The more I study and research, the more I learn about how toxins are getting into our bodies. It was reading the book, “Dressed to Kill,” which was written by two anthropologists that began my education in this area. I was further educated by green living expert, Deborah De Moulpied. In this video, we’ll look at the manufacturing of textiles and fabrics and what chemicals are used. By the end of this video, you’ll know what toxins are in your closet.
Let’s be honest. Textiles are all around us. They are in our clothing, bedsheets and blankets, upholstery, curtains, and towels, they are even in our baby beds and clothing—yikes. We can’t run and hide from them, but we can reduce the amount of chemicals that enter our body from them absorbed through our skin, inhaled into our lungs, or ingested. Over time, some of these chemicals wash out, but end up in our water supply and soil.
Today’s information will literally rock your closet and your world, but it’s information we all must know if we are to lessen our toxic load. There are three categories of fabrics that we wear on our bodies.
There are the natural five which consist of cotton, linen, wool, silk, and hemp with cotton being used 24 percent in our clothing.
Then there are synthetic materials which we use 62 percent in our clothing. These are spandex, polyester, nylon, acrylic, and fleece. These synthetic materials are made from plastic and petroleum. Many materials are a blend of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. So we also have blends. And then we have semi-synthetic fabrics or chemically processed plant-based fibers such as rayon, modal, Tencel, and bamboo.
And if that weren’t enough, we have many chemicals used in the processing, weaving, dyeing, finishing, and assembling of these fabrics. It is never-ending.
As I’ve already mentioned, some fibers are made from chemicals rather than natural fibers. Sometimes, these fibers are coated with chemicals to protect or coat the fibers. Then the fabrics are dyed. Many times, heavy metals like lead and chromium are used to dye fabrics. Chlorine can be used to bleach fabrics, but sometimes hydrogen peroxide is used to bleach which is not as harmful.
Now this will knock your socks off. These fabrics can be treated with chemicals including formaldehyde, flame retardants, and water repellants to improve their performance. Then additional chemicals such as titanium dioxide and Tinosorb FD can be used for UV protection. The nanosized particles of these chemicals can be absorbed through our skin and pose health risks. Graphics and designs on fabrics are all made with chemicals.
How could I just be finding this out? Because our government does not have to label all the chemicals used in the making of the fibers and processing of the fabrics. They only require the fiber content such as 100% cotton, the country of origin, the manufacturer, and the care instructions.
Let’s look at some well-known chemicals used in clothing:
PFASs – These forever chemicals can be used as a stain repellant or waterproofing and can be found in outdoor clothing, school uniforms, yoga pants, hiking pants, sports bras, rain gear, and firefighting gear. Of course, we want these chemicals in the firefighting gear if we are a firefighter, but PFASs are associated with cancer—so not for everyday use!
BPA – These plastics can add antistatic properties and strengthen the fibers. BPA can be found in t-shirts, socks, leggings, and sports bras and is known as an endocrine-disrupting chemical that mimics estrogen.
Formaldehyde – Do you love those wrinkle-free shirts and dresses? Well, they come with a cost because formaldehyde is used in wrinkle-free cotton, cotton blends, and rayon and is a known human carcinogen.
Lead – This heavy metal which is considered “a probable carcinogen is found in children’s clothing, logos, snaps, zippers, and many prints.
Heavy metals – The ones which most are carcinogenic can be applied during dying and the making of artificial leather.
Phthalates – These are serious hormone disruptors and can be found in activewear, rain gear, and screen printing.
Pesticides and herbicides – Many of these are linked to cancer and are used to control insects even in the natural fibers. This is why I prefer organic cotton fabrics.
Flame retardants – Let me mention again that flame-retardant chemicals which are linked to cancer risks are found in children’s sleepwear, curtains, and upholstery. Now you see why I say it’s never-ending.
And just as I’ve mentioned with cosmetics and skin products, the European Union has much stricter rules to protect their citizens from harmful chemicals than we do. So it’s the wild west with chemicals in fabrics, too–with not much regulation. This makes each one of us the sheriff in protecting our families from an overload of toxins coming from clothing, cosmetics, and skin creams.
In fact, Canada has banned 457 chemicals used in clothing, Europe bans or restricts 1,328 chemicals, and our own USA only bans 37 chemicals used in clothing.
So we’ve got a long way to go! Some chemicals are considered safe, but many are considered harmful because they are carcinogenic, cause allergies, or contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Health symptoms can also include eye and skin irritations, eczema, rashes, breathing difficulties, headaches, thyroid problems, reproductive issues, cancer, diabetes, and neurological disorders. Yes, diabetes can be related to a high toxic load! Ask your doctor about this.
We also know that textile workers have higher rates of cancer due to long-term exposure to chemicals. I’ve been in China where there are no chemical bans, protections, or restrictions in factories. I could barely breathe in the Chinese factories I visited. So just imagine the chemical content of clothes and fabrics made in China!
And this may also surprise you—25% of global chemicals are used in textiles and fabrics and 20% of the world’s wastewater is created by the fashion industry!
I hope this has been valuable information for you. I only wish I had known this sooner. As I said in the beginning, textiles are all around us and they are here to stay, but we can put a plan in place to lower our exposure.
Is this information new to you as it was to me? Never fear, next week, I’ll give eight ways to reduce your toxic exposure to fabrics!
View this message on YouTube:
What Toxins are in Your Closet?
Related video available Feb. 4, 2025:
Eight Ways to Reduce Your Toxic Exposure to Fabrics
For Your Health,
Ginny
Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served on the front lines of American culture as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many TV and media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer and was recently awarded the First Place Golden Scrolls Award for Memoirs, a finalist in Serious Writers Book of the Decade, and Second Place in both Selah Awards for Memoirs and Director’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. It recently received the Christian Authors Network’s (CAN) Gold Award for Excellence in Marketing for reaching 62.5 million people with a message of cancer prevention and survival. It was written with commentary from an oncologist and was featured on CBN’s Healthy Living Show, Atlanta Live, and CTN’s Homekeepers along with over 75 media outlets. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog and book information at www.ginnybrant.com. Ginny is on YouTube
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