it’s important to keep a shoes-off policy when it comes to your bed.
Dust Mites and Other Allergens
Because it is rich with dead skin cells, your mattress is a feasting ground for dust mites. Dust mites leave droppings that are an allergen that can trigger asthma and other allergy symptoms. If you have pets, your mattress can be full of pet dander and animal hair as well, which is also an allergen for many people.
Bed Bugs!
Sadly, if you travel, you might bring home more than just souvenirs in your luggage. Hotel, vacation rental homes, and hostels can sometimes be a source of bedbugs that can ride along in your suitcase or clothes and make a new home in your mattress and furniture. Bed bugs leave telltale stinging, itchy bites on the skin, and should be eradicated immediately! Call a professional at the first sign of bed bugs and be ready to purge affected mattresses and furniture cushions if necessary.
Keeping Your Mattress Clean
- You should replace your mattress every 7-10 years. The above reasons are in addition to the normal wear and tear on mattresses that can reduce their ability to support your spine and provide comfortable sleep.
- In addition to an absorbent, waterproof mattress pad that can top your mattress and protect your mattress form absorbing body fluids and spills, you can also buy a hypo-allergenic zippered mattress encasement that encloses the entire mattress in a fabric sheath that is impenetrable to mites, dust, pollen, and pet dander.
- Every month or two, you can run a hand-held vacuum attachment over your mattress to remove particles, pet hair, and dust that settle on its surface.
- Changing the orientation of your mattress with the old adage “spring spin/fall flip,’ is a great way to help preserve the condition of your mattress.
- Mattresses and pillows made of natural fibers reduce chemical irritants, and many natural fibers are often better at wicking away moisture than synthetics. Do your research when purchasing a new mattress.
Mattresses and Skin Conditions
While mattresses don’t cause chronic skin conditions like acne, eczema, or psoriasis, the wrong mattress, or an old dirty mattress, can make them worse.
The heat, bacteria, debris, body oils, and moisture retained in a mattress could be a contributor to acne flare-ups. If you have acne, it may take extra diligence in investing in a good mattress pad and cover to form a barrier between your mattress and your sheets. You may also benefit by changing your bedsheets more often so that at least the surface immediately in contact with your skin is clean. Changing your sheets at least once a week, and showering before bed will reduce the amount of oils, dirt, and dead skin that build up in your mattress and bedding.
Mattress issues can be an irritating factor that can make eczema, psoriasis and TSW flareups more miserable. Allergens and chemical off-gassing present yet another challenge to the immune system, which is often already reactive for those with these conditions. In addition, dust mites, dead skin cells, old skin oils, and pet dander can irritate already itchy and tender skin.
Keeping bed linens clean and fresh might mean more frequent changing and laundering of sheets for those suffering from oozing or flaking lesions. Providing a barrier like an allergy-protective mattress encasement, as well as a breathable mattress pad, also provides protection for both your mattress and your skin.
Conclusion
Stop and think how long ago you purchased your current mattress. Is it time to buy a new one? If not, can you improve your sleep environment by covering your mattress in an allergy-protective encasement? Are you using a waterproof yet breathable mattress pad?
If it’s time to buy a new one, research mattress brands that use natural non-toxic materials, and invest in covers and bedding that will protect your mattress and keep you cool and dry as you sleep.
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About the Author
Olivia Hsu Friedman, LAc, Dipl.OM, DACM, Cert. TCMDerm, is the owner of Amethyst Holistic Skin Solutions and treats Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, and TSW. Dr. Olivia treats patients via video conferencing using only herbal medicine. Dr. Olivia is the past chair of the board of directors of the American Society of Acupuncturists, serves on the Advisory Board of LearnSkin, and is a faculty member of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Group sponsored by the National Eczema Association.