Sensitive Skin and Bra Fit

I have sensitive skin on my face and my eyes puff up to the size of two squidgy golf balls if they get a whiff of a chemical they don't like. Luckily for me there is a lot of hypoallergenic makeup on the market so I can still wear mascara without the risk of leaving the house looking like a panda bear who's been in a fight. If you have sensitive skin on your body then bras can bring you out in an array of blotches, hives and rashes that are painful and upsetting. Unfortunately there aren't an array of hypoallergenic bras on the market, especially in DD+, so you have to find other ways to get an irritation free fit.

It's worth noting that problems caused by sensitive skin are different from skin irritations caused by bad bra fit. If you are wearing an ill-fitting bra then you can get rashes and broken skin as your bra rubs against you and punishes your skin. This article helps you understand how to stop your bra attacking your skin!

You may be sensitive to synthetic materials or metal so having a synthetic-material-bound-wire wrapped around your body poses a big problem. If you can find an all cotton bra they tend to be unwired and most likely a nursing bra. If you don't want to sacrifice the support of a wire then you need a barrier between you and the bra.

Bra liners are usually made of 100% unbleached cotton. They sit between the band of your bra and your skin because the band is where the greatest pressure is exerted by your bra. Bra liners are not the sexiest things you've ever seen in your life but they are indispensable for thousands of women with sensitive skin because they can continue to wear off the rack bras in comfort.

Extremely sensitive skin can't be in contact at all with synthetic materials, elastic and metal and in this case custom made cotton bras or going braless are the only solutions. One of my clients wears a Cake Cotton Candy bra underneath all her bras to prevent breakouts.

One of the biggest enemies of sensitive skin is starch and unfortunately almost all new bras bras are sprayed with starch because it helps the bra keep its shape during transit and display. One wash can leave starch on the bra so it's really important to soak your bra in scent-free detergent and gently massage the bra so that the starch washes off. It's worth doing this a couple of times before wearing the bra for a long time. We love Canadian, rinse-free lingerie wash SOAK because it's so easy to use and their Scentless wash is completely skin friendly.

In a perfect world there would be pure cotton bras made with BPA free plastic wires but until then we need to find ways to get the best support possible without provoking an allergic reaction xx

What to Expect When You Start Wearing the Right Size

We help a lot of women into their first fitting bra. This usually means that they start wearing a smaller band and a larger cup (mostly because so many stores fit women into bands that are too big). There is an instant joy at putting on a bra that encases all your breasts and lifts them into the right place but what can you expect to feel after a few hours, days and weeks of wearing your right fit?

Firstly though... Should you be able to feel your bra at all? 
Busty women have been a little deceived about how their bras should feel. There's this idea that you shouldn't be able to feel your bra at all and I'm afraid that simply isn't true. There are definitely some things you shouldn't be able to feel in your bra:

1) Straps digging into your shoulders
2) Any poking into your breast tissue (the end of a cup wire is usually guilty)
3) Your band chafing your back (this happens when it rides up - taking your back with it!)

These are signs that your bra definitely doesn't fit but there is one thing that you will be able to feel in a correctly fitting bra:

1) You should be able to feel your band. This doesn't mean it will be tight but snug enough to feel (think about the feeling you have when you wear supportive but comfortable tights).

 

Your bra is holding up pounds and pounds of weight which is why you need a snug band to be able to hold all that weight in place. A band you cannot feel at all simply isn't doing the job (and the dents in your shoulders are probably paying the price!)


Things to look for in a more comfortable band
Quite simply, the deeper your band the less you'll feel it. This is straight-forward physics; imagine the entire weight of your breasts resting on a piece of dental floss then imagine how they'd feel resting on a giant rubber band. When you wear a deeper band the pressure is spread out over a greater area reducing the amount you feel it. 

How will your brand new, correctly fitting bra feel after ONE DAY?
In a perfect world your new bra would be like wearing silk woven by fairies from the moment you put it on until you send it off to bra heaven, however, a new bra is like new shoes, it needs some time to break in. Bras are incredibly complex to make and the more pieces there are in a bra the more sections there are to break in. This simply means that the seams need to soften and the elastic needs to stretch to your figure so that the bra works for your shape.

 

After one day of wearing your new bra you may experience some more pronounced red marks than usual (marks are completely normal for busty women, it's the result of wearing something elastic under pressure - think about the line your sock leaves after you take them off and they're just holding up your ankles!) It's a good idea to wear your new bra for just four hours on the first day, then four hours again on the second day. This will give your bra enough movement to break it in without putting too much strain on your skin.

How will your new, correctly fitting bra feel after A COUPLE OF WEEKS?
By this stage you will have washed your bra and this has done a few things. It will have washed off the starch that bra manufacturers insist on spraying all over new bras (if you have an allergy to starch then you should wash your bras before wearing at all). It will have softened (and by this I mean break down which is the inevitable progress of every bra) the fabric so that the stitching is softer. It will also have stretched the elastic slightly (I don't mean stretched it out) so that your bra can move with you more. By now your new bra should be feeling like a good friend.

