The most common and consistent – but overlooked – way we’re exposed to potentially poisonous compounds is through our clothing.
You don’t constantly eat or drink, and you can leave adverse environments – but you wear your clothes for hours. Except for when you’re bathing, you probably wear at least some article of clothing all the time.
Chances are, you’d never wear dirty clothes. But all commercial clothing comes with potential exposure to harmful chemicals.
That includes natural fabrics such as cotton as well as – obviously – nylon.
The Current Situation
Just about any article of clothing or other cloth you buy will have some chemicals connected with it. Experts say the clothing industry uses around 8,000 chemicals.
The government regulates these, but – like so much else – not in a thorough, long-term way. It’s highly unlikely clothing you buy in the United States will contain any kind of fast-acting toxin.
But, in the long run? Who knows?
Not to mention, in the long run, we’re all also exposed to many other chemicals.
Of course, you can get paranoid about the chemicals in the air you breathe, the water you drink and the food you eat – and you probably should.
The chemicals in your clothing, however, are constantly rubbing against your skin. So, doesn’t that mean any toxins in that cloth stay on the outside of your body?
No. Your skin is a physical barrier to dust, air, and even viruses. But chemicals can and do seep through the pores of your skin and either improve or drag down your skin’s health.
You probably put moisturizer and maybe many other ingredients on your skin once or twice every day. Wearing clothes means you’re putting chemicals into your skin on a nonstop basis until you take that item of clothing off.
According to experts, some of these chemicals may:
* Damage your liver
* Disrupt your hormones
* Cause cancer
The manufacturers will tell you the chemicals they use to make clothing are removed when you wash them. That’s true, but only partially. It takes time and additional washings to remove them all. In the meantime, you’re exposed to those chemicals every time you wear them.
Off-Gassing
During the manufacturing process of many items – including clothing – made from chemicals, organic compounds get trapped in the items.
Gradually, the product will release these compounds – volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – in the form of gas and particulate matter.
Off-gassing is a problem for many modern products: newly made furniture, flooring, and other items.
The organic compounds are trapped, but eventually make their way out, on a gradual basis.
In the clothing industry, these VOCs include:
* Toluene
* Xylene
* Tetrachloroethylene
* Formaldehyde
* Ethylene glycol
* Benzene
* Methylene chloride
This is practically a textbook list of common and dangerous organic compounds.
In clothing, formaldehyde – commonly associated with preserving dead bodies – is the most common VOC.
All of these VOCs may cause irritation to your nose, throat, and respiratory tissues, particularly if you’re sensitive or have allergies.
Some people report skin irritation and headaches.
Top Fabrics to Avoid
1. Polyesters & other petroleum-based artificial fabrics
They’re human-made from start to finish. That’s even true of rayon. Rayon is made from trees and bamboo, but making it is extremely chemically intense.
Really, if you can, avoid all artificial fabrics.
That includes nylon, spandex, and vegan “leather.”
2. Conventional cotton
So, the label says it’s 100% cotton. Isn’t that good? Cotton is a natural fiber.
Yes, but, as grown by mainstream agriculture, cotton is a “natural” fiber packed with unnatural chemicals. Cotton fields require huge amounts of herbicides and pesticides.
These poisons get into the fiber itself. From there, they get into you.
One commonly grown strain of cotton has been genetically modified to increase its resistance to glyphosate-based herbicides. Glyphosate is linked to cancer.
Because these cotton plants can handle more glyphosate-based herbicides than other cotton strains, guess what? Farmers apply more herbicides to those crops.
Therefore, cotton from these plants is even more dangerous.
Remember – YOU have not been genetically modified to resist glyphosate-based herbicides. Only the cotton plant.
How to Minimize Your Exposure to Harmful Clothing Chemicals
1. Look at all labels
You can’t avoid dangerous fabrics if you don’t even know what you’re buying. Check the label thoroughly before you check out.
2. Wash all new clothes before wearing them, to eliminate the worst of out-gassing.
3. Buy only organic, all-natural ingredients
This narrows down your choices to:
a. Cotton (though most cotton in mainstream clothes is full of chemicals)
b. Linen – made from the flax plant
c. Hemp – even lighter and more durable than cotton
d. Wool – if you’re willing to wear hair from animals
e. Bamboo – but ONLY if the manufacturer consciously reduced the amount of chemicals used
Bamboo is a natural ingredient, but it’s a tough one. It requires a lot of processing before it turns into cloth you’d want to wear. Therefore, you must still research the particular manufacturer.
f. Tencel
This is the brand name for a line of synthetic fabrics. It’s a variant of rayon. It does require chemical processing so it’s not 100% natural and organic, but it’s much safer than rayon. It’s good for activewear.
But you must still look at the labels.
4. Look for certifications
a. USDA Certified Organic
b. Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
This is a worldwide certification of the organic status of both the growing and post-production processing of textiles.
5. Look for brands committed to providing highly safe, organic clothing
Mainstream stores whether in a mall or online will generally sell only clothes made from toxic materials.
Therefore, you must shop around to find brands of clothes you can feel comfortable wearing – without chemicals seeping into your skin.
https://theartofantiaging.com/wp-content/uploads/20231214003429/LLAT-Jan-24-Toxic-Clothing.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z57SRmZ-wA8
https://textiles.ncsu.edu/tpacc/heat-and-flame-protection/off-gassing/
https://molekule.com/blogs/all/off-gassing-and-outgassing-whats-the-difference-and-where-is-it-from
