Text by Lisa Wagner
Summer, sunshine, skin health – while an SPF, a hat and avoiding the midday sun are well known factors to protect our skin from the summer sun, little do we know about the effect the clothes we wear during the warmer seasons have on our health. According to a study, there is a higher physical activity level in summer compared to other seasons, which means we tend to wear more active wear like bathing suits, outdoor clothes, sports bras and jerseys. Simultaneously, UV light, friction, sweat, infections, sores, pressure points and bruises expose an athlete’s skin to particular stress. Even the sweat glands are larger in athletes than in non-athletes1. But what is beneficial for temperature regulation, could become a risk in terms of chemical exposure.
„Especially those people who do sports for health reasons should not only think about the activity itself,“ says OEKO-TEX® Product Manager Dr. Julian Koschmieder, „but also about the health safety of their sportswear.“ In fact, about 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles. „They can be absorbed primarily through the skin, but also by inhalation in case of toxic chemicals that evaporate or through oral absorption, especially in babies,“ adds Julian, who holds a PhD in biology. „The negative effects on human health in general and on various organs can be extremely diverse. Chemicals can irritate the skin, have a negative impact on fertility, damage the nervous system or even increase the risk of cancer.“ Although studies are still quite sparse, it is proven that some skin and allergy patients often suffer from hidden contamination by heavy metals, plasticizers and other toxins2.
Fortunately, the legal framework is becoming more stringent. In Europe and the USA the laws on consumer goods are becoming particularly stricter in defining the chemicals allowed. What particular chemicals are forbidden, largely derives from toxicological data for humans and the environment. But despite limitations in Europe and bans in the USA, per- and polyfluoroakyl substances (PFAS) for example are still present. Certain PFAS are known to cause toxic effects by accumulating in people, animals and plants. „But many durable water repellents and water-repellent, breathable membranes are still PFAS-based today, even though there are more and more initiatives from manufacturers to switch to alternative,“ says Julian. „Bisphenols, phthalates, flame retardants and formaldehyde are also often found in synthetic fibers of active and performance wear,“ adds his colleague OEKO-TEX® Product Manager Fanny Racine. „Although they modify the properties of the textiles in a beneficial way, they have a significantly negative impact on human health and the environment.“
But not all chemicals are bad. For all sport enthusiasts to further profit from their benefits such as durable finishes and antimicrobial properties, OEKO-TEX® relies on latest scientific findings and sometimes enacts their standards to be even stricter than legal requirements: „In the interests of consumer protection we restrict limit values more stringent than statutory regulations when our independent toxicologists advise to do so,“ says Fanny. „But of course the stricter limit values need to be achieved with appropriate efforts by a manufacturer as well.“ Here not only consumer health is important, but workers health and the environmental impact too. And as people who wear active wear we can contribute to this by choosing certified products that exclude questionable chemicals – and promote healthier skin during our active fun in the sun.
1 Adler, Yael Dr. med. Hautnah, p. 89. Munich: Droemer, 2016.
2 Adler, Yael Dr. med. Hautnah, p. 302. Munich: Droemer, 2016.
