2 Big Reasons Why We Use Natural Fibers Instead of Synthetic Textiles

We took our time to carefully select our textiles to find the perfect balance of using the best natural fibers available and making functional items. These efforts came from a motivation that stuck in me long time ago, when I was doing my masters degree in Environmental Engineering at University of Calgary. At the time, I was able to learn in detail about soil contamination and how companies and businesses are constantly creating an irreversible, negative impact in our world, specially the energy and the textile sectors. After 12 years of learning about that, I am finally able to explain the reasons that motivated me to design and develop our unique pieces made of natural fibers instead of using synthetic fabrics

Natural fibers are biodegradable. On the other hand, synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon can decompose between 20 and 200 years. Crazy fact is that these fabrics are actually disintegrating at a very slow rate and this is what causes all the trouble.

These fabrics usually end up in a landfill or in a dump. There, rain and heat from the sun cause the disintegration of garbage. When this happens, microparticles are constantly being released and carried along with the rain. This liquid (rain + all types of microparticles) is called leachate. The soil in this area receives the leachate and it goes all the way down to the groundwater. Groundwater is constantly flowing and it will carry this toxic liquid along in its flow, making its way to a bigger water body, like a river or the ocean. Air is also affected by the evaporation of microparticles on these contaminated bodies. So, if you thought that this impacted only the soil, now you know that this is just the beginning of a distressing cycle in our nature that affects our soil, groundwater, rivers, ocean and air.

Our skin is the biggest organ we have. It is constantly absorbing everything that we put on it. Creams, make up, and the textiles that we are in contact with. We have to be very careful with what we put on it, specially with what we wear when we are doing an activity that involves sweating.
High performance textiles are mainly used in the sports clothing. They carry nanoparticles that contain heavy metals and carcinogenic components that are injected in the textile to perform a functional task, like for example sweat wicking or sun protection. Once these components are in contact with our skin, they will be absorbed by our skin and then they will travel through our blood and will attach to an organ, depending of the type of component. That’s why tumors and cancer are increasing in the last decades, because we are eating, breathing and wearing items that contain these components. The textile industry and companies are using these textiles without informing the public of how they are made or what do they have inside.
Natural fibers are our best choice. Pima cotton and alpaca fibers are hypoallergenic, which means that they won’t irritate even the most sensitive skin. That is why Pima cotton is used on luxury babies’ clothes or luxury clothing brands. They biodegrade in 1 to 5 months, giving back to our Mother Earth the nutrients it needs in a normal and healthy cycle.
I can talk all day about these amazing, natural fibers because I have a special passion for them… not only because of the benefits for our health and environment but for so many reasons that I will explain in my next posts on this blog 😊.

With love,

Cynthia