What Our Vaginas Wear Matters
The health conscious consumer is long used to scouring food labels for telltale signs of toxicity. The general rule is that should an ingredient list go on too long or contain a surfeit of numbers or things we don’t recognise then it’s probably not in our body’s best interest. But what about what we put on the outside?
What exactly goes into our clothes is something of a black hole of information. Unlike our food, which must be scrupulously labeled. Manufacturers have no obligation, and often no knowledge of the precise chemical cocktails contained in their fabrics.
A Profit Driven Reality
This lack of awareness is somewhat due to a dearth of research. Given the reach and influence of the global clothing industry, making vast profits from our insatiable appetite for fast fashion, often the product of third world workers’ misery; and the petrochemical industry from which most synthetic fabrics are made, this is unsurprising. Research must be paid for and it is in the interests of these behemoths to deflect attention from the potential and actual harm they are doing so that they can continue to reap profits at the expense of consumers, workers and the environment.
In 2023, the global clothing industry worth is expected to reach $1.7 trillion.
Yet, most of these profits do not touch the hands of the most vulnerable factory workers and farmers.
Is it Really Green?
Greenwashing in the industry is rife, as evidenced by the recent settlement of a class action lawsuit against a popular eco-presenting brand of period underwear. While they claimed to be ‘organic, sustainable and non-toxic,’ their products were found to contain short chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – PFAS – known as ‘forever chemicals’ because of the length of time they take to break down. Traces have been found in the blood of humans and animals globally and are associated with a host of adverse health effects such as cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility and increased risk of asthma and thyroid disease.
What Our Vaginas Wear Matters
The skin is our largest organ, formed from the same embryonic tissue as the gut, with the same powers of absorption. Therefore the fabrics we wear in close contact with the skin often for hours at a time have the potential to transmit toxicity to our bodies.
The area around the breasts and vagina are particularly vulnerable because of their dense concentration of lymph nodes.
In addition, the vagina is a breathing, secreting organ similar in sensitivity to the mouth.
Art by Ariana Tero
Recall the frequent skin irritation endured when required to wear synthetic masks over mouths for long periods at work, the relief when they were no longer required. Yet many of us unwittingly and willingly wear synthetic fabrics right next to our skin all day long.
Gynaecologists agree cotton is the optimum underwear fabric for vaginal health, its breathability reducing risk of infection. But even organic cotton can be rendered toxic when treated with harmful chemicals from dyes and mordants, breathed in through our vagina’s delicate skin.
That’s why we’re commitment to health and wellness runs right through everything we do.
The dea Difference
From where and how the cotton is grown to the conditions under which it is woven to the natural dying process, we go beyond fallible industry standards to create a unique product whose quality you can feel in its softness next to your skin. The comfort of letting dea nestle next to your most intimate areas is not just the result of its buttery texture and expert fit. You too can be secure that every stitch has been grown, woven, dyed and sewed with kindness, care and commitment to your optimal health. Be kind to your vagina and clothe it in nurturing underwear.
Love dea x
