Many leggings contain PFAS, forever chemicals linked to hormone disruption, infertility, and cancer. These chemicals can't be washed out and are absorbed more during workouts.
Forever chemicals don’t belong in your workout clothes, especially in your leggings. Yet most major brands still rely on PFAS for stretch, water-resistance, and stain-proofing. These compounds don’t wash out and may enter your body through your skin, especially during sweat and movement.
Vibrant Body Company created a better path: Certified Clean essentials that prioritize your health without compromising performance.
In this article, we’ll break down what forever chemicals are, how to avoid them, and what to look for in your next pair of leggings, so you can move with peace of mind.
Key Points
- Many leggings contain toxic PFAS. These "forever chemicals" don’t wash out and are absorbed through your skin, especially during workouts, posing serious health risks like hormonal disruption and cancer.
- Clean leggings require smarter choices. Marketing labels can mislead; look for third-party certifications like OEKO-TEX® and avoid finishes like “stain-resistant” or “odor-repelling,” which signal chemical treatments.
- Vibrant Body’s leggings are Certified Clean. Endure Leggings eliminate toxic levels of materials, support lymphatic flow, and perform beautifully, with breathable, durable and comfortable fabric designed for real movement and real health.
Forever Chemicals In Your Leggings? Here’s What You Need To Know
Photo Source -> UCSF
Many leggings on the market, yes, even the expensive ones, are soaked in chemicals that were never meant to touch your skin.
They’re called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), better known as “forever chemicals.” Why? Because they don’t break down, not in the environment, and not in your body.
Brands use PFAS to make leggings stretchy, sweat-wicking, stain-resistant, and “performance-ready.” Sounds useful, right? That’s the illusion. These chemicals are embedded deep into the fibers, helping your leggings repel moisture and odor, but putting your health at risk.
You can’t wash PFAS out. They’re molecularly bonded, built to last through hundreds of wears.
But every time you move, heat up, and sweat, your skin absorbs more of them. That’s called transdermal toxicity. And it’s happening invisibly, right where your leggings sit the tightest.
The Real Health Risks Of Wearing Toxic Leggings
- Hormonal disruption – These are endocrine disruptors. They mimic or block your body’s natural hormones, throwing off delicate balances that govern metabolism, mood, and reproductive function.
- Cancer risk – Studies have associated PFAS with an increased risk of breast, kidney, and testicular cancers. For me, after losing loved ones to cancer, this hits deep.
- Reproductive harm – PFAS exposure is linked to infertility, low birth weight, and developmental delays in children.
- Immune system suppression – PFAS may weaken your immune response, making you more vulnerable to illness and infection.
- Skin irritation & allergic reactions – That mystery rash from your “eco” leggings? It could be the chemical cocktail they’re treated with. Many synthetic blends are laced with formaldehyde, phthalates, or azo dyes banned in other countries.
Now imagine all that sitting against your groin, hips, and thighs, some of the most absorbent parts of your body. That’s where most leggings hug tight.
And that’s exactly why I created Vibrant Body Company. Because you deserve better than “good enough.” You deserve activewear that performs without poisoning you.
How To Avoid Leggings With Forever Chemicals
The apparel industry isn’t built to protect your health. It’s built to protect margins. That’s why even well-meaning shoppers end up in leggings that look clean but are quietly soaked in toxic treatments.
If you want leggings that don’t come with a chemical price tag, you have to shop differently, more deliberately, more critically. Here's how I do it, and how you can too.
Your Checklist for Truly Clean Leggings:
✅ Look For Third-Party Certifications Like OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Or GOTS
OEKO-TEX®, in particular, tests every fiber, dye, and thread for over 100 harmful substances, including PFAS, formaldehyde, and heavy metals.
If it's safe enough for babies, it's safe enough for your skin.
✅ Avoid Leggings Made From Recycled Polyester Or rPET
I know, it sounds sustainable. But recycled plastic (often from water bottles) can still carry over BPA and phthalates. These endocrine disruptors don’t magically disappear in the recycling process.
Sustainability should never come at the cost of your health.
✅ Watch For Red-Flag Finishes Like “Stain-Resistant,” “Odor-Repelling,” Or “Sweat-Proof”
These are the telltale signs of PFAS-treated fabrics. If a brand brags about how little your leggings absorb, it likely means you will instead.
✅ Don't Fall For “Natural” Or “Plant-Based” Claims Without Context
A bamboo legging can still go through a toxic rayon process. A “plant-based” polyamide is still a synthetic if it’s chemically treated and dyed. Ask the brand: What processing did this go through? What’s in your dye?
✅ Read Customer Reviews For More Than Just Fit
Does the fabric smell like chemicals out of the bag? Do people mention skin irritation or itchiness? Is it too thin, prone to holes, or weirdly slick? All of this points to the hidden trade-offs in fabric safety.
✅ Choose Thicker, Darker Fabrics
Light-colored, ultra-thin leggings stretch more, which can release more microplastics and bring your skin into direct contact with treated fibers. Opaqueness isn’t just about modesty, it’s a layer of protection.
