Clothing soaked in countless toxins not regulated in textile industry
HIDDEN source of toxins… IGNORED by the feds!
Remember when polyester was ALL THE RAGE?
It was like a MIRACLE… needing ZERO ironing, even when you sat around in it all day or packed it in a suitcase.
Plus, you DIDN’T have to dry-clean it… and it would NEVER shrink in the wash.
Of course, that was probably the first time people like you and me had the chance to wear clothing made from CHEMICALS…
As polyester is actually fiber made from a type of PLASTIC!
But unfortunately, the trend of dressing ourselves in “chemistry set” fabric DIDN’T go out of style along with the leisure suit.
And now, we’re finding out how MANY of our clothes are DRAPING us in toxins…
While the feds do NOTHING to regulate it!
I’m talking about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), those “forever chemicals” that can DISRUPT your hormone balance… HIJACK your immune function… SPIKE your cholesterol… and more.
Clothing makers use PFAS for waterproofing… but there’s more.
They also SOAK our clothes in skin irritants… like brominated azobenzene disperse dyes (“azo dyes”) for adding color… and formaldehyde for making sure those colors don’t run.
That second one is a BIG concern… and not just for the “yuck” factor of being found in embalming fluid.
Some people are ALLERGIC to formaldehyde…
And the chemical is a KNOWN carcinogen!
It’s no wonder it’s gotten quite a bit of attention… and there’s at least a little bit of government oversight with Senate hearings and congressional mandates.
But take a peek behind the chemical-laden curtain… and you’ll find there are even MORE toxins hiding in our closets.
A LOT more.
Problem is, there’s no way for us to know the EXACT ingredients of this witches’ brew… or HOW MUCH of it we’re actually being exposed to!
Imagine if you could see an ingredient list of a shirt or a pair of pants before you bought it…
You might be SHOCKED at the unpronounceable chemicals they expect us to wear against our skin day-in and day-out!
I’m not just talking about those “Made in China” clothes on the discount racks.
This is happening RIGHT HERE in this country!
And the feds haven’t BOTHERED to ban ANY chemicals used in adult clothing.
Our textile industry is practically the “Wild West”… with ZERO regulation over toxic exposure through apparel.
And one of the aspects of fabrics that the Consumer Product Safety Commission DOES oversee… a.k.a. flammability… actually requires the use of MORE chemicals (i.e., flame retardants).
Now, this affects items of clothing we all need… from socks to jackets and more. And you can’t just QUIT wearing clothes to stay safe.
But you CAN lessen your load by choosing organic fabrics certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
And when you do buy something new… throw it in the laundry before wearing it. That’s been shown to remove formaldehyde… and it might wash away some of the other “mystery chemicals” as well.
In pursuit of the truth,
Dr. Marc Micozzi M.D., Ph.D.