Every Day is Earth Day at Ohganix!

Made out of the finest organic and natural fabrics, our sustainable garments nurture the environment and contribute to the greater health of those who wear them.  Here are some of the many ways Ohganix gives tribute to Earth Day every day and contributes to the well-being of our environment in every way we can!

Eco Foot Print – Made in America - Handcrafted: We maintain a very minimal Eco Footprint by sourcing all of our materials from the U.S.A.  In fact, we source our fabric where it is made domestically in Los Angeles, CA.  Los Angeles is also where our garments are handmade.

Organic – Pure – Natural: Our garments are made out of the purest natural and organic fabrics such as Organic Cotton, Tencel (made from Eucalyptus Tree), Modal (made from Beech Wood Tree), and Hemp (made from the plant of the species cannabis sativa). These fibers are sustainable and are naturally grown in an environment without the use of harmful pesticides or herbicides.

Cruelty Free – Vegan: Our products are free of animal byproducts and by using naturally grown fibers without the use of harmful chemicals, our products do not harm insects and animals.

Every year in April we celebrate an environmental movement called Earth Day.  We are happy to see a growing environmental awareness within our local community and the nation at large and encourage everybody to do their part to be mindful of what you can do to make our planet a better place on Earth Day and every day.

Every Day is Earth Day at Ohganix

Please think twice before purchasing flame retardant clothing.  Fire retardant chemical (brominated Tris) has been added to children’s clothing fabrics since 1971 when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ruled that children’s sleepwear must be self-extinguishing when exposed to heat or flames.  Brominated Tris has since been tested and discovered to be a human carcinogen (cancer causing).  It was found that children were absorbing these chemicals through their skin.

After brominated Tris was removed from children’s clothing in 1977 as a health hazard, this chemical is now being used in upholstered furniture foam, as well as in baby carriers and bassinets.  Please make sure you do your research on flame retardant wares and their direct affect on your health before you purchase these types of items.

Reference:
Dr. Brian Clement and Anna Maria Clement
“Killer Clothes”

Are Flame Retardants in Your Clothes or Housewares?

Milk Fabric?

Think twice before you throw away your spoiled milk!  Rather than stinking up your trash can, that milk could become a t-shirt!

Milk fabric has been around since the 1930’s but a new chemically free process has been developed by a biochemist / fashion designer, Anke Domaske, to turn these milk fibers into fashion. This German based company, QMilch, has developed a fabric that is completely made from wasted milk. The fabric is soft, sustainable and non-allergenic.

Back in the 1930’s, “Aralac” fabric was a synthetic wool made from dairy cheese.  In World War II when wool became scarce, a process was developed to turn the casein protein in milk to behave like wool protein.  The process was done by mixing acid with skim milk to extract the casein protein where it was then evaporated to crystals, pulverized, and dissolved into a molasses consistency. Then it was forced through spinnerets similar to macaroni and into a hardening chemical bath where it was cut into the necessary fiber length.  Although casein is not exactly cheese, it is the protein that turns that milk into cheese by clumping it and solidifying it together.  Hence, Aralac was a cloth made from cheese.

The process to make the QMilch yarn is similar to the way Aralac was made by using the milk protein, however the process is very unique by not having to use chemicals to break the protein down and extract the fibers.  The process to make QMilch fabric is a pretty simple method.  Milk is fermented and turned into a powder.  After the milk is powdered it is then heated and mixed with other natural ingredients, turning it into yarn.

Seeing that every year, millions of tons of spoiled milk are discarded, producing this fabric is a great alternative to throwing it in the trash!  Although, don’t expect to see milk-made clothing on your department store racks anytime soon as this fabric is still quite costly; coming in around $30 per kilo to produce, compared to $3.8 kilo for cotton yarn.  The cost may be surprising seeing it only takes two liters of water to produce, whereas it takes 20,000 liters of water to produce cotton.

Food for thought…

References:
By: Juliet Mann, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/05/world/europe/qmilch-milk-sustainable-fashion

Maggie Koerth-Baker

http://boingboing.net/2012/10/28/aralac-the-wool-made-from.html

~and photo credit

Fabric Made from Milk?

Buying organic clothing is much better for your health and the health of your loved ones.  In addition to receiving immediate benefit by reducing your exposure to toxins, you also reduce the exposure for future generations.

Your health is important. So is the health of your loved ones and the health of future generations. When you wear organic clothing it helps protect you and your loved ones against the harmful chemicals used to create the clothing products.  Whether the clothing is cotton or a man-made fiber, if it isn’t certified organic (or made from a fiber that has been grown naturally in the forest) you can bet that chemicals were used in the process.

When chemicals are used to grow cotton crops or make polyester or poly blend clothing those chemical inevitably end up in our soil, air and water. Runoff and off gasses cause tremendous damage to the environment.

Each organic fiber-clothing item you buy for your family eliminates the use of approximately 150 grams of the agricultural chemicals used on non-organic cotton.  These chemicals include: pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, fungicides, chemical dyes, chemicals used to treat the clothing like formaldehyde and ammonia.

..Experts estimate that for every pair of cotton jeans and t-shirt produced, one pound of pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used.

When you choose to buy organic clothing you’re drastically reducing the amount of toxins in the environment.
Reference: The Benefits of Organic Clothing
By: April Harmon

Benefits of Organic Clothing

Organic Clothing is a huge step toward preventing death from pesticide poisoning.  According to the Pesticide Action Network of America, PANNA, the World Health Organization estimates that pesticides poison at least three million people every year.  200,000 of those people die as a result of pesticide poisoning.

