Although you should always eat all natural foods, have you thought about what you wear? It’s best to avoid synthetic fabrics and take advantage of natural fiber clothing benefits.
Everyone wears clothes daily. Did you know that 60% of what touches our skin is absorbed directly into our bodies. That means that anything we cover ourselves in will eventually get into our blood stream.
Synthetic clothing fibers contain many toxic chemicals. And, they are not sustainable because they are made of nonrenewable resources. Natural fibers are a better investment. Products of nature tend to bode well long term compared to their synthetic counterparts. There are many great reasons why you should make the switch to natural fibers!
Chemical Complexion of Synthetic Fibers
Synthetic fibers are full toxic chemicals. Here is a list of the most common chemicals that are proven to harm your health.
1. Polyester – made from dihydric alcohol and terpthalic acid. These are toxic when soaked into your skin
2. Acrylic – These fibers have been shown to cause cancer according to the Environmental Protection Agency
3. Rayon – This is recycled wool fiber that is treated with sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is one of the strongest acids in the world and is extremely harmful if it comes in contact with skin
4. Nylon – A petroleum product. This makes nylon products non-renewable. Petroleum is also very bad for the environment.
Studies have been done on the health risks of workers in textile factories that produce fibers of these products. These studies show a large increase of breast cancer in women who work in factories that use synthetic fibers. Acrylic factories showed women workers to be seven times more likely of developing breast cancer. In nylon factories women had twice the risk of breast cancer compared to women who did not work in these factories. Not good statistics!
Natural Fiber Clothing Benefits
Natural Fibers are More Sustainable
Looking to keep the Earth happier and healthier? Switching to natural fibers can help your goals of being sustainable. How are these fibers more sustainable? Synthetic fibers require more energy to produce them. High energy is not the only issue. Crude oil is also not sustainable. Synthetic fibers are essentially plastic.
Natural fibers are made from plant material. This means they break down easily. Plastic-like fabrics do not break down easily and are not biodegradable. Be weary of cotton though. Although it is “natural” some forms are better than other. It’s best to get clothes made from organic cotton. Other cotton uses about 10% of the worldwide pesticide use. The other 90% of non-organic cotton is genetically modified.
Better Investment for your Pocket and Environment
Natural fibers are typically more expensive than synthetic fibers. However, natural fibers last much longer than synthetic fibers. After only a few washes synthetic fibers start to fray. Natural fibers will hold up for many years to come. Because you’re going to be buying less clothing you are using less materials from the planet.
Natural fibers are the best investment to make for clothing. For a few extra dollars you prevent an inflated risk of cancer. This is because you are not putting toxic chemicals in contact with your skin. You will also help the environment by using less nonrenewable resources. Natural products are proven to last longer than their synthetic counterparts. Make the switch to take advantage of the natural fiber clothing benefits. It’s a switch to improve your health and the environment in which we all live.
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