Bamboo

Bamboo sold as soft clothing is almost never natural bamboo fiber; it is bamboo viscose, meaning bamboo pulp chemically dissolved in carbon disulfide and regenerated into rayon, the exact same process and chemistry as ordinary viscose.

Do not let the eco and natural marketing fool you. The FTC has fined retailers including Kohl's and Walmart, and warned dozens more, for labeling rayon as bamboo and claiming false environmental benefits, because the rayon process uses toxic chemicals and emits hazardous pollutants. By law it must be called rayon (or viscose) made from bamboo. For your health the story is identical to viscose: carbon disulfide is the worker hazard, and residual processing chemicals, dyes, and any formaldehyde finishes can leave residue that irritates skin or triggers contact dermatitis. The plant itself adds no special skin benefit once it is dissolved into rayon.

Be skeptical of any bamboo claim and read the fiber content; if it says rayon or viscose, treat it as viscose, and choose closed-loop bamboo lyocell or OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified fabric instead.

Bamboo grows fast with little input, but converting it to viscose chemically erases most of that environmental advantage.