You eat organic, you use natural products, but did you know that harmful chemicalsmay be hidden in the clothes you wear everyday?
In fact,around 8000 synthetic chemicals are commonly used to produce clothes.For example, chlorine bleach isprevalently used whitening clothing fiber and treating denim, formaldehyde is often applied tomakefabricswrinkle-free, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) arecommonly found in fabric printing, andthe list goes on.
Most of these commonly used chemicals are carcinogenic or can lead to serious health issues such as respiratory disease and hormone disruptions.
This is something that's been on my mind a lot throughout the past months as I choose my materials and suppliers.
Not only are we unknowingly exposed to these harmful chemicals on a daily basis (for example, through our largest organ - skin), their use create health hazards to garment workers who breathe in the fumes. These chemicals also get into the water system polluting our environment, and can also cycle back to our drinking water and food.
Unfortunately, existing regulations are uneven between countries and states, and most aren't strict enough topreventthe use of these chemicals in clothing manufacturing.
Throughthis article, I want to discuss these hidden hazards in your clothing, what you can do to limit your exposure, and how Sonderlier isaddressing this important issue as a clothing brand.
Common ToxicSubstances in Clothing
Unfortunately, there are so many types of toxic chemicalsfound in clothes andit's impossible to give an exhaustive list. So below I list a number of the most notorious and commonones to give you a better understanding of where in clothing toxic substances may appear and some of the ways they can be harmful.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is commonly associated with the "chemical smell" on new clothes.It'slinked to many health problems like asthma, nausea, cancer,anddermatitis.
Pesticides
Pesticides such as glyphosate is used in growing conventional cotton. They are also associated with a number of health problemssuch as cancer,respiratory problems, and potentially autism.
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances(PFAS)
PFAS have been used in clothing for decades, and they are notoriously known as "forever chemicals" as they take thousands of years to breakdown in our environment. They are connected tomany health issues including cancer and infertility.
Azo Dye
Azo Dye is a chemical used in fabric dying for its effectiveness. It can also be easily absorbed through skin because it's water-soluble. Azo dye is know to be carcinogenic and can also cause skin and eye irritation.
Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs)
NPE is an organic compound very prevalent in clothing items and some laundry detergents! They are associated with potential problems with the reproductive system and developmental issues.
Heavy Metals
Heavy metals such as lead have been discovered in clothing dyes and synthetic fabrics. They are highly toxic and can causepermanentbrain damage, kidney and liver damage, reproductive issues and more.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
VOCs are most commonly found in printed textiles. They can lead to various health issues such as developmental and reproductive system damage, and some are carcinogenic. They are also a huge health hazard totextile workers through their work environment.
You can also read more about chemicals in clothing in this goop interviewand this Business Insider Article.
Types of ClothingYou Need to CloselyMonitor
PerformanceFabrics
When you see fabric qualities like wrinkle-free, stain-resistant, water-proof or flame-retardant, it's a sign that the fabric has probably been treatedwith chemicals to achieve these functions.So you should look further to see if there's evidence that they don't contain the harmful ones (I'll share more details below).
Clothing with A Chemical Smell
As I mentioned above, chemical smell in clothing is a sure sign of excessive formaldehyde.Simple rule - do not buy them!
Synthetic Fabrics
Compared to natural materials, synthetic fabrics in general do expose us to more risk of toxic chemicals. Not only that, many synthetic fabrics alsoprevent our skin from doing its normal detox function.
Conventional Cotton
Even though cotton is a natural material, conventional cotton farming uses a lot of pesticides.The conventional cotton processing practicescan also be heavy in synthetic chemicals.
WhatYou Can Do to Limit Your Exposure
When you buy clothes, identifying the safe and clean choices can be daunting, since it'svirtually impossible for a consumer to know the chemical content of clothing.
However, there a few rules of thumb to stick to that will provide you with protection toreduce your family's exposure to these toxins.
Choose Organic
Organic certification goes through a strict set of validations for the entire life of a fabric, suggesting that no harmful chemicals have come into play throughout the growing and making of the fabric. So selecting clothing made from organic fabrics and natural dyes is themost straightforwardway to ensure that both the clothing andthe growing and manufacturing of its fabrics are clean. Thedrawback of this approachis that it will greatly limit your options, as only certain materials are eligible, and only a very small portion get certified. And even though there are a lot of small farmers practice organic growing,theymaynot have the wherewithal to get certified.
Look for Oeko-Tex®or BLUESIGN® Certifications
Oeko-Tex andBLUESIGN are two internationalauthorities that specifically address chemical safety. For example, Oeko-Tex 100 Standard certified textile means that every element of the textile is tested and contains no harmful substances to human health. Unlike organic, these certifications doesn't mean that no harmful chemicals has ever entered the material, but just if so they have been removed. This information is typically shared with the consumers so you can use it as an indication thatthe associatedclothing material is safe.
ChooseNaturalPerformance Fabrics
As I discussed above, performance fabrics are typically chemically treated to achieve their functions and therefore should be avoided if possible. However, there are fabrics that naturallypossesssome of these desired properties. For example, Tencel is a natural and renewable material that has naturally wrinkle-resistant and cooling properties.
WashYour Clothing Right
New doesn't mean clean. If a clothing item doesn't meet the above conditions, then washingit before wearing is really important.But of course that also releases chemicals into our water system and can pollute the environment, so it's clearly not an ideal solution.
Additionally, laundry detergent, especially used in traditional dry cleaning, can also contain harmful chemicals and increase your exposure. So choose asafe detergent (you can look to this list to find some of these options), use organic dry cleaning or avoid dry cleaning in general.
Shop Second-Hand
Shopping second-hand is known asa sustainable option since it reduces clothing waste. But the less known reason to do it is that used clothing generally contains less chemicals as well, simply because they have been washed many times before.
WhatWe AreDoing As A Brand
Ourmission is to enhance people's wellbeing through clothing. So the issue of health to people and the planet ishugely importanttowhat I believe are the right way of doing things for us as a brand.
Becausechemicalsso hard toidentify as a consumer, I contemplated about what a clothing brand like us could do to help. After a lot of deliberation, I came to the conclusion that it would involve a combination of stewardship and transparency, which I want to briefly share with you here.
Currently,we're predominately sourcing organic and Oeko-Tex 100 Standard Certified textiles. This is why the majority of our styles uses Oeko-Tex 100 certified fabrics. It's a priority for us to clearly understand the chemical compositions of fabrics so we can better inform you.We arecommitted to be transparent about the textiles used, and providing relevantfacts to break down the information barrier experience, includingclearly labeling whether they are certified nontoxic.
Any questions, suggestions? Let me know in the comment below!
