Personal struggle with skin problems led to innovative gloves – featured in Brave New Business

Article published 30 January 2024 – Brave New Business (BNB)

Interview conducted with founder Wilhelm Bäckström at Elmia Subcontractor, Sweden.

Dry hands and irritated skin are everyday struggles for many professionals who spend long hours in gloves. Swedish company DRYE has developed an innovative liner that tackles this overlooked problem through a unique textile technology.

Born out of founder Wilhelm Bäckström’s personal search for solutions to chronic skin issues, DRYE’s glove liners are now attracting attention from industries ranging from healthcare to automotive workshops.

 

Personal struggle with skin problems led to innovative gloves

The skin is our largest organ, and those who have experienced skin issues know what it means: itching, sleepless nights, and costly doctor visits, to name a few. The Swedish company DRYE was founded as a response to dry and cracked hands. They create glove liners with a unique material combination – used by everyone from hairdressers and hockey players to industrial workers. Brave New Business sat down with one of the founders, Wilhelm Bäckström, at Elmia Subcontractor.

 

How did you come up with the idea of glove liners?

– I have suffered from skin problems since childhood. It pushed me into a relentless search for solutions, which meant daily trial and error just to live a manageable life. I’ve tested everything from diets, supplements, clothing choices, and detergents to reduce itching and extreme dryness. It has been both costly and time-consuming.

One day while doing the dishes, I realized that dishwashing gloves have basically looked the same for over 50 years – and no one actually enjoys using them. They fit poorly, smell bad, and make your hands sweaty. That’s when I saw a clear connection between dry, cracked hands and the constant friction and moisture from rubber gloves.

 

Can’t cotton glove liners solve that problem?

– Not really. Cotton is only an absorbent. That means once you start sweating, the cotton becomes wet – and so does your skin. That’s exactly what you want to avoid if your hands are already dry and damaged.

 

How does the material in DRYE work?

– The textile combines absorbent and moisture-transporting fibers. Developing this combination took us several years. The absorbent layer pulls sweat off the skin, while the outer layer disperses it away from the textile surface. The result is a completely new material blend designed for maximum moisture transport – which is essential for protecting the skin barrier.

 

In what way is DRYE more sustainable than cotton gloves?

– Cotton liners are often used once and then discarded. On top of that, cotton farming requires enormous amounts of water – up to 30–50,000 liters per kilo – making it highly resource-intensive in the long run.

Our liners are made from two skin-friendly textiles: a biodegradable wood-based fiber and a technical thermoplastic, which we plan to replace with recycled material in the future. The combination creates a fabric that is partly biodegradable, durable, and designed for long-term use. Since the liners can be washed and reused many times, they are a more sustainable choice compared to both cotton and disposable gloves.

 

What’s next?

– We’ve just signed an agreement with one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, which is incredibly exciting. One of our main target groups is EV mechanics, who spend their entire workdays in rubber gloves. Our liners will also soon be available at pharmacies across Sweden – so stay tuned.

 

See full article: https://www.svarvning.nu/personlig-kamp-mot-hudproblem-resulterar-i-innovativa-handskar/