Focus On Vibrant Health – What’s On Our Clothes?

NORTH FORK, CA – Do you remember when it was a fashion faux pas to wear polyester clothes? I do. My dad had polyester pants and my mom polyester blouses, and we called them old people’s clothes. We wore cotton jeans and T-shirts, and wouldn’t be caught dead in such clothes. That was the late 1970’s.

Polyester Clothes

Polyester fabrics began as cheap substitues for natural fibers, and they are still that. Marketing has played a huge role in the popularity of these fabrics. Polyester began appearing in clothing in the 1950’s, often blended with cotton or wool. “Easy care” and its wrinkle resistance were major selling points. Mass adoption came in the 1960’s as it became increasingly common in shirts, dresses, suits, and home textiles. It peaked in the 1970’s, and by the 1980’s these clothes were seen as cheap-feeling, low-quality and unfashionable (yep, I remember). Natural fibers had a partial resurgence. In the 90’s polyester was less visible, and hidden in blends, linings, and outerwear.

The early 2000’s marked the sportswear revolution. Companies like Nike and Adidas normalized synthetic fabrics, marketing their stretch, moisture management and quick drying. They went from being old person clothes to performance wear. By 2010 “fast fashion” and mass production exploded, with polyester being cheap, durable, and easy to dye. Puffer jackets, technical fabrics, and streetwear made synthetics fashionable. Polyester/nylon blends appeared in leggings, dresses, shirts, and casual pants. People got used to plastic touching their skin, and it has become normalized. Today polyester can mean anything from cheap to sophisticated. Texture, construction, brand and garment design determine how it is perceived.

Man-made synthetic fibers may be labeled on garments as polyester, nylon, acrylic, polyurethane, elastane, spandex, olefin, lycra, microfiber, PET, etc.

The sad part is that very few people are talking about the potential health consequences of wearing synthetics. Or the environmental impacts of producing and disposing of these fibers.

The factors to consider for all fabrics include:

• How it is made (for man-made materials) or how it is “grown”
• How it is processed into a usable fiber and textile
• What kind of treatments are intentionally left on the fabric

Polyester fiber is made by industrial polymerization of plastic, then spun into very fine filaments. During the processing many chemicals are used – lubricants, emulsifiers, wetting agents, antistatic agents, sizing, UV stabilizers, and other processing chemical aids.  These processing chemicals can unintentionally leave residues on polyester fabrics.

Many people experience skin irritation from synthetic fabrics. This may be due to the fabric itself (texture and properties), to the processing chemicals, or to the “treatments” such as dyes, formaldehyde-based finishes, resins, adhesives, coatings, and other chemical treatments. Formaldehyde?! Isn’t that for preserving dead bodies? Yes, it is used in embalming. It is also used in clothing to make the fabric wrinkle-resistant, durable, easy care, and for its antimicrobial effects. The amount that you are exposed to varies enormously. It is also known as a human carcinogen at sufficient exposure.

More Chemicals From Fabric Treatments

• PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) or “forever chemicals” are used for the properties of being water repellent, grease resistant, and stain resistant. They can persist for extremely long periods and accumulate in your body.
• Phthalates are used to make plastic fabrics softer and more flexible. They have endocrine and reproductive toxicity.
• Bisphenols (BPA) can be in coatings, dyes, finishes, and residual from processing. They also are toxic to the endocrine system.
• Flame retardants are often added to children’s clothing, upholstery, uniforms, and more. They have endocrine, neurological and developmental effects.
• Antimicrobials are surprisingly common in modern clothing. Synthetic fabrics are notorious for bacteria growing on the fibers and creating bad smells. These chemicals create additional toxic exposure.

Also, as discussed in the previous article, synthetic clothing sheds microfibers. These micro- and nanoplastics can interact with the skin. Evidence shows they can produce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, and can even penetrate the skin. Read more here: Health Effects of Microplastics.

Fibers from Cellulose

Fibers such as rayon, viscose, modal, lyocell, tencel, acetate, and bamboo are made from plant fibers – cellulose.  They are made through very extensive chemical processing and are very different from natural fibers, though they act more like a natural fiber than polyester.  They also may receive the same chemical treatments that are left on the fabric.

Natural Fibers

What happened to natural fibers? Before the 1950’s clothing was made from cotton, wool, linen, and silk. Natural fibers fell out of favor with the introduction of polyester. Cotton was often blended with polyester, and wool and silk became associated with quality, luxury and formality. Linen all but disappeared.

