OUR STORY...
Having lived with eczema and hypersensitive skin all my life. (I'm not exaggerating when I say that even an ant bite can cause a massive flare-up) I know what it's like to have sleepless nights because your skin is so uncomfortable it keeps itching everywhere, only to get worse when you scratch it or are limited to playing indoor sports. After all, extreme heat can cause your skin to get aggravated when you start sweating. Yup, I've been there, and it's no fun at all.
I remember reading clothing labels when I'm shopping. To make sure the fabrics wouldn't make my skin feel itchy or stick to my body if I started sweating.
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My mom would give me a list of fabrics to avoid; 'no wool, no rayon, no leather, definitely no synthetic materials and so on. Cotton, on the other hand, was the NO.1 parent-approved material I was allowed to wear. So I did, which in the long run turned out to be incredibly beneficial because it caused lesser skin irritation, it was very comfortable, and it is known to absorb sweat.
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Of course, there were times when I would sneak in a non-mom-approved outfit and later suffer the consequences of severe itching and rashes (trust me, you don't want to experience this.) It's not so much the itching that gets to you but the scarring. Every time you scratch a rash, the worse the scars are. Over time I gave up that notion of trying different clothing and only stuck to wearing cotton-based clothes.
Now, I'd be lying if I told you having eczema didn't bother me because It did. As I grew older, I realised that at least 3 out of 5 people I met suffered from some form of sensitive skin issue, be it eczema, psoriasis, ichthyosis and so on. A lot of them developed these skin conditions when they were a baby, just like me. However, not all of them understood the importance of wearing comfortable clothing. That's when I figured maybe I should do something to help.
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When I founded Cheekie Shop in 2018, my mission was to help parents find suitable clothing for their babies with sensitive skin issues. I wanted these children to have a chance to experience the outdoors without fear. Thus I created a line of Hypoallergenic Babywear catered for babies with hypersensitive skin. When we started, our Hypoallergenic Babywear line comprised of plain white long-sleeved playsuits made from Cotton. However, I came across another type of fabric that proved to be even better than Cotton!
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This fabric is Bamboo Viscose. Bamboo fibres work well for sensitive skin because of the fabrics ultra-soft texture and the comfort it provides. It is also a very safe material and contains many benefits to prevent skin irritation. This Bamboo line is designed as a long-sleeved sleepsuit with built-in mittens and booties to prevent your little one from accidentally scratching themselves while sleeping.
To further ensure the safety of our Hypoallergenic Bamboo Line, this sleepsuit has been certified and has passed the OEKE-TEK Standard 100.
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I hope you've enjoyed taking this journey with me. It takes one person to make a difference, and I hope you will join me in making that difference today for your child.
With Love,
Pooja Kei