PFAS are toxic "forever chemicals" added to clothing for water and stain resistance, but they don’t wash out and can absorb into your body through skin and sweat.
If your clothing claims to be “stain-resistant” or “moisture-wicking,” there’s a high chance it contains PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances linked to hormonal disruption, cancer, and immune dysfunction.
These synthetic chemicals don't just pollute the environment, they can enter your bloodstream through friction and sweat.
At Vibrant Body Company, we believe your First Layer shouldn’t compromise your health. We’re here to guide you through the risks of PFAS in clothing, and what to wear instead. Let’s break it down.
Key Points
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PFAS are toxic "forever chemicals" found in everyday clothing like leggings, bras, and underwear. They’re added for stain resistance and moisture-wicking but can absorb through your skin and build up in your body, disrupting hormones and increasing cancer risk.
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Terms like “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” don’t guarantee safety. Many recycled and performance fabrics still contain PFAS. Learn to spot red flags on clothing labels and look for OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification to ensure true chemical safety.
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Vibrant Body Company offers Certified Clean alternatives, OEKO-TEX® certified essentials like the EveryWear Bra, Ignite Sports Bra, and Endure Leggings. Designed with your health in mind, they’re free from PFAS, phthalates, and other harmful chemicals.
PFAS 101: Why Your Clothes Might Be Harming Your Health
PFAS are industrial-grade chemicals that were never meant to touch your skin, let alone sit pressed against it for 10 hours a day. But they’re in your clothing, right now. Especially in the pieces that claim to “perform.”
PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a family of over 12,000 synthetic chemicals made up of strong carbon-fluorine bonds, some of the toughest on Earth.
That’s what makes them so effective. And so dangerous.
They don’t break down. Not in your body. Not in your washing machine. Not in nature. That’s why they’ve earned the nickname “forever chemicals.”
Why Are PFAS In Clothing?
Simple: They make garments water-resistant, stain-repellent, and oil-proof.
PFAS are what give raincoats their slickness, gym clothes their "sweat-wicking" power, and yoga pants their stain-defying stretch. They’re also in bras, underwear, kids' uniforms, and even high-performance outerwear.
I get it, function matters. But at what cost?
The Real Problem
Photo Source -> University of California San Francisco
The textile industry accounts for just 11% of total PFAS use globally, but it’s responsible for a whopping 31% of PFAS emissions.
Why? Because every time you wash that stain-resistant hoodie or those compression leggings, PFAS chemicals shed into your water supply. And every time you sweat in them, your skin becomes a sponge.
These chemicals don’t just stay on fabric, they bioaccumulate. In your liver. Your breast tissue. Your blood.
And they’re not benign. PFAS exposure has been linked to:
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Hormonal disruption
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Fertility issues
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Ulcerative colitis
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Liver damage
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Increased cholesterol
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Certain cancers, including breast cancer
The Regulatory Gap
Europe has banned over 1,000 toxic textile chemicals. The U.S.? Just 11. That’s not a typo. That’s why PFAS are still legal, and largely unlabeled, in American clothing. And why “sustainable” often doesn’t mean safe.
Recycled PET (think: bottles turned into leggings) often retains PFAS and microplastic residues.
Even brands trying to do the right thing end up with contaminated garments because they share mills with PFAS-using competitors. That’s how widespread, and insidious, this stuff is.
But There Are Alternatives
We’re not helpless. At Vibrant, we use:
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Tightly woven fabrics that repel moisture naturally
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Plant-based finishes proven to perform without poisoning people
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OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified materials, the highest standard in clean textile testing
There’s a smarter way to design for performance. And it doesn’t involve pumping women’s bras full of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
If the first thing you put on each morning could be affecting your hormones, your fertility, or your long-term health, doesn’t it deserve a second look?
Think Your Clothes Are Safe? Here’s How To Avoid PFAS
Just because something is labeled “sustainable” doesn’t mean it’s safe.
In fact, some of the most aggressively eco-branded clothes on the market are laced with chemicals like PFAS. And that’s exactly where most people get it wrong.
1. Don’t Trust “Sustainable” At Face Value
“Recycled” doesn’t always mean safe. Many “sustainable” clothes use recycled plastic bottles that carry PFAS and other toxins.
And in the U.S., terms like “eco-friendly” and “green” aren’t regulated, so your leggings might still contain hormone-disrupting chemicals.
2. Know The Warning Signs
Red flags are often on the tag.
Terms like “stain-resistant,” “moisture-wicking,” or “performance” often signal PFAS, especially in synthetics like polyester and nylon, which trap heat and increase absorption.
You don’t need to toss your wardrobe, but wear wisely: sweat and friction accelerate exposure. And no, washing won’t remove PFAS. It just spreads it.
3. Look For Third-Party Certifications
The real game-changer? Third-party verification, specifically OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. It tests every component for 100+ toxins, including PFAS.
If it touches your skin, it’s tested. Claims mean nothing without proof, and performance shouldn’t come at the cost of your health.
Certified Safe: Why OEKO-TEX® Should Be Your Clothing Standard
You’ve seen the labels, but do you really know what they mean?
OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 is the global gold standard for textile safety. It goes beyond marketing claims by lab-testing every part of a garment, from thread to trim, for substances known to harm human health.
At Vibrant, we take it further. Our products are certified to the strictest tier, meaning they’re safe even for infants.
What do they test for?
✔️ PFAS
✔️ Formaldehyde
✔️ Phthalates
✔️ BPA
✔️ Heavy metals
✔️ Flame retardants
✔️ Pesticide residues
✔️ Hundreds more chemicals and endocrine disruptors
Because when it comes to daily skin contact, close isn’t clean.
The Clean Clothing Brand Redefining Your First Layer
I didn’t set out to create a bra company. I set out to challenge an industry that, at its core, put women's health dead last.
I couldn’t unsee what I found when I started digging into the toxic truth behind what women wear every day: underwires that restrict lymph flow, fabrics loaded with chemicals banned in other countries, and zero accountability for what touches the most absorbent parts of the female body.
That’s why I built Vibrant Body Company.
We’re proudly OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, meaning every stitch, strap, and seam is tested to the highest global standard for chemical safety.
And we go further. Every product is also:
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Sweat-tested, because we know heat and friction increase absorption
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Lymph-friendly, with zero underwires or compression zones
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Body-first by design, not just in marketing
Vibrant Body Must-Haves For A PFAS-Free Life
When we say Certified Clean, we mean every fiber. Here’s how we’re protecting your body, one First Layer at a time:
🩷 The EveryWear Bra
This is the bra that changed the game and earned us a U.S. and EU utility patent.
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Wireless construction means no restriction on lymphatic flow, critical for detoxifying breast tissue
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Designed by top global lingerie engineers with one brief: Make women feel as good as they look
If you’ve ever worn a bra that felt like it was working against your body, this one’s your reset.
💪 Ignite Sports Bra
Part of our Sweat Smart Series, built specifically for women who live in activewear.
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Supports movement without forcing harmful chemicals into your skin
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Moisture-wicking without chemical coatings
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A go-to for long workouts, long days, and sensitive skin
Let’s not pretend women don’t sweat. This bra protects you when it matters most, when absorption risk is highest.
🖤 Endure Leggings
PFAS-free, squat-proof, and engineered for movement, not microplastic exposure.
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Flexible, flattering, and clean
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Sweat-safe and breathable, because leggings shouldn’t leach chemicals every time you bend, stretch, or lounge
This is what a Certified Clean future looks like. You don’t have to compromise. You don’t have to settle. And you don’t have to guess.
Your skin absorbs what you wear. Let’s make sure it’s something safe.
The Clean Clothing Movement Starts with You
If you’ve made it this far, you’re not just curious, you’re awake.
You check ingredients in your skincare and avoid BPA, but your clothes touch your most absorbent skin for hours every day. That matters.
I built Vibrant Body Company because women shouldn’t have to choose between looking good and staying safe. Most “clean” fashion is marketing. We’re building something real:
Certified Clean clothing that treats your body like it matters, because it does.
What I Created So You Don’t Have to Compromise
🩷 Certified Clean First Layer Essentials: Every thread is independently tested and OEKO-TEX®. You don’t have to wonder if your bra is working against you.
💪 Sweat Smart Activewear: Engineered to move with your body, not dose it with harmful chemicals through sweat and friction. Finally, gym gear that protects your health as much as your style.
🌿 The EveryWear Bra: The only patented, wire-free bra built with lymphatic flow and breast health in mind, not just cleavage and compression.
You don’t have to compromise. You don’t have to settle. You just have to choose what’s made for your body, not against it.
👉 Shop the Certified Clean Collection
And take the first step toward dressing like your health matters. Because it does.
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..