Much of this change was due to economics and advertising. Natural fibers have to be “grown”, whereas polyester comes from petrochemicals and can be manufactured very cheaply at enormous scale. But natural fibers have a completely different physical experience against the skin. Cotton is soft and breathable. Wool has been rediscovered in modern technical clothing, absorbing moisture and regulating body temperature better than polyester. Linen and it’s natural rumpled appearance has become a fashion statement. New processing methods have made hemp softer.  And nothing feels as luxurious and wonderful as silk.  Today people are willing to pay premium prices for these qualities in natural fibers.

Are Natural Fibers Always Better?

The first thing to consider is how natural fibers are “grown”. Conventional cotton can be exposed to herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, plant-growth regulators, defoliants and fertilizers. Residues of these chemicals have been found in finished fabric. Linen is made from flax, and generally requires fewer pesticides. The same is true for hemp.  Wool usually comes from sheep. These animals may have been treated with pesticides, which can remain in the lanolin of the fleece. Scouring the wool removes “most” of these contaminants. Protecting both the environment and youself is an argument for buying not only your fruits and vegetables as organic, but your fabrics too.

Natural fibers can be turned into fabric using simple mechanical processes: harvesting, retting, spinning, weaving, and washing.  Before 1900 the kinds of things used in textile processing included microbes, ash lye, soap, alum, oils, animal fats and natural dyes.  All naturally occurring fibers require some processing to become usable textiles. It is possible to make clothing without industrially synthesized chemicals, but you would not know that today.   The processing chemicals used with natural fibers come from caustic scouring agents, bleaching, and mercerization (cotton).  Also, sizing agents and lubricants may be applied in the weaving process.

Similar to polyester fibers, natural fibers may receive toxic chemicals “treatments” that are left on the fabric.  This may include odor and antimicrobial finishes, fabric softeners, water and stain repellents, UV finishes, wrinkle-resistant chemicals, flame retardants, and dyes with their associated chemicals (even “natural” dyes).

Wool has an additional problem – felting and shrinkage. If the wool you buy is machine washable, it has likely had the fibers chemically modified and treated with a polymer resin (Hercosett/polymer treatment). This treatment decreases the natural moisture absorption of wool, breathability, temperature regulation, and odor management. An alternative finishing treatment to make wool more washable is called decatising, using steam and pressure. This process avoids the chemical residues, and does not alter the natural properties of wool as much. Both treatments largely remove the wonderful natural water repellent property of an untreated wool sweater. Wool may also have moth proofing with chemicals.

A unique treatment that may be used with silk is “weighting”.  This is done to increase its weight, fullness, drape, and sometimes apparent quality.  It involves using the salts of metals such as tin and iron.

Virtually every textile has encountered chemicals somewhere in production, but how many residues actually remain? Processing chemicals are intended to be washed out, but that doesn’t mean they are all gone. Intentional finish treatments are different, and remain as part of the product. Washing may reduce some of these over time.  Definitely when you buy any new clothing, wash it at least twice before you wear it.  Every little bit helps.

OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is a textile product-safety certification. It tests the finished textile for a large list of potentially harmful substances and sets limits for them.  This does not mean there are no chemicals present.

If the goal is to avoid as many chemicals as reasonably possible, definitely stay away from polyester fabrics. Especially next to your skin. And extra especially for underwear. Look for certified organic cotton, wool, linen, hemp, and silk fabrics for your clothes.  Further consider choosing products with descriptions such as undyed and unbleached for your most sensitive areas.  Even these may have finishing treatments, such as softeners.  You have to ask specifically if you’re concerned.

It is almost impossible to completely avoid chemicals in your clothing today. This is a fact of modern life. You may be motivated by personal health issues, a certain philosophy, or environmental concerns. Or you may simply prefer the way natural fibers feel and look on your body compared to wearing plastic.  A few companies with “cleaner” products include Rawganique, Cottonique, Fair Indigo, Merino Country, Arms of Andes, PAKA, and Aizome (least toxic dyes).

Read additional articles here:  Focus On Vibrant Health.

Dr. Veronica Tilden can be your ally in having vibrant health.  She uses traditional hands-on osteopathy and helps you take responsibility for your health, guiding you to make better choices in your life.  She brings her 30 years of experience to her hometown at her office in North Fork.  You can find out more and schedule an appointment at DrVeronicaTilden.com.