The fabric guide

Know what touches your skin all day.

Every fiber, scored from 0 (high concern) to 100 (clean) on what it means for your health.

Hemp fabric
Natural94

Hemp

a durable plant fiber grown with little water and no need for pesticides.

Linen fabric
Natural94

Linen

flax that breathes, runs cool, and softens with every wash.

Organic Cotton fabric
Natural92

Organic Cotton

grown without synthetic pesticides, a soft, breathable everyday plant fiber.

Silk fabric
Natural92

Silk

a natural protein fiber that breathes and regulates temperature on its own.

Alpaca fabric
Natural92

Alpaca

no lanolin and a smooth surface, often gentler on skin than sheep wool.

Ramie fabric
Natural90

Ramie

a strong, linen-like plant fiber that breathes and resists mildew.

Cashmere fabric
Natural90

Cashmere

soft goat down that insulates without the plastic of acrylic knits.

Merino Wool fabric
Natural90

Merino Wool

fine enough to feel soft, regulates temperature without synthetic finishes.

Tencel Lyocell fabric
Semi-synthetic88

Tencel Lyocell

a clean fiber regenerated from wood in a closed loop that reuses its solvent.

SaXcell fabric
Semi-synthetic88

SaXcell

lyocell spun from worn-out cotton instead of fresh wood, in the same closed loop.

Cotton fabric
Natural84

Cotton

the soft everyday plant fiber, but conventionally grown with heavy pesticides.

LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fabric
Semi-synthetic80

LENZING™ ECOVERO™

a certified, traceable viscose made with far lower emissions than the generic kind.

Mohair fabric
Natural78

Mohair

a warm, glossy goat fiber; check for animal welfare and no harsh anti-shrink finish.

Wool fabric
Natural76

Wool

a natural animal fiber that insulates and resists odor; favor untreated.

Modal fabric
Semi-synthetic70

Modal

a soft wood-based fiber; clean when it's certified lenzing modal, murky when it isn't.

Cupro fabric
Semi-synthetic70

Cupro

a silky fiber regenerated from leftover cotton fuzz; its cleanliness rides on the maker.

Acetate fabric
Semi-synthetic66

Acetate

wood pulp reworked with harsh chemistry into a silky fiber, more processed than lyocell.

Rayon (Viscose) fabric
Semi-synthetic64

Rayon (Viscose)

the umbrella name for wood dissolved and re-spun, viscose included; the factory decides how clean it is.

Bamboo fabric
Semi-synthetic64

Bamboo

almost always generic viscose in disguise; the plant is clean, the processing isn't.

Leather fabric
Natural60

Leather

animal hide usually tanned with chromium; look for chrome-free or veg-tanned.

Elastane fabric
Synthetic37

Elastane

the stretch plastic blended into almost everything, identical to spandex.

Nylon fabric
Synthetic36

Nylon

an oil-based plastic fiber that traps heat and sheds microplastics in the wash.

Polyester fabric
Synthetic30

Polyester

plastic thread, the same resin as water bottles, that sheds microfibers as you wear it.

Acrylic fabric
Synthetic28

Acrylic

a plastic knit made from acrylonitrile; it pills fast and sheds microplastics.

Polyurethane fabric
Synthetic28

Polyurethane

a plastic film or coating, the faux-leather layer laminated onto fabric.

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 and Pexels.