✅ Ask Brands What’s In Their Fabric
Seriously. Email them. DM them. If they can’t (or won’t) tell you what’s used in their finishing, dye, or elastic, that’s your answer.
🧠 Pro Tip: If a brand doesn’t openly share their materials, manufacturing process, and certifications, assume the worst. No answer is an answer.
Many Legging Labels Are Lying, Here’s What Women Are Asking Instead
I’ve spent years talking to women who are trying (really trying) to make better choices about what they wear. And when it comes to leggings, the same questions come up again and again. Honest questions. Smart ones. The kind that should have clear answers, but don’t.
So let’s walk through them.
Is Organic Cotton Enough?
Not necessarily. Organic cotton is only clean if it’s untreated.
Many leggings labeled “organic” still contain elastane and are finished with toxic dyes, wrinkle-free agents, or even antimicrobial coatings like triclosan.
Always look for OEKO-TEX® Standard 100.
Why Do All PFAS-Free Leggings Fall Apart?
Many PFAS-free options use fibers like merino or bamboo that can be incredibly delicate. Without chemical coatings, they may pill, stretch out, or lose shape quickly.
But this is a solvable problem; it’s not the clean materials that fail you, it’s poor engineering. That’s where design innovation must step in.
Can Leggings Mess With Lymphatic Drainage?
Tight, compressive leggings, especially those loaded with synthetic coatings, can restrict natural lymphatic flow, particularly around the hips, thighs, and groin. Your lymphatic system plays a key role in detoxification.
If your clothes block circulation and trap toxins at the same time, that’s a double hit your body doesn’t need. It’s a growing concern, and a big part of why I started Vibrant in the first place.
Clean And Comfortable: Meet The Endure Leggings
When I founded Vibrant Body Company, I wasn’t looking to make another pair of leggings. I was looking to eliminate a silent threat hiding in plain sight, forever chemicals in women’s activewear.
That mission became our obsession. And the result? The Endure Leggings.
These aren’t just “cleaner.” They’re Certified Clean.
That’s how seriously we take your First Layer.
But none of that would matter if the leggings didn’t work. So we engineered them to do everything you expect from high-performance activewear:
- Squat-proof? Absolutely. The thick, matte fabric passes the gym test and the mirror check.
- Breathable? Like a second skin, without clinging, pinching, or suffocating.
- Durable? Built for movement, sweat, and wear, with a 60-Day Wash & Wear Guarantee to prove it.
These leggings support your body without compromising your health. That’s the bar now. And once you wear them, you’ll wonder how anything else was ever acceptable.
The Sweat Smart Line: Activewear Built to Do No Harm
If you’ve been following our work, you know I talk a lot about sweat as a chemical conduit. When your body heats up, opens its pores, and starts to sweat, you absorb more. That’s exactly why we created our Sweat Smart line.
Ignite Sports Bra
This isn’t your average wireless bra. It’s designed for full coverage and all-day breathability. Whether you're hitting hot yoga or chasing your kid around, the Ignite moves with you, not against you.
Sprint Bike Short
We designed this piece for high-movement days: biking, spinning, sprinting... or just sitting cross-legged on your couch. It’s stretchy, sculpted, and made with the same Certified Clean fabrics that protect your body from the chemicals that standard shorts sneak in.
💡 Why it matters: These are the garments that touch your most porous zones, the places where toxic absorption happens fastest. If any layer of your clothing should be clean, it’s this one.
Why We Created The First Clean Legging You Can Trust
If you’ve ever hesitated to work out in leggings because of the weird chemical smell, the shiny synthetic feel, or the fine print you couldn’t quite trust, you’re not alone.
Our clean-conscious community is growing, and it’s made up of people just like you: women who read ingredient labels, who buy organic food, who question the marketing spin, and who are now waking up to the truth about their clothing. Especially what they wear closest to their skin. Especially when they sweat.
That’s why I founded Vibrant Body Company. And that’s why we didn’t just build another pair of leggings. We built a Certified Clean alternative, from the stitching to the soul.
Solutions From Michael Drescher
- Certified Clean Leggings: Our Endure Legging isn’t just PFAS-free, it’s rigorously tested, baby-safe, and sweat smart. It's the first legging designed with your lymphatic system in mind.
- The Sweat Smart Collection: When you sweat, you absorb more. So we built the first activewear line that actually protects your body instead of putting it at risk.
- First Layer Philosophy: What touches your skin touches your health. That’s why we treat the first layer of clothing like the first layer of skincare, clean, tested, and totally transparent.
Vibrant Body Company exists for the woman who refuses to compromise. For the woman who shops clean beauty, filters her water, and just realized her leggings might be the most toxic thing she wears all day.
We built our Endure Leggings and Sweat Smart line for you, because you deserve gear that works with your body, not against it.
🛍️ Shop Certified Clean Leggings and Activewear Now. And finally feel good in your skin, literally.
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.
