When Siya Gautam first showed up on my feed, she was throwing away all her polyester activewear. What a waste, I thought. Then the caption piqued my interest: “My very first investment in cleaning up my activewear with skin healthy fabrics.” The content creator picked Tencel Modal instead, which, she noted, is made from wood-based fibres and certified environmentally safe.
As a dancer, I’ve worn similar stretchy, sweat-proof clothes to my classes every day. Curious, I opened her page, and discovered a series of videos in which she routinely recommends non-toxic swaps for intimates, sleepwear and gymwear. Alarmed, I wondered, Were these everyday clothes causing unseen harm to my body?
Like Gautam, a growing corner of self-appointed investigators on social media is questioning chemicals in clothing and what they put on their bodies. Almost all of them highlight the endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) used in processing synthetic fabrics— petrochemical derivatives like polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex and elastane, commonly found in activewear, swimwear, innerwear, jackets, sweaters and blended fabrics—and are committed to making their wardrobes plastic free. It isn’t just fast fashion, they point out: those wool blend sweaters and starchy cotton skirts at the upper end of the market almost always have a touch too much acrylic, polyester or acetate mixed in. Consumers have begun to ask: does premium pricing align with material integrity, and are we really paying the price with our health?
The Endocrine Society, a leading organisation studying hormones, defines EDCs as chemicals from outside the body that interfere with how hormones work, often by imitating or blocking them. A 2020 report, ‘Plastics, EDCs & Health’, highlighted that plastics are a major concern because they contain many of these chemicals, which can leak into our bodies and the environment. In the 2026 documentary, The Plastic Detox, environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Shanna Swan explores a potential link between chemical additives in plastics and infertility.
For many, the first signs appear on the skin. Dr Kiran Sethi, a dermatologist and the medical head of Isya Aesthetics, frequently sees patients with mystery rashes on their thighs and waistbands. These can often stem from the chemicals used to dye, treat and finish textiles, she says—the kind that can be found on a new pair of performance leggings or a nonwrinkle shirt. “The skin’s primary defence is a brick-and-mortar structure of dead cells embedded in a lipid matrix,” she explains. “Many textile additives—such as wrinkle free resins, antimicrobial treatments and stain-resistant finishes—are fat soluble or have low molecular weight, allowing them to bypass this skin barrier under heat, sweat and friction.” While skin reactions are visible, EDCs’ interference with the body’s hormone system makes them more difficult to trace.
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