On The Benefits Of Non-Plastic Clothing

[Such_Saturation]

Hi,

I would like to dedicate this thread to information and reports about the benefits of wearing natural fibers exclusively, the issues with wearing plastics, and viceversa.

Feel free to add your experience and any papers. Soap discussion is also welcome.

Thank you!

 

[Lilac]

I am interested in this subject, too. A few of my observations:

My legs are scaly dry, even without soap and with the addition of coconut oil. Perhaps the friction of socks and pants alone is enough to strip the skin here dry.

Some wool hats can make my forehead itch. A reaction to lanolin?

Uniqlo, a big Japanese clothing maker (like the Gap), has a line of "Heat Tech" clothing that supposedly retains body heat. I liked these products a lot, but this winter I read the small print and saw that the cloth contains camellia oil for softness. I figure this has to be un-Peatian. The stretchy fabric itself is man-made.

 

[jyb]

I stopped using washing liquid for clothes (and for dishes, and for tooth brushing, and for showering body or hair...basically I don't use commercial soap or cleaning stuff EVER). For clothes I only put some vinegar as softener and some bicarb as soap. It's possible it wouldn't make much difference without it, as rinsing in warm water does a lot of the job. I don't excess 40C water temp, just being cautious.

 

[tara]

I like to wear cotton and wool, but I'm not rigorous about only using these. Main difference I notice is that synthetics get stinky quicker.

Some wool hats can make my forehead itch. A reaction to lanolin?

I react to scratchy wool but am ok if it is fine enough. I think it's more about the grade of wool, and possibly the spinning process. Some merino (low micron fibre width) I can wear next to my body all day. Some I don't want touching my neck at all.

I have been wondering whether washing powder could have anything to do with the rash I've developed in recent months. I've ruled out wool as the major irritant, because though it started on the ankles when it was cold enough for woolley socks, it's now warmer and the rash has since turned up in places I haven't been wearing wool for months.
So washing powder is on my list of things to experiment with. What kind of vinegar do you use with rinse water, and is there any residual vinegar odour when you are done?
Has anyone tried washing soda? I gather it's more caustic than baking soda.

 

[Such_Saturation]

If I can smell soap at all in the clothes, they make me red and stuffed, guaranteed!

 

[nikotrope]

I used to have acne on my thighs. Winter (dryness), plastic clothes and soap made it worse. But acne disappears thanks to eating in a peat way. I currently wear synthetic fibers without problems. That being said body odors with synthetic are worse.

 

[barbwirehouse]

What specific synthetic material do you have issue with?

I currently wear synthetic fibers without problems. That being said body odors with synthetic are worse.

Of course, which is why synthetic is inferior to merino wool in most situations. The one situation where synthetics shine is jeans+shorts.

 

[jyb]

So washing powder is on my list of things to experiment with. What kind of vinegar do you use with rinse water, and is there any residual vinegar odour when you are done?
Has anyone tried washing soda? I gather it's more caustic than baking soda.

No odours. Any vinegar. And yes usually washing soda is used traditionally. Baking soda might have less effect, I just jump it in and it's sufficient for my clothes so I don't bother to do more.

 

[4peatssake]

This stuff is pretty awesome.

Rawganique

They have another website Pure Cothes

I love organic cotton, bamboo and hemp if it's not scratchy. I've had hemp items that irritated my skin so I'm more careful with it. I don't wear pure clothing exclusively by any stretch but I'd sure like to move in that direction. Stuff's expensive but worth it in the long run.

Can't afford cashmere but I like it a lot.
I wore a lot of silk years ago but I live a different lifestyle now.

 

[BingDing]

I always liked cotton, but I sweat easily in the heat and the first time I went to the tropics it was pure misery. I was soaked by seven in the morning and never dried out, and got pimples in some places. I looked at quicker drying synthetics when I got home and found some North Face nylon pants that I loved. I bought four pair and haven't worn anything else for 10+ years, they haven't a stain or a rip, though I've replaced zippers 7 or 8 times.

A couple years ago I found some polyester microfiber T shirts at Gander Mountain, GSX brand but the stuff I just found online didn't look the same, with a soft, pleasant hand that fit me well. I have about a dozen of those now.

I use perfume and dye free clothes detergent, it doesn't seem to cause any problems. But when my neighbors use those perfumed dryer sheets, I can't even go outside; I have no idea why they use them, they are horrible.

 

[smith]

Do you notice how women's clothing is always softer than men's clothing? Why is that?

 

[Prosper]

Do you notice how women's clothing is always softer than men's clothing? Why is that?

Silky and soft clothes are feminine. sturdy and rough clothes masculine. Much like skin of women vs men.

 

[Such_Saturation]

This is another thing, can a synthetic be LESS irritating than a natural fiber? And does this mean it can be more healthy?

 

[smith]

If you find any soft-and-silky clothes made specifically for men you'll be charged like 90$ for a hemp sock, while wet seal will sell the softest shirt I've ever worn in my life for 5$ which will just be a mixture of synthetics, but not polyester.

Cheap quality cotton, which is most of it, is always more abrasive than poly, but poly feels like it's suffocating my skin. Cotton can be soft, or soft as sandpaper depending on how it's spun. Synthetics are often less irritating but the type of synth matters.

What are the softest and safest synthetics? How are they manufactured? WHO SELLS THEM?

Aside, it baffles me how men are OK with wearing the most rough and irritating garbage. Have they never touched a shirt made for a woman?

