Wearable Vitamins

Vitamin-enriched garments – can they really promote good health?

By
Joanna Cosgrove
Online Editor

At first glance, they look like ordinary clothing, but a quick look at the label (and more noticeably, the price tag) will reveal that these garments are far from ordinary – they are made with fiber that’s impregnated with vitamins. The technology has been in development for many years in Japan and Germany and the end result of all that research is finally beginning to filter into the U.S. premium clothing scene.

According to an article published last year by Taipei Times, a Japanese company, Fuji Spinning Co. Ltd., garnered some raised eyebrows when it launched a range of “wearable vitamin technology” textiles called V-Up, which are impregnated with pro-vitamin substances that turn into vitamin C when they react with chemicals in the skin. The microencapsulated nutrients in the fabric open and release their contents when rubbed, pressed or warmed by body heat. However, wearing and laundering the clothing over 30 times reduces the number of capsules in the fabric and eventually renders the clothing about as nutraceutically functional as standard garments. To that end, the company also sells packets containing a supply of capsules that can be sprayed on the clothing after it has been washed to reinvigorate the pro-vitamin benefits.

Company spokesperson Makoto Suzuki said a t-shirt containing the equivalent of two lemons in its fiber would be released in the near future. “By wearing the T-shirt, people can ingest vitamin C through their skin,” he said. Fuji applied for a patent on the textile, which is odorless and has the same texture as regular cotton. “We aim to sell the product early next year, targeting people interested in health, especially female customers who pay special attention to looking after their skin,” he said.

Closer to home, one of the most talked about components of the new Green Collection from Tehama Inc., a Denver, CO-based luxury golf apparel company, is the line of Vitamin C shirts. Said to “promote a healthy lifestyle,” the garment’s fabric is infused with “vitamin C nutrients,” which are released onto the wearer’s skin. “Vitamin C being a water soluble vitamin, it is easily absorbed through the skin when it comes in contact with moisture,” said Anne Ingham, Tehama’s vice president of design, who added that the company is currently testing the products to determine actual absorption rates.

According to the company, in addition to promoting good health, the vitamin C in the garments relieves skin dryness by offering “a natural hydration.” The fabrics themselves have a “soft drapey hand” and provide “UPF 30” (or, Ultraviolet Protection Factor) protection to “block out harmful UV rays from the sun and elements. The shirts retail for approximately $70

“People are looking for added value in products today, hence the introduction of vitamin C to all different products. The concept of Vitamin C is that it promotes good health no matter how you get it,” said Ms. Ingham. “In principal, it would provide similar benefits but perhaps to a lesser rate then internally absorbed Vitamin C.”

In terms of laundering the Vitamin C shirts, Ms. Ingham said that they are cared for just as any other garments are cared for. “Machine wash cold, dry on low heat, no bleach or fabric softeners, no dry cleaning. The finish will last at least 10 home washings,” she said, noting that Tehama is also exploring vitamins E, B6, B12, and silver-infused garments for possible future introductions.

Western Australian leisurewear company Abi and Joseph, merged the health benefits of vitamins with the holistic benefits of fitness with the launch of an exercise wear range infused with vitamin C and essential oils.

The apparel line makes use of technology from pharmaceutical giant Bayer, along with leading Italian fabric manufacturers. Like the collection from Fuji, the fabric has undergone a process of microencapsulation, whereby essential oils and vitamin C are infused into the garment. The company claims the infusion “enables the wearer’s skin to be gently moisturized and protected by subtly fragranced essential oils. Additionally, the vitamin C, with its antioxidant and regenerative properties, helps to nourish and support the skin’s surface.”

This microencapsulated treatment lasts for up to 15 washes. Beyond that, the company recommends consumers “recharge” the garment with its “Wash In Wellness” sachets – packets of perfumed, essential oils that are added to cold water in which the garments are to soak for 30 minutes.

And in keeping with the theme of skin protection for the health conscious consumer, the fabric is also said to provide protection from UV rays with SPF50.

In the end, the question of whether this wearable vitamin technology can actually impact the health of its wearer is unanswered. However, if topical cosmetics can impart the benefits of vitamins to the skin, perhaps some of the claims made by the makers of these garments aren’t so far off base.