What Ingredients Are In Your clothes?

Unlocking the Secrets: What's Hiding in Your Clothes

Ever wondered about the ingredients in your clothes? We're on a mission to bring transparency to your wardrobe and expose the often-toxic reality of the clothing industry. 

But don't worry, it’s not all gloom and doom.

We have a solution! Let's label clothes like food.

The Transparency Journey

Imagine if clothing labels were as detailed as food labels. Would you still want to wear your favourite shirt if you knew what was in it?

Your skin, the body's largest organ, absorbs what you wear. So, your clothes aren't just a fashion statement; they're ingredients you're putting into your body.

The Harm We Can't See

Let’s go on a little journey, tracing the ingredients from seed to bum.

Firstly, consider the cultivation process. Is it organic or conventional?

This critical distinction influences the health of both the environment and those involved in farming. Organic practices ensure harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilisers aren’t used, nurturing soil health and safeguarding the wellbeing of farmers. Choosing organic is part of the puzzle in shifting the agricultural industry to one that truly nurtures human health and the earth.

And what about the transformation of raw materials into fibres? Let’s take a look: 

Polyester–A Plastic Story

Polyester, the ultimate plastic fashionista, born from petroleum-based chemicals. While the exact chemical list for producing polyester fabric can vary depending on the manufacturing process and specific formulations, here are some key chemicals commonly used: Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) or Dimethyl Terephthalate (DMT), Ethylene Glycol, Butanediol, Glycerol.

While polyester is durable, do you want all those chemicals on your skin? Scientists who analysed 62 placental tissue samples found the most common plastic detected was polyethylene, which is used to make plastic bags and bottles. This is also what they use to make synthetic leggings for activewear. Not so great, right?

Bamboo–From Nature to Unnatural

Now, what about bamboo? It sounds eco-friendly, but is it really once it's transformed into fabric?
The chemical viscose/rayon process involves a bamboo soak in caustic soda, carbon disulfide, and sulfuric acid. The lyocell (Tencel) process, with its eco-advantages, uses N-Methylmorpholine N-oxide. Not as natural as you thought, huh?

Why Stick to Organic Cotton?

What makes organic cotton stand out is not just what it lacks but how it needs the least processing. Unlike synthetic fabrics undergoing extensive chemical treatments, organic cotton maintains its natural purity. From seed to fabric, GOTS Certified Organic Cotton represents a journey of minimal impact for the planets and human health.

The Ingredients We Aren’t Told About…

Synthetic Dyes

Ever heard of Azo Dyes? They make colours pop but can release not-so-cool aromatic amines known to be carcinogenic.

Reactive Dyes? They need friends like silicate or urea to bond with fabric molecules. 

Disperse Dyes? Reserved for synthetic fibres like polyester, needing dispersing agents. Additionally, some dyes may contain Heavy Metals like lead or chromium, posing risks to both health and the environment. It's a chemical jungle out there!

Binders, Mordants, Wetting & Finishing Agents

Let’s try to keep it brief… Binders are substances used to fix dyes onto fabrics, while mordants are chemicals that help dyes bond to fabric fibres. Wetting agents, or surfactants, are used to reduce the surface tension of liquids, allowing dyes to spread evenly. Finishing Agents are applied to textiles to achieve softness or wrinkle resistance. Bet you didn’t know all of that happened!

Binders and mordants are often used with natural dyes, such as those derived from plants, to improve colour intensity, durability, and wash-fastness. Whereas, wetting and finishing agents are used for most fabrics (but not dea’s!!)

Common binders include synthetic options like acrylic binders and polyvinyl acetate (PVA) binders, as well as natural options like starch and casein, derived from milk.

Common mordants include alum (natural), iron (natural but should be used cautiously), Copper (natural but can be toxic).

Common wetting agents include nonionic surfactants like ethoxylated alcohols and anionic surfactants like alkyl sulphates.

Common finishing agents are formaldehyde-based resins, which are carcinogenic, while others, such as Phthalates, are linked to endocrine disruption. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) have been associated with health concerns including developmental effects and immune system suppression. Heavy metal ions are also often used such as lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium, and arsenic.

The dying process is where there are lots of hidden ingredients–some good and some not so good. 

Transform Yourself and Our World

Now, the good stuff! We're on a journey to create sensitive skin-friendly, comfortable, and versatile clothing, which is why these are our ingredients:

Our Clean, Simple, Safe Ingredients

That's it! There are no wetting agents or finishing chemicals used in our processes at all.

For all our new stock, we will have ingredients lists on each item.

We are on a journey to continue to be better, and are working hard to innovate. To learn more about our process, you can read here. We hope with this knowledge, you embrace transparency, make informed choices, and enjoy comfort for your body and soul with your clothing.

Love dea xx

 

More resources to educate yourself on healthy fashion:

www.mindfulfashion.co.nz
www.fashionrevolution.org/oceania/new-zealand

If you want to dive deeper into this, you can read more here.