When you talk about baby diapers, the subject invariably turns to cotton. Why? First of all, cotton has been trusted for usage in diapers for hundreds of years, and customers prefer it. With customers always having the final say, we could pretty much end this conversation there.
Of course, that’s not how we are. The bottom line is that to understand why our purified cotton works in diapers, you have to understand cotton’s characteristics, and—unfortunately—think about a diaper’s responsibility, too. Everyone knows our cotton is Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF), so there’s comfort in knowing that it’s been purified to have all of the bacteria and fungi removed, and has been whitened for premium aesthetic appeal, too. Now, with advancements being made in cotton technology, the fiber’s usage in diapers becomes even more of a no-brainer.
The Inherent Demands Of A Diaper
Skin health is at the core of cotton’s use in diapers. It’s not a secret that a diaper is a potential cesspool, one where a baby’s natural urges, when combined with heat and moisture, create a perfect storm for irritation or infection.
Any parent knows that changing a diaper as soon as possible goes a long way toward keeping a baby’s skin healthy. But for those moments when irritation has the potential to set in, diapers with cotton topsheets can serve as a safety net. That’s why for many personal products—ranging from tampons and femcare—anything that comes into contact with the skin is coated in cotton.
Why Cotton Works Best For Diapers
The fact that cotton can remain dry against skin is one of the main reasons for its popularity in diaper topsheets. This speaks directly to the problems that retained moisture can cause.
However, cotton is also customer-preferred in diapers because it’s:
- Incredibly soft and comfortable
- Hypo-allergenic
- Breathable
- A natural fiber
- Biodegradable
These traits simply give cotton an advantage over other fibers.
With HyDri™ Diapers Become Even More Comfortable
Barnhardt’s latest HyDri™ innovation means that cotton will remain preferred in diaper top sheets for many years to come. Traditionally bleached cotton is hydrophilic, which means it’s extremely absorbent, becoming wet to the touch once any liquid is absorbed. For the top sheet fabric (what actually touches the body) in diapers, absorbency is not a desired quality. The coverstock fabric needs to stay dry to minimize the possibility of skin irritation.
HyDri™, however, is hydrophobic. This translates to nonabsorbent cotton topsheets in diapers, but ones that still remain breathable and as soft as ever. With HyDri™, cotton takes its status as a natural fiber replacement for extruded film and polymer-based materials to another level.
To learn more about HyDri™ visit its product page, or to learn more about cotton in general check out our ever-growing Cotton Library.