Reference: The Benefits of Organic Clothing
By: April Harmon

Pesticide Poisoning from Clothing

The majority of synthetic fabrics, including polyester and nylon, are made from products derived from petroleum.  Like all petroleum-based products, clothing made from these fibers releases toxic fumes through a process known as off-gassing.   You breathe them in on a daily basis.  When you buy organic clothing fewer chemicals are released into the atmosphere.  Fewer chemicals and toxic fumes end up in your lungs.

According to the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia, these fumes contribute to allergies, chemical sensitivities, cancers and other illnesses, particularly in young children.

Referenced from:
The Benefits of Organic Clothing

By:
April Harmon

Petrochemicals in Your Clothing

Ammonia, petroleum products and even heavy metals are used during the clothing creation process. Heavy metals have been shown to cause cancer, nerve damage and death. When non-organic clothing is treated with these chemicals they end up in your ground water, air and soil. They also end up on your skin.
Organic clothing reduces your exposure to these chemicals.

Reference: The Benefits of Organic Clothing

By: April Harmon

Ammonia, Petroleum, Heavy Metals, in Your Clothing?

Many items of cotton clothing are treated with formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is used to help make owning your clothing easier. It helps prevent significant wrinkling and helps extend the life of the clothing. (It’s the same reason they use it for embalming. The tissue lasts longer.) However, formaldehyde is classified as a probable human carcinogen. Wearing non organic clothing then exposes you to a probable cause of cancer.

Wearing organic clothing will help to limit your exposure to these carcinogens.

Reference: The Benefits of Organic Clothing
By: April Harmon

Formaldehyde in your clothes?

Why wear organic cotton clothing?

Did you know that more than 25% of all pesticides used in the world are involved with the growth of cotton? Annually, it equals about 50 million pounds of chemicals each year!

Pesticides, insecticides and chemical fertilizers have been shown to cause cancer, immune dysfunction, neurological disorders, allergies, and much more.

If you are going to wear cotton, choose apparel made with organic cotton fibers free from these unnecessary and unhealthy chemicals!

Clothing Facts – Why Wear Organic Cotton Clothing?

Do Bras Cause Breast Cancer?

If you are a women you most likely wear a bra… but why? The brassiere was originally created as a fashion trend. There are some discrepancies as to when the first bra was created; however, whether it dates back to 2,500 BC or the 1800s, the bra was created as a functional fashion to help flatter a women’s figure. This fashion soon became the norm and now all women in practically every culture in the world wear a bra under every garment for every occasion.

Bras may help a women’s physical appearance but have you stopped to consider that there may be health implications associated with wearing one? Women’s body’s contain a large network of lymph glands surrounding the breasts. The job of the lymph system is to drain waste products from the body. This waste contains cancer cells which are naturally occurring in every person’s body. Our bodies however have natural defenses to fight these cancerous cells and prevent them from turning into a damaging disease. One of the most natural ways to aid our body in eliminating harmful cells and waste is through exercise and natural movement.

Women’s breasts are meant to move naturally with the up and down motion of the body. This natural movement supports the lymph glands to actively eliminate harmful cells and waste within the system. When the breast tissue is confined and restricted, as such when wearing a bra, the toxins are not able to transport and purge from the body.

Our lymph system contributes to the overall health of our immune system. It is responsible for the movement of blood to your lungs, kidneys, and liver for filtering, cleansing, and regeneration. Without the proper disposal of toxic waste in our systems, the body’s tissues gradually degenerate. Degeneration causes cell division, which has a ability to create an accumulation of harmful cells that can develop into a benign or cancerous tumor.

Even after knowing this factual information on the harmful effects of confining the breasts, I don’t assume women all around the world are going to be burning their bras quite yet. So until a bra free society is more mainstream, it is important to wear a bra that supports the natural movement of the women’s breasts. Refrain from wearing bras that are too small, bras with underwires, tight sports bras, etc. as much as possible. One of the largest areas of lymph nodes in the breast area is located under the armpit and upper area of the chest. If your bra or bra straps is/are too tight, it constricts the drainage from the lymph nodes in your armpit and upper breastbone area. If your bra leaves you with red marks or discomfort, you should refrain from wearing it and get a looser fitting bra as soon as possible.

This article is not proclaiming that bras are the cause of cancer, however, there have been multiple studies following the effects of tight fitting bras and their drainage limitation of the lymph. To assist your body and to aid the lymphatic system in its natural detoxification process, it is important to choose lifestyle choices that will support the bodies natural healing ability: Where a loose fitting bra whenever possible and where clothes that are not restrictive and fit comfortably. Eat a clean diet (organic whenever possible, and refrain from toxins in your environment and on your skin. Wear clothing that allows your skin to breath naturally and refrain from wearing synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon as much as possible. Also try to exercise on a daily basis to activate the lymphatic and immune system. These recommendations complimented by proper rest and recovery will aid the body and support your lymphatic system in proper toxin and waste elimination.

References:

http://cancerdefeated.com/newsletters/Can-a-Bra-Cause-Breast-Cancer.html

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/breast-cancer/about/the-breasts-and-lymphatic-system

Health Implications of Wearing a Bra