Dorothy and Jo - who we are
committed to changing lives
Nothing can prepare you or your family for the sheer distress of seeing your child suffering as they scratch at weeping itchy eczema or the challenge of enduring sleepless nights and stressful days.
Having had personal experience of this exhausting and distressing condition we are committed to changing the lives of those who are impacted by eczema and other skin conditions, by providing comfortable sustainable clothing and useful advice.
Our cornerstone is soft organic cotton, grown without toxins processed without chemicals along with designs that really do help to break the ‘itch/scratch’ cycle, providing you with help and comfort.
where it all began:Dorothy starts a ‘self help’ group in 1979
Cotton Comfort (or Cotton On as it was first known) was born out of a desperate need for comfortable and practical clothes for Dorothy’s daughter Hannah who developed severe eczema when she was 6 months old.
With nothing available in the shops for anyone with eczema, Dorothy created the first Cotton Comfort designs for Hannah and the whole concept of specialist eczema clothing was born.
And so one of our best selling designs was born – an all in one 100% cotton suit with buttons down the back and seams on the outside. Closely followed by our scratch mitten T to cover the hands and prevent damage caused by scratching.
These two products are seen here worn together.
Our designs have evolved over the past 40 years and have given comfort to generations of children worldwide.
innovative design and attention to detail
This innovative design and attention to detail finally enabled Hannah to sleep better and gave her skin time to recover overnight with no itchy scratchy seams, no zips, or Velcro to scratch against.
pioneering approach and perseverance
Hannah was desperate to wear dresses like her sister in the day time, yet childrens’ tights at that time were all made of nylon. After much searching, Dorothy found a factory in Leicester prepared to make cotton ones but they had a minimum order of 3000 pairs! So she placed an order, then panicked! The newly formed Eczema Society were delighted to mention the tights to their members and before they arrived Dorothy had sold them all.
Other hard to find items were subsequently sourced and sold on to grateful customers with the first colour brochure being distributed in 1981.
100% organic cotton
Making clothes out of 100% Organic Cotton not only makes them comfortable and free from toxic residues but also ensures they can be washed at high temperatures to remove creams, dead skin and dust mite allergen.
Dorothy became increasingly aware of the chemicals used in conventional cotton production which have such adverse effects on sensitive skin, especially formaldehyde, the use of which increased with the advent of cheap cotton clothing from China and India (some printed cottons at this time also contained traces of lead and mercury from the dyeing process).
As a result she sought out and collaborated with ethical early pioneers of organic cotton manufacture to produce the soft, cosy and comfortable 100% organic cotton fabrics that we still use today.
trusted by experts
Our innovative designs were soon endorsed by Professor David Atherton of Great Ormond Street Hospital, a leading consultant Paediatric Dermatologist as ‘the best available for their purpose’.
And Cotton Comfort was recognised by theNational Eczema Society for our ‘invaluable range of eczema clothing’.
the next chapter – Jo’s story
Jo says:
My daughter Bonnie was born in 2004 and soon developed horrific infected eczema over 90% of her body. After exploring every avenue I could find, both natural and medical, speaking to countless people and trying out various ointments and therapies, I finally found some respite in a combination of treatments, routine and dietary changes.
a grateful cotton comfort customer
A critical aspect of the regime was to put Bonnie in sleepwear and clothes that didn’t further irritate her skin and helped her (and us!) sleep.
These were hard to find and it was only when I finally found Cotton Comfort that this was achieved and I went on to become a regular and exceptionally grateful customer.
Bonnie is now a young adult and has benefitted enormously from Cotton Comfort’s designs, soft comfortable clothes and Dorothy’s wise words of advice.
I have never forgotten how instrumental Cotton Comfort was to Bonnie’s and our whole family’s happiness and I always thought that one day I would see if I could get involved and help more people access these wonderful clothes which changed our lives.
committed to changing lives
In the summer of 2020, in the midst of Covid and realising that I still felt passionately about helping people with eczema or other stressful skin conditions, I contacted Dorothy to see if I could help. As luck would have it Dorothy was looking for someone to work with and eventually handover the business to, who truly understood Cotton Comfort's customers.
I am thrilled with the opportunity to change lives through Cotton Comfort and I am committed to reaching as many people as possible with our innovative, trusted and sustainable products.
Jo x
