Yes, OEKO-TEX is legit; it independently tests textiles for 100+ harmful chemicals. It’s globally recognized, lab-driven, and updated annually.
While not a sustainability label, it confirms the product you are buying is safe to wear and free of toxic levels of substances like PFAS, formaldehyde, and BPA.
It’s one of the few ways consumers can verify if a garment is truly safe from harmful levels of chemicals. Vibrant Body Company takes it further by combining OEKO-TEX Standard 100 with its own Certified Clean approach, especially for the clothing that touches your most sensitive skin.
If you’re wondering which certifications actually matter, and how to avoid being misled, keep reading, we break it down clearly.
Key Points
- OEKO-TEX® is a globally recognized certification that independently tests textiles for over 1,000 harmful chemicals. It ensures products are safe from harmful levels of toxic substances like PFAS, formaldehyde, and BPA, but it doesn’t cover sustainability or ethics.
- Vibrant Body Company goes beyond OEKO-TEX® with its Certified Clean standard. Every fabric, thread, and elastic is screened for toxins, because intimate apparel deserves more than basic safety.
- If it’s touching your skin for 6 to 16 hours a day, it needs to be clean. That’s why Vibrant’s First Layer essentials, bras, underwear, and leggings, are engineered to protect your health.
OEKO-TEX Explained: What the Tag On Your Clothes Really Means
OEKO-TEX® is a globally recognized certification system that answers one simple question: Is this fabric safe to touch your skin, every day, for hours at a time?
The most well-known of its certifications, STANDARD 100, tests every component of a textile product (and I mean every component: thread, stitching, buttons, dyes, coatings) for over 1,000 harmful chemicals.
But OEKO-TEX® is more than just one label. There’s:
- STANDARD 100 – The gold standard for textile safety.
- Made in Green – A traceable label that also accounts for sustainable and socially responsible production.
- Eco Passport – Verifies the chemical safety of substances used during manufacturing.
- STeP – Focuses on environmentally friendly and socially responsible production facilities.
OEKO-TEX® isn’t here to sell you a feel-good idea of sustainability. It’s here to protect your body from toxins you can't see or smell, but that your skin can absorb.
It’s also voluntary. The government does not force brands to do this. It’s a conscious choice.
Even better? Testing is conducted by independent labs in over 17 countries, all working under unified standards. So whether your garment was made in Germany or Vietnam, you’re getting the same level of scrutiny.
What It Means For Your Clothing
Many think “clean” clothes means washing them before wearing. Then, we learn about what’s lurking inside the fabric.
OEKO-TEX® certification means harmful substances aren’t in your clothes to begin with. And this is crucial: the testing doesn’t stop at the main fabric. Every fiber, every seam, every dye is assessed. No shortcuts. No loopholes.
That kind of thoroughness matters most in the garments you wear closest to your body, underwear, bras, leggings, baby clothes, and activewear. Especially when you factor in heat, friction, and sweat, things that increase your skin’s absorption rate.
You can’t see toxins leaching into your body. But that doesn’t mean they’re not getting in.
That’s why OEKO-TEX® doesn’t just test for what’s “probably okay.” It’s designed to catch what’s known to harm human health. It's about long-term wear, daily exposure, and minimizing chemical absorption through your skin.
Why Brands Seek OEKO-TEX® Certification
There’s a lot of noise in the apparel world: “Clean,” “natural,” “green,” “eco”. These words have been abused by marketing departments for decades. Most of it? Greenwashing.
OEKO-TEX® cuts through that noise. It's not a marketing phrase. It's scientific proof. It says, We didn’t just say this was safe, we tested it, we proved it, and we’re willing to re-prove it every single year.
For brands like Vibrant Body Company, OEKO-TEX® isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s non-negotiable. If we’re going to build clothes that honor women’s health, we start with materials that don’t compromise it. And OEKO-TEX® helps us do exactly that.
More importantly, it helps you trust that what you’re putting on your skin each morning isn’t working against your body, but with it.
This isn’t about selling softness. It’s about delivering safety, transparency, and accountability, every stitch of the way.
Worried About OEKO-TEX? These Are The Questions Everyone’s Asking
I’ve spent the last decade building a company that’s obsessed with transparency, so I get it, you’ve got questions. And frankly, you should.
Let’s clear up some of the biggest concerns I hear from customers:
Some Brands Claim OEKO-TEX® But Don’t List A Certification Number.
That’s a red flag. Every legitimate OEKO-TEX® product comes with a certification number and testing institute code, like ours: 22.HUS.27734 Hohenstein HTTI.
You can verify it directly on OEKO-TEX®’s official site.
If a brand won’t show you the number? Walk away. Partial or misleading use of OEKO-TEX® is, unfortunately, a thing
Some brands only certify the raw fabric roll, not the finished product. That’s why full-garment certification matters.
Is It Still Valid If It’s Made In China?
Absolutely. OEKO-TEX® certification applies regardless of where the product is manufactured. The labs operate globally under uniform standards, whether the test is run in Zurich or Shenzhen.
The country of origin has zero impact on validity. What matters is whether the brand is doing the real work to certify the entire item.
Can Something Be OEKO-TEX® Certified But Still Contain PFAS?
OEKO-TEX® has been tightening its criteria in recent years. In 2024, they introduced total fluorine testing, which catches PFAS and other “forever chemicals” that earlier tests might have missed.