 

[x-ray peat]

whatever you do make sure you wash new clothes a couple of times to remove any toxic residues. also try to avoid no wrinkle clothes which are loaded with toxins.

 

[zewe]

I only wear cotton and wool. Anything else makes me very uncomfortable, even silk.

@tara I noticed the same about synthetics getting stinky.

Laundry soap: I don't use powders. Currently using 7th Generation free and clear. I buy this in a cardboard bottle. Even though I recycle, I hate buying so much plastic.

I've used baking soda/H2O as a hair wash and always rinse my hair in vinegar/H2O so, I don't see why it wouldn't work for laundry that isn't incredibly soiled.

 

[Such_Saturation]

Cheap quality cotton, which is most of it, is always more abrasive than poly, but poly feels like it's suffocating my skin.

I also get this. synthetic is more comfortable, but only for about 5 minutes.

 

[Owen B]

I can't describe the science, but these problems around synthetic fabrics have to be polarity issues.

A relatively healthy fabric "breathes". It produces a balanced charge between the body and the environment.

I tried various sleeping bags this past winter. Not only are they saturated with some kind of moisture repellent which has an incredibly strong smell and seems toxic itself, but the fabrics don't breathe.

I'd wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. I was literally hot and cold at the same time.

 

[somuch4food]

I'm feeling like I'm being crazy, but my toddler seems hypersensitive to anything not natural.

Last fall after getting roseola, he was getting urticaria from red clothing particularly those with polyester. That's when I started investigating this matter.

I've been skeptical the whole time, but it always seems to get back to him being sensitive to polyester.

As an example, Friday, I sent him to daycare with a cotton/polyester blend since it was the last clean clothes he had. When I went to pick him up, he had really red cheeks and the eczema on his wrists seemed more inflamed than in the morning. He also already looked tired, but wired while he's usually not when I go pick him up.

Another weird thing, when I try to put him to sleep while wearing a shirt not made of 100% cotton. He does not settle on me, he seems to get more wired. I then go and change clothes and come back to him and he settles nicely...

I'm thinking either the material itself or the chemicals used to make it triggers inflammation, or something.

 

[Amazoniac]

The enigma of the '100% natural fabric' where metallic or plastic [I know (Terma, 2020)] parts can be spotted from distance. Not many people are aware that we're about to launch a clothing line (no name yet, possibly 'Dye Another Day', but they isn't all bad).

Spoiler

The difference to round price is not mere psychological manipulation, it's going to be destined to charity: our own organization where it would allow slaves to leave the factory once a month and eat more than one meal a day.

In our brand, we is adherents to the destroicism philosophy while refusing to accept that there can be mind without body health. The article can be grass-fed, but it should also be grass-finished. Anyway, it's nice to have publications on these concerns that align with our values:

- Textile dyes and human health: a systematic and citation network analysis review

"Unlike most organic compounds, dyes possess colour since they contain a chromophoric structure consisting of an extended conjugated system of p-electrons, often bearing groups that have an electron acceptor or donor, which can absorb light in the visible spectrum (400–700 nm) [1]. With respect to their chemical structures, they can be classified into several groups including azo, anthraquinone, phthalocyanine, sulphur and triarylmethine [2]."

"The application of numerous synthetic dyes has caused detrimental effects on the environment, and is particularly associated with allergic, toxic and carcinogenic harm to human health [5]. Because of this natural dyes have re-emerged as a possible alternative to, or co-partner with, synthetic dyes [6,7]."

"For textile dyes, dermatological and toxicological data has shown the adverse effects of these chemicals ranging from contact allergies to genetic damage [8–12]. As clothing promotes direct contact of textile dyes with the human skin, research has revealed that some textile dyes can migrate from fabrics to the human skin during perspiration [1,13] and may cause allergies, urticaria and/or dermatitis [14–18]."

"Dyes that migrate and penetrate the skin can have dermatological effects. Once a toxic or carcinogenic dye has entered the human body via the skin, it can induce harmful toxological effects in human cells causing DNA damage [20–22] or diseases such as cancer [23–27]. Some textile dyes are cytotoxic, genotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic; for instance, dyes containing an azo group (–N=N–) are able to split apart genotoxic and carcinogenic amines (for example, CI Acid Red 85, which releases benzidine) [28]."​

⬑ Genotoxicological assessment of two reactive dyes extracted from cotton fibres using artificial sweat

- Effects of textile dyes on health and the environment and bioremediation potential of living organisms

- Human health risks due to exposure to inorganic and organic chemicals from textiles: A review

"In this paper, we have reviewed the current scientific information regarding human exposure to chemicals through skin-contact clothes. The review has been focused mainly on those chemicals whose probabilities of being detected in clothes were rather higher. Thus, we have revised the presence of flame retardants, trace elements, aromatic amines, quinoline, bisphenols, benzothiazoles/benzotriazoles, phthalates, formaldehyde, and also metal nanoparticles. Human dermal exposure to potentially toxic chemicals through skin-contact textiles/clothes shows a non-negligible presence in some textiles, which might lead to potential systemic risks. Under specific circumstances of exposure, the presence of some chemicals might mean non-assumable cancer risks for the consumers."​

- Home textile as a potential pathway for dermal exposure to trace elements: assessment of health risks
- Risk assessment due to dermal exposure of trace elements and indigo dye in jeans: Migration to artificial sweat

- Monitoring of Pesticide Residues in some Cotton Products in Egypt using GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS