Synthetic Chemical Make for Dangerous Clothing – Advantages of Organically Produced and Naturally Dyed Fabrics for Children

Clothes Made from Traditional Textiles are Bad for Your Baby and Your Planet
Over the past month, I have posted two articles on the dangers of synthetic dyes and other chemicals used in the production of children’s clothing. The textile industry is a big polluter of the environment, and the baby and kid’s clothing that is mass produced on-the-cheap contains chemicals shown to be absorbed through the skin. So what is it that makes organic clothing different and safer?

Organic Clothes Are Grown With Less Impact on the Environment
Even before the fabric is colored, textiles produced organically have a much gentler effect on the environment and on your baby’s skin. Organic clothing is made from natural fibers that have been grown without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. These harmful chemicals also weaken fabric and remain in the finished products that we buy.

What Are Organic Dyes Anyway?
Organic or natural dyes are those created from nature, typically from plants and minerals. With the use of an expanding variety of natural dyes, it is no longer necessary to sacrifice color in order to dress organically. Now it is certainly true that individuals can have sensitivities and allergic reactions to natural compounds, still, overall, they are much safer than synthetic chemicals.

Synthetics are Dangerous Strangers
I am both a scientist and a mom. Put those two things together, and you get this observation…Our own bodies, and those of our ancestors, are the result of genetic information that has evolved in concert with the materials of the earth that have surrounded us for hundreds of thousands, even millions of years. We have no evolutionary experience with synthetic chemicals; new artificial molecules that have been shown to have more potential to result in allergic reactions and, in some cases, to even damage our DNA and cause disease.

Less Vibrancy with Less Risk
The colors of nature do not provide the vast and vibrant color pallets that synthetic dyes do, nor is natural color as resistant to fading. But the pros of naturally colored fabrics far outweigh the cons. Natural dyes provide us with a softer range of beautiful colors and a connection to both our heritage and the earth. And, on a more practical level, they don’t pollute, nor do they create a health hazard when in contact with the sensitive skin of your baby or child.

The chemical dangers of fabrics is a huge topic. If you have had a bad experience with cheap synthetic fabrics or dyes, or if you have had a great experience with organic product, please leave a comment and share what you’ve learned with our other readers.