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Why you should wear natural and organic clothing

Many of us are very conscious of eating organic food, drinking pure water, using chemical-free body products and cleaning our house with natural products, but what about the clothes we wear?

Clothes made from conventional cotton and synthetic fibres are some of the most environmentally destructive products on the market today. They require huge amounts of agricultural land, non-renewable resources, water, and chemical-intensive processes to be produced. Polyester, for example, is made from petroleum, and conventional cotton is one of the most pesticide and chemical-contaminated crops in the world. 

The skin is the largest organ in the body and it absorbs many of the chemicals that it is exposed to. This includes toxic chemicals and pesticides from conventionally grown and synthetic materials that are worn on the skin. People with sensitive skin, chemical sensitivities, asthma, eczema and other health issues may benefit from limiting their chemical exposure and wearing organic and natural clothes.  In addition to this, chemical residues from non-organic and synthetic clothes re-enter and pollute the water system each time these clothes are washed.  These chemicals can contaminate the water system and harm aquatic life and biodiversity, and diminish soil fertility. 

Luckily there are several natural and organic clothing options available. Organic cotton grown without the use of hazardous chemicals is eco-friendly, less expensive for farmers to produce, and eliminates the risk of toxic exposure to farm workers who often pick cotton by hand. The benefit for the consumer is clothing that is softer and gentler on the skin and won’t result in chemical exposure.

Hemp clothing has also been gaining popularity amongst the environmentally conscious. This versatile crop can be grown without the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers and herbicides and requires very little water. Hemp fibres are bio-degradable, naturally soft, breathable, absorbent and highly effective at blocking out UV rays.

Bamboo is another eco-friendly clothing material because bamboo plantations require very little upkeep and water to grow, and these plants return more oxygen to the environment than trees. It can also be grown without pesticides due to its own natural anti-bacterial agent. Bamboo apparel is biodegradable, soft, durable and a popular choice for active wear due to its UV ray protection and anti-bacterial properties. 

The eco-friendly clothing movement is growing and hopefully it won’t be long before materials like hemp and bamboo completely rule out the need for environmentally-damaging conventional cotton clothing and synthetic oil-based clothing.

Find natural and organic clothing companies here.

Sources
https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/ten-reasons-why-you-should-care-what-you-wear
http://eartheasy.com/wear_bamboo_clothing.htm
http://eartheasy.com/wear_hemp_clothing.htm