The number of people in the UK who suffer from sensitive skin conditions is on the increase, possibly because we simply don't wash our sheets often enough! With up to one in 12 adults and as many as one in five children already suffering from diagnosed eczema or dry skin conditions, keeping potential irritants at bay has never been more crucial.

We all like to think of ourselves as being clean and hygienic, but how often do you honestly wash your bed linen? New research from Surcare, the range of laundry and household products created for more sensitive skins, reveals that the average person washes their bed linen just once per month - not often when you spend at least 1/3 of your life in bed!

Most people perspire around 75ml of fluid whilst sleeping, and the combination of this with body warmth and dead skin flakes is an ideal place for the development of mould, mildew and bacteria to breed. It has also been shown in one study that "a six-year old pillow can have 10% of its weight made up from dead skin, mites and mite faecal pellets".¹

In between washes, our bed linen becomes a haven for skin irritants such as dust, dirt, free radicals and the wealth of outdoor pollutants we carry with us when we enter the house. Leaving them to build up on our sheets can cause a range of problems such as allergic reactions, dry, blotchy and itchy skin, sneezing and watery eyes.

Melanie Mason, brand marketing manager at Surcare, explains: "Many of us take our shower or bath in the morning so the dirt and pollution that we pick up on our skin during the day is transferred to our sheets when we get into bed at night.

"When you consider that in an average week your duvet, sheets and nightwear are in direct contact with your skin for around 56 hours, it's no wonder that your skin doesn't always feel as healthy as you would like."

Skin experts at Surcare recommend that bed linen is washed every week using a non-biological detergent with no added perfume, to ensure that you minimise the risk of upsetting your skin.

All Surcare products are specially formulated for delicate skins or skins that need special attention. The range is dermatologically tested and dermatologist approved and has no added perfume, dyes or other unnecessary additives that can potentially irritate existing conditions. The laundry wash products are also non-biological.

For J-Pegs - please contact Lucy Mayes or Agatha Chapman, Weber Shandwick North, 0161 238 9418 / 9406

For further Surcare information please visit www.surcare.co.uk or call the Surcare Careline on 0800 096 1641.

Surcare's range of laundry, fabric conditioner and washing-up products is non-biological and contains no perfume or colour.

Created for more sensitive skins, the range has been dermatologically tested against other UK brands, is dermatologist approved and is available in all leading supermarkets.

McBride, manufacturer of the Surcare range, is a leading international developer of laundry, household cleaning, and personal care products.

Employing more than 4,500 staff in seven countries across Europe, McBride is Europe's largest private label company in its markets and provides focus and innovation at every level of research, development and production.

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