Organic Cotton

Although many people are becoming conscious about what they put in their bodies, they do not take necessary precautions for what they put on their bodies. Pesticides and other chemicals can not only damage our bodies as they are ingested, but also as they are absorbed through the skin. This proposes great concerns as most of the cotton grown today is loaded with pesticides and chemicals. Cotton uses the most pesticides of any product farmed. As the crop is growing insects and other pests pose a large problem, and because of this a crop can be sprayed with chemicals more than six times. These chemicals and toxins not only go into the clothing made from the cotton, but damage the environment through contaminating water, air, earth and ultimately animals.

As people are exposed to chemicals, toxins and pesticides, through the clothes they wear, these chemicals build up in the body and systems are not able to flush them from the body. As there are too many toxins for the body to be able to clear out, it begins to store them in organs and fatty tissues. Health problems such as cancer can develop. Because cotton is on of the most widely worn fabrics, its effect is far reaching.

Organic cotton farms produce not only safer material, but also help the environment in a significant way. To make just a single t-shirt it takes about one-third of a pound of chemicals. Multiply those amounts by the acres and acres of traditional farms and the thousands of t-shirts on store shelves and it is easy to understand the volume of damage produced by these chemicals. In contrast organic farms take natural preventative measures to prevent insect destruction. Organic farms are required to use crop rotation, weed burning or cover crops to prevent weeds, and the use of animal manure for fertilizer.

Not only is the material itself a problem, and the what it takes to create it, but the dyes used on cotton to make fabric is another concern. Toxins in the dyes effect skin, other organs and the bodies systems. Individuals who suffer from skin problems such as eczema, are especially benefited as they are even more prone to skin problems due to chemicals and dyes. Babies are also a concern as their skin is thinner than an adults and harmful chemicals are more readily absorb into their bodies. As their bodies are smaller and their systems are still growing, the effect of harmful chemicals and toxins even more of a threat for them.

There used to be much more limited variety of colors to choose from when buying organic clothing and that was a draw back to those who are more fashion conscious. Today, there is a large selection of both colors and styles to choose from, making organic clothing more environmentally friendly, safer for the body and more appealing. Another benefit is the deepening of color as the clothes are washed. Unlike cotton colored with chemical dyes, organic dyes do not fade as you wash them, but instead deepen in color, increasing the quality of color as the items is worn. Some people, although they eat organic, find purchasing organic clothing inconvenient and more time consuming. Public demand has a large impact on the availability of products both produced and sold. Stores that have had their organic products fly off the shelf, want to continue to supply those demands. Ultimately the people will decide what is made by their choices as they shop. Choose organic and more organic will be produced, helping the environment as well as your own health.