Discover Truly Healthy, Non-Toxic, Organic Clothing: Avoid Greenwashing Gimmicks
Do you find yourself looking for the healthiest, regenerative products with little success? Your favorite podcasters promote the same 10 brands that are decent but typically rely on 90% marketing and are only marginally better than conventional products. You want high-quality, truly natural, non-toxic clothing that doesn’t contribute to pollution or extractive practices.
With marketing hype, affiliate payments, advertising money, and Google or AI returning top-10 lists of the same greenwashed brands, finding ethical, well-made goods is challenging.
This new column is what you’ve been looking for—just the best products, no affiliate links here. I’ll explain why I recommend these products and provide clear takeaways for those seeking simple, sustainable recommendations.
Our first installment dives into the clothes we wear. I recommend reading the following sections to understand the basics of choosing organic, non-toxic fashion. Remember though, in your quest for healthy living, the motto is “progress, not perfection.” There are no scare tactics in this series. Use this as a guide to change your habits, while always remembering that your body is strong and resilient.
If you’re in a rush, click the button below to jump to the brand recommendations.
Why Should We Care About the Clothes We Wear?
You might wonder, does it really matter what clothing I wear? Let me share a story. While scrolling Instagram, I stumbled across an image of a dog wearing pants, captioned with a study claiming that male dog fertility plummeted after wearing polyester underpants for two years. It’s an absurd image, but I actually found the study on PubMed. Now, I can’t vouch for its quality, as I can’t access the full text, but with growing awareness of microplastics’ ubiquity, there’s real reason to believe the clothes we wear against our skin matter. Not to mention the toxic dyes and preservatives (why are heavy metals and formaldehyde part of the clothing industry?!), which can directly be absorbed by our skin.
Beyond personal health, the fashion and textile industries are notorious for large-scale chemical pollution, poisoning textile workers and waterways worldwide. The volume of clothing ending up in landfills is wild. You might think donating to Goodwill supports a circular economy, but much of that clothing ends up in landfills or disrupts local handmade clothing economies in developing countries.
What’s the Solution?
When choosing sustainable clothing, I like to focus on: the fibers used in the fabric, the dyes and chemicals used in the process, and where the textiles and clothing are made. It’s easy to forget the impact of just choosing fewer, higher quality items or even second-hand items.
The Purist
For purists, prioritize clothing made from truly natural, organic fabrics that require minimal chemicals for processing and can be composted at the end of their lifespan. Be cautious—many of these fabrics are blended with synthetics, so always read clothing labels. Plant-based dyes and unbleached fabrics have the smallest environmental footprint. Focus on clothing and textile made nearby in the world. Focus on quality and longevity over quantity. Traveling is a great time to support local traditional artisans who use local, natural materials.
Fabrics: Organic cotton, linen, wool, hemp, silk, cashmere, alpaca
Dyes and Certifications: Plant dyes, unbleached
The Practicalist
Realistically, for items like workout clothes or outdoor gear, completely natural options may not feel or fit the same. I encourage experimenting with sustainable fabrics to step out of your comfort zone, especially when you consider the positive cultural and environmental impact. However, I know visible panty lines are a dealbreaker for some, so this section is for you.
Fabrics: Organic cotton with a small percentage of elastane or spandex, Tencel™Lyocell and Tencel™Modal (wood pulp-based)
Dyes and Certifications: OEKO-TEX 100 certified, GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified
These options offer the stretch and softness of synthetic products but adhere to higher standards. Keep in mind that turning bamboo or wood into clothing (as in Lyocell and Modal) requires chemicals. However, certifications like Tencel™, GOTS, and OEKO-TEX ensure reduced chemical usage, testing factory wastewater before release, upholding worker safety standards, and verifying that final products are free of chemical residues.
Avoid These Greenwashing Red Flags
“Made with 100% Organic Cotton” vs. “Made of 100% Organic Cotton”: Some brands use deceptive phrasing to mislead busy consumers into assuming a product is entirely organic cotton, when it’s often blended with synthetic, plastic-based textiles for stretch.
“Sustainable” or “Organic” Bamboo and Wood-Based Fabric: Without certifications, these fabrics, even if organically grown, often involves harmful chemicals to transform hard stalks into soft clothing.
Recycled or Upcycled Synthetic Fabrics: Many companies use recycled nylon or polyester. These textiles often break down into microplastics faster than new polyester or nylon. For these items, I recommend shopping for gently used products at resale stores before buying new, recycled, plastic-based clothing.
Other Names for Plastic and Petroleum-Based Textiles: Lycra®, polyester, nylon, elastane, spandex, acrylic
Brand Recommendations
From a practical perspective, I’ll focus on highest-impact clothing items to get the most health bang for your buck: undergarments (closest to your skin), workout clothes (exposed to higher temperatures, increasing plastic leaching), and pajamas (worn for 1/3 to 1/2 of your day, depending on your commitment to leisure). I’ve starred brands and items I’ve personally used or that come recommended by family or close friends.
Undergarments
The Purist:
Kent* - Organic Cotton, plant dyes. Compostable. Women & men options.
Q for Quinn* - Organic cotton underwear options. Dye-free and plant-based dyes. Compostable. Women & men options.
Cottonique* - Organic cotton. Zero synthetics. Women & men options.
The Practicalist:
(Note: many of these are natural fibers, but the dyes used are certified to be free of the worst chemicals, but not necessarily 100% plant dyes)
Ryker* -Merino wool men’s boxer briefs.
Maro - Men’s boxer briefs plastic-free using organic cotton and natural rubber.
Wama Underwear - Organic cotton and hemp with small amount of spandex. Women and men.
Juliemay - Organic cotton and silk blends. Supportive bras. Women.
Pact* - Organic Cotton Blends. Stretchier fits than purist options. Women & men options.
stone.kin - Organic cotton blends. Women and men.
Exercise Clothes
The Purist:
For women’s workout bottoms, consider wide-leg cotton and linen pants if you want to avoid synthetic blends. Wool leggings are a good winter option.
Groceries - Organic hemp and cotton. Plant dyes. Some items are synthetic blends, so look for the loose fitting hemp and cotton items.
The Practicalist:
(Note: many of these are natural fibers, but the dyes used are certified to be free of the worst chemicals, but not necessarily 100% plant dyes)
Dilling - Wool, wool/silk, and cotton tops and bottoms. Very conscious about dyes used.
Icebreaker* - 100% merino wool options. Ski base layers that can be used as leggings as well. Has product filter for pure merino options.
Iksplor* - Wool legging options and ski base layers.
Quince* - Wide-legged cotton and linen pants that can be used for working out.
Ryker* - Men’s merino wool & organic cotton workout shorts.
Harvest & Mill - Organic cotton grown in the US. Cotton pants and shorts.
Conscious Clothing - Yoga collection with organic hemp, cotton, Lycra blends.
Mate the Label - Organic cotton blends. Tencel™Lyocell blends.
Imbodhi - Wood-pulp based fabric blended with spandex.
Pajamas
The Purist:
Rawganique - Linen, organic hemp, organic cotton unisex pajama options. Unbleached & undyed options.
The Practicalist:
(Note: many of these are natural fibers, but the dyes used are certified to be free of the worst chemicals, but not necessarily 100% plant dyes)
Coyuchi* - Organic cotton sleepwear. Women & men.
Quince* - Focus on linen and silk options for the purist, as they also stock blended fabrics. Women & men.
Pact* - Organic cotton pajama sets.
Red Land Cotton - 100% US grown cotton (not organic certified) and made in the US. Loungewear sets.
Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.