The fabric guide

Know what touches your skin all day.

Every fiber, scored from 0 (clean) to 100 (high concern) on what it means for your health. The fiber is rarely the whole story. The dyes and finishes are.

SafestModerateAvoid
Hemp fabric
Natural8

Hemp

Hemp is a bast fiber from the stalk of the Cannabis sativa plant.

Linen fabric
Natural10

Linen

Linen is a bast fiber spun from the stalk of the flax plant.

Organic Cotton fabric
Natural10

Organic Cotton

Organic cotton is the same seed-hair fiber as conventional cotton.

Tencel Lyocell fabric
Semi-synthetic12

Tencel Lyocell

Tencel Lyocell is a regenerated cellulosic fiber.

SaXcell fabric
Semi-synthetic12

SaXcell

SaXcell is a regenerated cellulosic fiber made from chemically recycled.

Ramie fabric
Natural14

Ramie

Ramie is a bast fiber from the stalk of a nettle-family plant.

Silk fabric
Natural15

Silk

Silk is a continuous protein filament reeled from the cocoon of the Bombyx mori silkworm.

Alpaca fabric
Natural16

Alpaca

Alpaca fiber is shorn from the alpaca.

Cashmere fabric
Natural16

Cashmere

Cashmere is the soft downy undercoat combed or shorn from cashmere goats.

LENZING ECOVERO fabric
Semi-synthetic18

LENZING ECOVERO

LENZING ECOVERO is a branded viscose, still made by the traditional viscose.

Merino Wool fabric
Natural18

Merino Wool

Merino wool is shorn from merino sheep bred for exceptionally fine fleece.

Modal fabric
Semi-synthetic20

Modal

Modal is a second-generation regenerated cellulosic.

Mohair fabric
Natural20

Mohair

Mohair is shorn from the Angora goat and then scoured; it spans roughly 25 to.

Viscose fabric
Semi-synthetic22

Viscose

Viscose is a semi-synthetic fiber made by chemically dissolving wood pulp.

Rayon fabric
Semi-synthetic22

Rayon

Rayon is simply the generic name for regenerated cellulose fiber.

Bamboo fabric
Semi-synthetic22

Bamboo

Bamboo sold as soft clothing is almost never natural bamboo fiber; it is bamboo viscose.

Cupro fabric
Semi-synthetic24

Cupro

Cupro, also sold as Bemberg, is a regenerated cellulosic made from cotton.

Wool fabric
Natural24

Wool

Generic wool is shorn from sheep, scoured to remove grease and dirt, and.

Cotton fabric
Natural30

Cotton

Cotton is a natural plant fiber harvested from the cotton boll.

Acetate fabric
Semi-synthetic32

Acetate

Acetate is a chemically modified cellulosic: wood pulp is reacted with acetic.

Spandex fabric
Synthetic60

Spandex

Spandex is a synthetic polyurethane-based elastic fiber spun from segmented polymer chains.

Elastane fabric
Synthetic60

Elastane

Elastane is the same fiber as spandex; the names are interchangeable.

Leather fabric
Natural65

Leather

Most commercial leather is animal hide preserved by chrome tanning.

Nylon fabric
Synthetic68

Nylon

Nylon is a synthetic polyamide made by polymerizing petroleum-derived.

Polyester fabric
Synthetic70

Polyester

Polyester is PET plastic spun into fiber.

Acrylic fabric
Synthetic74

Acrylic

Acrylic is a synthetic fiber polymerized mostly from acrylonitrile.

Polyurethane fabric
Synthetic75

Polyurethane

Polyurethane is a plastic coating or film.

Scores reflect wearer health only and mirror the Toxome app. Each fiber page lists its sources. This guide is educational and is not medical advice. Fabric imagery via Unsplash.