Methodology
How we score.
Every garment on Toxome carries one number, from 0 to 100. Lower is better. It answers one question: what is this piece doing to your body? We build it the same way for every brand, whether or not they ask us to.
The principle
The number is about your body.
A piece of clothing can harm the planet, the people who made it, and the person who wears it. Those are three separate questions, and the Toxome score answers the last one. Microplastic pollution, water use, and labor conditions matter, and we report on them, but they never move the number. The number is about your body, so it stays about your body.
What we measure
The five things the score tracks.
Microplastic load
Synthetic fibers shed plastic that ends up inside you. Researchers have found microplastics in nearly 60% of artery plaques.
Hormone safety
Endocrine disruptors carried by synthetics and their processing: antimony, BPA in recycled polyester, phthalates in prints and coatings.
Chemical finishes
What gets sprayed or bonded onto the fabric: PFAS for water and stain resistance, formaldehyde for wrinkle-free, flame retardants, antimicrobial treatments.
Dye & colorant safety
Azo dyes that can release carcinogenic amines, disperse dyes that trigger allergies, and heavy metals like chromium and lead.
Skin & breathability
Fabrics that trap heat and moisture against the skin, disrupting the microbiome and provoking irritation.
The first three are body burden: they get into you. The last two are skin contact: they touch you.
How it works
How the number is built.
01
The fiber sets the baseline
Organic cotton starts low. Recycled polyester starts high. What your clothes are made of does most of the work.
02
Treatments add risk
A water-resistant finish or a synthetic dye raises the score, because each one puts something real against your skin.
03
Certifications earn it back
Credible marks like OEKO-TEX and GOTS bring the score down, because they prove the risk was tested for and limited.
04
A red flag caps it
If a banned or carcinogenic chemical is confirmed in the garment, the score is held in the high band, whatever else is going on.
A composition label alone gives a real, defensible score. The more we know, a care label, the product page, a certificate, the sharper it gets.
The firewall
Can a brand pay for a better score? No.
This is the line that makes the score worth trusting. Disclosure and verification buy a brand accuracy, never points. The math is identical for every brand, and a verified score can go down as easily as up. The methodology is public, on this page. A brand can show us exactly what is in its clothes and have the score reflect it. It can never buy a better number.
Verification
The verification ladder.
When a brand stays quiet about its dyes, finishes, or treatments, the score fills the gap with conservative, category-based estimates. That estimate reflects the genuine risk of an unknown, not a penalty for staying quiet. A brand can move off it two ways: tell us the truth, or prove it. Both are free.
Unverified
An algorithmic score built from the fibers, plus conservative estimates for anything a brand hasn't disclosed. Where most clothing sits today.
Brand-disclosed
The brand submits its composition, finishes, dye class, and certifications. Estimates get replaced by facts, and the score can move up or down.
Verified documents
The brand sends OEKO-TEX, GOTS, or lab reports, and we check them. The score moves up or down on real evidence.
Every rung changes how sure we are. None of them changes which way the score is allowed to move.
