natural fiber wool clothing

Wool is a natural animal fiber, free of the plastics in acrylic and polyester knits. The real concern is the treatment: a superwash finish leaves a thin plastic coating and chlorine traces, and some wool is moth-proofed with permethrin, a pesticide. Choose untreated wool with OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and the Responsible Wool Standard, which also bans mulesing. Toxome scores each piece by its fiber content.

No. A 2017 dermatology review found wool is not a true allergen. The itch most people blame on an allergy is prickle, stiff fibers physically poking the tiny nerves in your skin. Finer, untreated wool feels soft and is well tolerated, even on sensitive skin.

Superwash is a chlorine bath that wears down the fiber's surface scales, followed by a thin plastic resin coating, so the wool can be machine washed without felting. It leaves chlorine traces and a plastic film against your skin. Untreated, non-superwash wool skips both.

Fiber content is what touches the skin. Toxome reads each garment's composition and rates it, so the score reflects what the clothing is made of, not a brand's marketing.