4 Weaponized Fabrics You Want To Avoid
The Fabrics Of Our Lives...
It’s true. There are weaponized fabrics on the market that you may want to avoid. You can’t see the weapons built into these fabrics, but your family’s health may be affected by them in one way or another.
What are weaponized fabrics?
This term refers to all the fabrics that contain toxic material that can harm you. Some can cause more damage than others, and avoiding them as much as possible can help you keep working towards a non-toxic lifestyle that can benefit your overall health.
For example, during an extensive study by Greenpeace, over 100 fabrics were tested for phthalates and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), both harmful and toxic substances known to cause unwanted effects on a person’s health. They included 20 popular global fashion brands in their testing. All the brands had one or more garments with detectable levels of NPEs, and the clothes with plastisol printed fabric all contained phthalates.
We’ll highlight four common weaponized fabrics for you here and explain why limiting your exposure is important.
1. Polyester
Polyester is in more fabrics than ever before since it resists wrinkles. Cheaply made with recycled bottles or from coals and petroleum oils, polyester has thermoplastic properties that prevent it from being a breathable, safe fabric.
Many polyester fabrics contain antimony, a known carcinogen that research shows can affect your skin, eyes, heart, liver, and lungs. It has even been investigated in studies for any involvement in sudden infant death syndrome.
It’s polluting waterways, and in 2015 was noted to emit three times as much carbon dioxide into the environment as creating clothing made from cotton.
Furthermore, studies show that microplastic fabrics accumulate in the body’s tissues, and it may cause inflammation and damage to semen quality.
2. Nylon
Nylon is a silky feeling thermoplastic made from petroleum with several common ingredients you likely don’t want absorbing into you or your baby’s skin like:
Chloroform
Limonene
Pantene
Formaldehyde
Terpineol
It can cause eye, skin, lung, and stomach irritation. In addition, it’s one of the least eco-friendly fabrics around.
3. Acrylic
Acrylic is another thermoplastic that, as it's heated up, like in the dryer or with intense body heat, off-gasses plastic molecules. The synthetic fibers it’s made of aren’t breathable and retain heat, so they often create cold-weather clothing with it.
These fabrics also contain dimethylformamide, a compound that may cause severe liver toxicity from exposure. Many acrylic fabrics are made with acrylonitrile, classified as a probable human carcinogen, and when inhaled, can cause side effects ranging from headaches to death.
4. Rayon
Rayon is a textile also known as viscose and can be considered a serious greenwashing attempt. This shiny fabric is made from wood pulp that’s recycled — sounds innocent enough, right?
But the wood pulp is processed with sulphuric acid and caustic soda. It also contains benzothiazole, a skin allergen that can cause organ toxicity and affect the nervous and respiratory systems.
The colorless gas hydrogen sulfide is used in rayon production, and research shows even low levels of exposure can cause side effects such as eye irritation, headaches, unconsciousness, and death.
What's The Best Fabric To Buy?
All of these are weighty facts about fabrics to avoid. But there are cleaner, safer things to wrap your children in. The cleanest, cuddliest fabrics you can get your hands on today are 100% organic cotton products.
Organic cotton is grown without the use of harmful chemicals that can raise the risk of health concerns.
At Mercurii Baby, we use safe fabrics for your baby, your home, and the environment. We have the products you’ll need to put together that heartwarming baby shower basket or to nest your baby’s crib and play area. Our mission is to optimize and improve the health of tiny babies and toddlers alike with non-toxic and naturally sourced essentials.
Avoiding toxic fabrics is just one part of intentionally living a healthier lifestyle. We've got news to share with you about how regular cotton can be toxic, too, and why choosing organic cotton can benefit you, your family, and the environment here at this link.
If you're looking for more lifestyle adjustments, check out these 5 Healthy Habits you can implement this year for your family!
Interested in learning more?
1. The Difference Between Organic Cotton and Regular Cotton
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Resources:
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/acrylonitrile.pdf
https://www.osha.gov/hydrogen-sulfide