How will your correctly fitting bra feel after a COUPLE OF MONTHS?
By now you and your bra should have shared some great outfits, collected some crumbs in your perfectly supported cleavage and enjoyed some luxorious washes in lingerie detergent. You may well find that you are already on the second hooks and this is where you will be for most of your bra's life because the bra has molded to your figure (if you buy a bra that fits brand new on the middle hooks you'll migrate to the tightest hooks very fast with nowhere else left to go). If you're taking care of your bra you can be on these hooks for a while. As the elastic breaks down further you'll move to the tightest hooks and be there for about one to three months before it's time to say goodbye and start again.

Do you have some tricks for breaking in a new bra and turning it into a trusty friend fast? xx

5 Things You May Not Know About Bras & Boobs

1. Have at least 3 everyday bras

My Mum’s tried and tested phrase is “one to wear, one to wash and one to air” and it turns out she’s right. The elastic in your bra is what keeps your girls comfortable and perky (check out fellow Canadian, Maggie's article about the story of elastic at Swimwear Lingerie). The elastic heats up as you wear your bra and the heat stretches out the elastic. It takes over 24 hours for the elastic in your bra to return to its shortest form (and therefore most supportive). The elastic will eventually stretch to the point where it can’t bounce back which is why bras don’t live forever. 

 

Make-Shift Lingerie Detergent

You probably know that hand washing your lingerie will make it last longer (this is because you avoid the heat of your washer and dryer which eats the elastic). If you run out of lingerie detergent a great alternative is baby shampoo – strange but true! Try Johnsons & Johnsons Baby Shampoo for under $6!

Raise your Endorphins with Something Special

When you like the way you look or feel it raises your endorphin levels (the happy chemicals released by the brain). You should have at least one lingerie set that makes you feel totally gorgeous. Try wearing it on an average day and see if you feel the extra thrill that comes from a layer of luxury!

Take Off Your Bra!

This is a case of use it or lose it! The ligaments in your boobs can get lazy if they are constantly supported by your bra. At the other end of the spectrum if you don’t support them they stretch out prematurely. NOT wearing a bra for at least 7 hours a day gives these ligaments a bit of a workout so they don’t become dormant meaning your boobs stay away from your knees for longer! For the best boob health, try not wearing a bra for a couple of hours before you go to bed. 

Stretch it out and Build it up

One of the few things you can do to retain the shape of your bust is to keep the muscles in your chest supple and strong. This doesn’t mean you have to become a gym-junkie overnight. Stretching is one of the best and easiest ways to keep your upper body strong. Stretch your arms over your head, behind your back and in-front of you every day holding each pose for 60 seconds and this will help to you’re your chest muscles active. 

I hope a few of these tips help you get the most out of your lingerie. If you have a great tip for making your bras live longer or keeping the girls happy then tell us about it in the comments! xx

How To Wash Your Lingerie

Little acts of lingerie brutality are happening on a daily basis, it's commonly referred to as ‘the tumble dryer’. If I had my way every woman would be entitled to a free personal laundry service, but as it is, all I can offer you is a guide to making your lingerie live longer through good care. First here are some lingerie washing facts:

• Washing machines and tumble dryers are bad for bras because heat destroys elastic and it's the elastic in your bra that gives you support.
• Wash your bras after every two or three wears, this will revive the elastic when washed correctly.
• Don't hang bras by one strap when they're drying, it will stretch out the strap. Hang them from the gore (the center part between the cups)

Lingerie Saints
The absolute best way to wash your lingerie is to hand wash. For those of you who have the time and patience to wash your smalls this way you will be rewarded with lingerie that looks beautiful for longer and lives much longer (making your investment in beautiful big bras worth it!) Using a gentle detergent and cool water are the key to keeping your delicates fresh. We love Canadian company SOAK who make this no-rinse lingerie detergent. It's fast, earth-friendly and comes in different scents.

Soak two or three bras in the sink or a bowl for about 25-30 minutes. Drain and refill with clean water and soak an additional 10 minutes. If you have a stubborn mark rub your thumb gently over the mark until it yields, don't scrub the fabric.

Lingerie Mortals
If you know you simply don't have the time or disposition to hand wash your bras and underwear there is a happy medium.

1) Pop your bras and knickers in a lingerie laundry bag, this is a mesh bag that stops your bras getting caught on other clothing which can stretch them out and damage them.

2) Wash on the coolest setting on your washing machine so that the elastic doesn't get too hot.

3) Once they come out of the machine hang your lingerie out to air dry instead of putting it into the dryer. Never wring out lingerie, it will damage the shape. Simply lay it flat on a towel to dry or hang it over a bath rail or washing line by the gore (the center part between the cups).

Lingerie Demons
If you know that you are will just forget to air dry then you can minimize the damage to your lingerie even when using a washing machine and dryer.

1) Wash and dry on the coolest temperatures available. This will stop the elastic in your bra breaking down so quickly. The violent motion of your machines will take a toll on your lingerie, but very high heat will do even more damage.

2) Make sure you use a lingerie bag to give your smalls some protection.

Bras for busty women are more expensive than high street 34B styles because the design and construction is more complicated so that it can support more weight. However, a well made bra that costs more will live longer through your laundry cycle (whichever method you use) than a cheap bra. Washing your bras thoughtfully will make your investment last longer. xx