According to a randomized controlled trial of 300 subjects in the Journal of Dermatological Research in 2023, after wearing sleeping gloves containing 5% urea for 8 consecutive weeks, the water content of the stratum corneum of the skin in the experimental group increased by an average of 27.3%, while that in the control group only increased by 6.2%. This difference mainly stems from the closed design of the gloves, which can maintain the environmental humidity at 65%-75%RH, significantly higher than the average humidity level of 45%RH in an ordinary bedroom. Data from the American Academy of Dermatology shows that when the local microenvironment humidity exceeds 60%, the renewal rate of epidermal cells can accelerate to 0.035mm/ day, which is 42% higher than that in a dry state.
According to a report by market research firm NPD, the global sales of the sleeping gloves category exceeded 280 million US dollars in 2022. Among them, the repurchase rate of medical-grade silicone material products reached 63%, far exceeding the 28% of cotton gloves. Take the well-known brand SilkSkin as an example. Its patented double-layer structure (0.8mm hydrogel film on the inner layer + 1.2mm elastic fiber on the outer layer) can increase the penetration efficiency of moisturizing ingredients to three times that of regular face creams. Infrared thermal imaging detection shows that the hand temperature stabilizes at 33.5℃±0.3℃ after wearing for 6 hours, creating an ideal transdermal absorption environment. A consumer survey found that among users who used it continuously for 14 days, 82% reported a reduction of more than 50% in the area of chapped skin, and the frequency of nocturnal itching attacks dropped from an average of 4.2 times per night to 0.7 times.
Cost-benefit analysis shows that a single pair of medical-grade sleeping gloves costs approximately $25- $40. Calculated based on an average annual replacement of three times, it saves 31% of the cost compared to the daily use of high-end hand cream plans. Tests conducted by the Department of Engineering at the University of Manchester in the UK have shown that the breathability index (RET value) of polyurethane gloves is maintained at 5.8m²·Pa/W, which can not only prevent sweat accumulation (internal humidity fluctuation ≤8%), but also reduce transdermal water loss by 37%. This is highly consistent with the requirement in the 2021 EU CE certification standard that “the moisture permeability of medical wet compress products should be ≤35g/m²·24h”.
However, clinical data shows that approximately 15% of users experience skin maceration due to wearing for more than 9 hours. A study by the Beiersdorf Laboratory in Germany found that when the internal temperature of gloves consistently exceeds 35℃, the proliferation rate of Malassezia reaches 6.5×10³CFU/cm²·h, which is 12 times that at normal temperature. Therefore, the FDA recommends choosing products with antibacterial coatings, such as those containing 0.2% silver ions, which can control the microbial load within the safety threshold (≤10²CFU/cm²). Market monitoring found that the product sleeping gloves, which complies with the ISO 10993 biocompatibility standard, has a consumer complaint rate 58% lower than that of ordinary products.
From the perspective of materials science, the three-dimensional braided technology adopted by the current mainstream products can evenly distribute the pressure within the range of 0.8-1.2kPa, ensuring both sealing performance and avoiding any impact on blood circulation. The ultra-fine fiber (with a single filament diameter of 7μm) gloves developed by Toray Group of Japan still maintain a shape retention rate of 92% after 500 washes, which is significantly better than the 67% of traditional cotton gloves. The water vapor transmission rate (MVTR) of this material is stably maintained at 2800g/m²·24h. When used with a 2mm thick memory foam pad, the absorption rate of the moisturizer can be increased to 78%±3%, which is 2.3 times higher than that of the manual application method.