I've bought lots of different kinds and there always seems to be something about each one which irritates my toddler's sensitive skin. It's usually found in the seems. I've removed the tags and all the stitches associated with the tags. He still will have accidents so we can't go "commando" yet but may have to go that route. ..
Thank you so much for the great responses to my question. I ended up giving away his present underwear to a friend's little boy. Then I purchased Hanna Andersson underwear from the outlet mall. Not only were their prices significantly lower but they were also having a big sale (25% off pack of 3 and 50% single pieces). He absolutely loves them. Immediately, he told me that they were sooo soft that he couldn't believe they were big boy underwear. No more scratching, itching or irritation of any sort. (Thank goodness since I was spending so much time putting hydrocortisone and cream on him. ) Thanks for all your help!
it's been years since my oldest was a toddler but I think it was JCPenny catalog that had soft double thick underwear. Liz S.
I agree with Donna on the latex, if they are stretchy it probably has some latex in it. ANd the detergents.
I'll ditto the Hanna Andersson undies, both my boys have several pairs and the elastic is covered by fabric, and its super soft. You can get them at the Albertville outlets for cheaper than the regular stores. Also the Osh Kosh undies have a very soft waist band. Joe Boxer brand (from KMart) also has the elastic covered by fabric, so they are comfy as well.
It may be the rubber in the elastic and beaded and mixed in the material.
Try boxer type even if cotton and see a doctor for a L A T E X , cloth, aloe,cotton etc allergy / ies test.
Good luck D.
Hi C. - Have you considered that he may have a latex allergy? Hanna Andersson has really nice soft undies you might try. They have a website - or a store in MOA and an outlet at Albertville. Good luck! -M.
Hi C.,
I don't know if you are aware about the laundry detergents on the market, but they do have allergens & carcinogens in them. Most of the families I work with have a problem using Tide. I am thinking it might be the rubber in the banding.
We had to take out the labels & watch really close what our daughter wore. She broke out with everything. We switched laundry detergents, soaps, etc. she hasn't had any outbreaks and it's been 8 years.
It takes 16 rinse cycles to rinse the chemicals out of just one load of the detergents that are on the grocery shelves today. If you think you are safe because you don't use this popular brand of det. The company makes 28 different detergents and slaps a different label on them. My hubby used to drive hazmat and delivered to a very popular company.
There is a book out there called the "Safe Shopper's Bible" that helps moms with food allergens, toxins to watch out for.
I have been researching for 8 years because of my daughters excema & our sons asthma & allergies.
There are sites that you can research.
J.
have you tried washing the clothes in soaps for sensitive skin?
and dont use any softener in the wash, that can cause irritation as well. even i wash my underwear in soaps that are free and clear of all that stuff...
Try the Hanna Anderson brand. They start out very soft and get better the more you wash them.
I see someone else mentioned Hanna Anderssen and I would agree with this, but just wanted to add...they have a store at the outlet mall in Albertville, MN and they sell little boys 'unders' there at a big savings! Good luck!
Hanes with comfortsoft waitsband (at target boys dept.) has no tags and the elastic is covered with the same soft cotton as the underwear. Also, Hannah Anderson catalog (or the store at mall of america) has very soft underwear with the elastic covered with soft cotton too.
I have found that Old Navy brand is really soft. Have you tried boxer breifs? I know the ones my husband has do not a have elastic waist I don't know about he kids versions.
I second the vote for the Gerbers undies. My son has some character ones which he likes the idea of, but the Gerber brand are really much much softer and more comfy. they carry them at Target, so that saves you a trip to Albertville or the MOA.
Jess
I buy my daughter's underwear (bottoms and tops) from Hanna Andersson (www.hannaandersson.com). They have a store at the MOA, too. They are more expensive than most but they last forever and are very nice soft cotton and fit very well. Most of my daughter's clothes come from Kohls and other discount stores, but I like to know that she is comfortable next to her skin.
My son has sensory issues when it comes to clothes and he hates anything to be tight. He also can't stand the feel of tags. I bought some Gerber undies that are super soft and tagless. He seems to like these the best. They are priced right too.
If the problem just seems to be in the seams, I wonder whether turning them and wearing them inside out would work. They would probably be softer to his skin this way. Good luck!
Try Children's Place. I think a friend of mine told me they don't have tags or the stitching is flat or something. It's an easy place to start.... maybe you already have.
Hi C.,
Try organic cotton underwear by Under the Nile or Hanna Anderson. I prefer Under the Nile because the legs hold closer to the body. These undies seem expensive compared to walmart's but they will last for years.
Try organic cotton or even the newer bamboo fibers. Also maybe change to laundry soap instead of detergents, again organic instead of chemical. Good luck. CJ
The softest underwear my son has that I've found are from Boden (bodenusa.com) and Hanna Andersson (hannaandersson.com). They're SO soft I wish they made them for me! Best of luck!
I agree with the detergents problem (though TIDE is the only detergent 2 of my kids can use), but I think for you that the detergent isn't the issue or you would have had problems earlier with other clothes.
If you look in the cloth diapering world for training underpants you will find some great things, soft, organic, without elastic sometimes. You can even find someone to make him special underwear.
I would guess that he may be allergic to elastics, or sensitive to it.
make sure what you get is 100 % cotton it will help a lot
C.,
I agree with looking at your detergent. When I was yonger (and I usually don't have sensitive skin) for some reason when my mom bought tide powder I would break out only where my undies and bras touched my body. I would get kinda itchy tiny red bumps.
M.
what a ton of great ideas! i concur with the detergent - we use only biodegradable purchased from natural foods sections - and also tried the boxer briefs - folding the waistband down, bringing that tag away from his skin - and all other seams a bit looser. he's still sensitive (8), but much less irritated. he does wear regular briefs, now - but we've also been 'off tide' for two years.
We found the Hanes comfortsoft waistband, but the problem is that it doesn't run very small. Yeah, boys underwear all has that wide irritating waistband, and boxers have other irritants.
My 5-year old wears only sweatpants and goes commando. We have made him wear underwear with tux pants and when he wore shorts in a parade. I think he actually fits in the comfort fit, so we are going to have him wear them for his dance recital.
My older son hated underwear too, but he HAD to start wearing them because he has no butt and his pants fell down a lot. The daycare lady was instrumental in that transition.
My son was really picky about his underwear when he was four, but he liked Lands End briefs -- they were soft enough. I would guess that Hanna Anderson would be good, too.
