So, wool is wool, right?  Not entirely.

In the world of organics, there are terms that are applied to the wool depending upon the manufacturer, for example:

Eco Wool = Organic Mattresses, Inc./LifeKind

Pure Grow Wool = Vivetique/The Natural Bedroom

Natura Smart Wool = Natura

Cry Less Wool = Natura

So, what's the difference?  Well, essentially they are all pretty much the same (except for some of the Natura wool which I will get to in a moment).  They all have limitations on how the sheep are treated - ear tags instead of tattoos, chemical spraying in grazing fields, cleanliness standard for shearing rooms, etc.  So, as far as that goes, there really isn't much differnce and - in fact - many U.S. and European wool producers are doing this already anyway simply for the health of the sheep and the quality of the wool.

What you should be concerned about is what happens AFTER the wool is removed from said sheep. 

Wool fibers contain a natural substance called Lanolin, which is prized in hand lotions and among drummers that use natural heads on their drums (sorry, just some old knowledge leaking out) for its moisturizing properties.  You actually can go down to your local drug store and buy pure lanolin if you want, but I digress.

Unfortunately, most commercial wool has had the lanolin stripped out of it through a chemical cleaning process.  This is done for two reasons:  1.  It makes the wool washable;  2.  Some people have a lanolin allergy if the wool is going to directly contact their skin.  What's funny with the 2nd reason is that more people have an allergy to the chemical used to strip the lanolin than to the lanolin itself (which accounts for more than 65% of wool allergies, by the way).

It is the Lanolin that gives the organic wool it's true benefit.  With the Lanolin intact, an organic product containing wool can simply be placed into direct sunlight, the Lanolin is released, the product is naturally cleaned and deodorized, and then once removed from the sunlight the Lanolin is reabsorbed into the fiber.  Pretty neat trick of Mother Nature, don't you think?

Now, I mentioned that some Natura wool wasn't this way - that's because some of their wool products are washable (The Natural Bedroom has also recently introduced this feature as well).  So, you're getting the benefit of having eco-friendly wool, but the Lanolin isn't there.  It's a trade-off for sure, since this is most often found in puddle pads, crib bedding and mattress pads that you might want to be able to launder anyway.  None of the actual mattresses or pillows produced have had the Lanolin removed.

So, there you have it.  Yet one more benefit of wool in organic bedding to go along with being flame retardant, regulating your body temperature, getting rid of moisture, and promoting a clean sleep environment free of molds, mildew, bacteria and dust mites. 

See you next time!