So yes, older certifications or low-level certifications could’ve missed certain PFAS traces, but if a brand uses current OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 testing (like we do), PFAS should not be present.
How Vibrant Body Company Takes OEKO-TEX Even Further
When I founded Vibrant Body Company, I wasn’t trying to slap a certification on a product and call it a day. I was trying to build the bra I wished existed, one that wouldn’t silently compromise a woman’s health.
That’s why OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 was our baseline, not our finish line. It’s the most stringent certification offered by OEKO-TEX®, designed to meet safety standards for baby skin.
And if it’s safe enough for the most vulnerable bodies, it should absolutely be the standard for adult women’s intimate wear.
We built Certified Clean because we knew we could go even further. It’s an additional layer of protection that screens for over 1,000 known or suspected toxins that can leach into your body through heat, sweat, and daily wear.
Some of the key chemicals we screen out include:
- PFAS – These “forever chemicals” are often used in stain- and water-resistant finishes. They’re linked to reproductive, hormonal, and immune system harm, and they’re shockingly common in mainstream performance fabrics.
- BPA – Known as an endocrine disruptor, BPA is still used in some synthetic textiles and garment resins. It has no business in the First Layer of clothing.
- Phthalates – Often used to make elastic bands soft and stretchy, but associated with hormone disruption, infertility, and cancer.
- Formaldehyde – Found in “wrinkle-free” and shrink-resistant finishes. It off-gasses into the air you breathe, and your skin can absorb it, too.
- Azo Dyes – Banned in the EU but still found in U.S. textiles, these colorants can break down into carcinogenic aromatic amines through skin contact and bacterial activity.
The Certified Clean approach is our way of ensuring you never have to wonder what's hiding in your clothing, because we’ve already checked.
We screen every thread, band, cup, and label, not just for what’s convenient, but for what’s critical.
And unlike most brands that rely on what’s legally “allowed,” we choose what’s biologically safe.
Why That Matters For First Layer Clothing
Your skin doesn’t stop at being skin.
It’s an organ. A sponge. A two-way membrane that absorbs what you put against it, especially under the conditions we live in: heat, sweat, friction, compression.
And where are those conditions most intense? Right where your bra, your underwear, and your leggings live.
Your First Layer is on you 6 to 16 hours a day. That’s not a minor exposure. That’s daily, direct, intimate contact, and if those materials aren’t clean, your body is paying the price for someone else’s corner-cutting.
This is why we don’t just make bras and briefs, we make body-safe wearables. Because your First Layer should be your first line of defense, not a hidden risk.
Clean From The First Layer: Our Top 3 Must-Haves
Comfort means nothing if it compromises your health. That’s why every product we make at Vibrant starts with one mission: to protect your body at the layer closest to your skin.
Here are three of our most-loved Certified Clean essentials, each one built with your safety (and sanity) in mind.
The EveryWear Bra
Built from the inside out with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified materials, this patented design prioritizes lymphatic flow, a critical but overlooked aspect of breast health.
The result? Support without restriction.
Comfort that doesn’t come with a chemical trade-off. And a fit that empowers your body, rather than reshaping it to fit someone else's standard.
Hikini Underwear
If you knew what was hiding in most underwear elastic, you’d never go near it again.
That’s why our Hikini is designed with Certified Clean fabrics, bands, and stitching, yes, even the gusset.
You won’t find flammability warnings or sketchy synthetics here. Just breathable, buttery-soft fabric that’s safe from phthalates, PFAS, and formaldehyde. It’s the kind of peace of mind that doesn’t ride up.
Endure Leggings (Sweat Smart Series)
Leggings are the unsung hero of modern life, but when they're loaded with toxic dyes or sweat-reactive synthetics, they become a silent risk.
Endure flips that script.
These leggings are engineered to stay safe under pressure. Built for movement, heat, and friction, they're OEKO-TEX® certified, Certified Clean, and safe from chemical residues that become more dangerous when you sweat.
Because the harder you work, the cleaner your gear should be.
If You’re Asking “Is OEKO-TEX Legit?”, You’re Already Ahead
You’re here because you’ve started asking the questions most people don’t even think to ask. You read labels. You see through greenwashing.
And if you’ve ever worn something that looked clean but left your skin irritated or your gut unsettled, you’re not alone.
After losing loved ones to cancer, I began asking what we’re really putting against our skin every day.
That search led me to the truth about conventional intimate apparel, and to founding Vibrant Body Company. Because if your bra, underwear, or leggings aren’t safe, it doesn’t matter what you wear over them.
If you're tired of guessing what’s safe, this is for you. You already audit your skincare and your pantry. Now it’s time to scrutinize your First Layer.
OEKO-TEX® is a great start. But we built Certified Clean to go even further, so you can finally wear your values, without compromise.
Ready To Stop Guessing?
🛒 Explore Certified Clean gear → Vibrant Body Company Collections
Because your First Layer should be your cleanest one. Always.
About The Author: Michael Drescher, Founder of Vibrant Body Company.
An unlikely messenger in women’s health, he’s speaking truths the industry has long buried beneath sleek silhouettes at the expense of women’s health. After losing loved ones to cancer, he uncovered the toxic reality of intimate apparel and set out to create a truly health-first alternative. Michael’s work challenges assumptions about who gets to lead wellness conversations, blending radical transparency with science-backed design. He started Vibrant Body Company to rewrite the standard, because comfort shouldn’t come with a chemical cost, and health should never be an afterthought.
