Aster & Oak
Why Organic Cotton?
Is Organic Cotton Clothing Better For Your Baby?
Clothing your little ones in standard cotton may seem like the natural choice but are you surprised to hear that it isn’t necessarily the safest one? During the production of non-organic cotton, lots of harsh chemicals and pesticides are sprayed onto the cotton plants. These chemicals have been directly linked to cancer, neurological impairment and reproductive problems. By opting for organic cotton, you’re protecting your baby from exposure to these harmful chemicals + making a socially responsible decision to care for our environment, which after-all, is for the benefit of the future of our little ones. So is organic cotton clothing better for your baby? It’s by far the safest option and there are so many benefits to clothing our children in organic cotton, some of them more widely known than others. Let’s take a peek at some of the benefits!
GOTS Certified?
Whats the big deal with GOTS certified organic cotton? The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the name of the governing body that oversees the certification criteria of organic cotton right around the world. Certification is critical in ensuring companies comply with the criteria necessary to have their products classified as truly organic. When purchasing organic, it’s important that you ensure products are certified because unfortunately any company can lay false and misleading claims to an organic product otherwise.
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Certified farmers understand that healthy cotton promotes healthy living. They start with a clean slate, ridding their farms of all harmful substances before they start growing organic crops. Farms must be free from pesticides for three years before farming of organic cotton can commence. From the moment the seeds are sewn into the soil, right through to the finished product on the shop floor (or website in our case!) every process is a natural one.
Chemical Free
Certified Organic cotton is grown without the use of harmful pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers whereas conventional cotton-growing techniques rely heavily on these nasties to control the quality of the soil. Ordinarily cotton is processed using dyes, bleach and a host of other unhealthy chemicals that have been attributed to allergies, eczema and even cancer. Organic cotton, on the other hand, is free from all artificial additives as well as free from formaldehyde which has been classified as a cancer-causing agent by the International Institute for Research on Cancer.
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Did you know that globally cotton covers 2.5% of the world’s cultivated land, yet it uses 16%-25% of the world’s insecticides, more than any other single major crop? And five of the top nine pesticides used on conventional cotton in the US alone, are known to be cancer causing chemicals? These are just a couple of the many statistics that are now widely available to demonstrate the harmful effects of conventional cotton.
Safe and Gentle
Babies have incredibly sensitive skin that is more porous and absorbent than adult skin. Similarly to the way parents carefully consider the type of shampoo or body wash to use on their baby, the textiles in clothing should also be considered because it comes into such close contact with a baby’s skin. When wearing conventional cotton, nylons or polyester, your baby spends 24 hours a day in clothing laced with chemicals. These chemicals are designed to remain in the textiles for life and even after washing it’s been scientifically proven they retain these chemicals for the entire lifespan of the garment.
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Because organic cotton is pure and isn’t treated with anti-static, anti-wrinkle pesticides and all the other toxic chemicals that ordinarily goes into making fabric, it’s highly absorbent and breathes beautifully. Babies and children with allergies, eczema or sensitivities to chemicals especially benefit from organic cotton.
Additional Benefits
Organic cotton is highly durable which means organic garments represent real value. Not only will they last longer and can be passed down to other children, but you’ll also save money as well as the environment in the long run. Because the fibres haven’t been deconstructed as chemicals are added, organic cotton doesn’t pill easily or trap odours as much as conventional cotton.
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Certified organic cotton feels simply luxurious! It’s dramatically softer than conventional cotton because it hasn’t been assaulted with chemicals and pesticides and is grown and manufactured in as natural a state as possible. All-in-all, organic cotton is the superior choice in material to protect your baby’s health and make sure they are always comfortable. A softer material, no chemicals and no skin irritation all add up to one happy, healthy, thriving baby + it doesn’t leave any harmful side effects on the environment.
