August 10, 2025 • 11 mins
"They touch our skin every single day. They’re with us when we sleep, when we run, when we celebrate, when we grieve. We call them clothes. But have you ever asked — what are they made of? And what are they doing to us?"
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/chasing-eden-health-longevity-and-spirituality--6612749/support.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/chasing-eden-health-longevity-and-spirituality--6612749/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
They touch our skin every single day. They're with us
when we sleep, when we run, when we celebrate, and
when we grief. We call them clothes, but have you
ever asked what are they made of? And what are
they doing to us? This is Carolyn Thompson with Chasing Eden.
Thank you for joining me today. Today we're unraveling a
(00:29):
story that stretches from the soft cotton sheets on your
bed to the shimmering dresses in shop windows, from ancient
looms to neon lit fast fashion warehouses. We'll look at
how synthetic fabrics like viscos, satin, polyester, and nylon are
not just a question of style, but of health. We'll
(00:52):
explore how these fibers are born from petroleum and plastics,
how they can leach into your skin with heat and friction,
and why your wardrobe might be quietly shaping your well being.
And we'll also talk about the natural alternatives like cotton, linen, wool, hemp, silk,
and even their vibrational frequencies. A field of study that
(01:17):
blends the physics of matter with the poetry of life.
So let's begin by pulling at the very first loose thread.
Fast fashion isn't just a marketing term. It's a business model.
Think of brands producing fifty to one hundred new micro
seasons every year. Now. I watched a documentary on fast
(01:43):
fashion many years ago, and it used to be in
the beginning of the nineteen hundreds when they started to
create seasons of fashion, we only had two, and then
it slowly increased to three, four, five, and the and
it just kept going until now it's practically every week.
(02:04):
So what is the goal for micro seasons every year? Well,
it's to keep you buying clothes that are designed to
be cheap, trendy, and disposable. But behind that nine dollars
T shirt is a complex supply chain synthetic dyes, chemical finishes,
(02:26):
and fibers that aren't fibers at all. They're plastic, polyester, nylon, acrylic.
These are polymers petroleum products. They dominate because they're cheap,
wrinkle resistant, and easy to mass produce. Viscos, which is
(02:49):
also called rayon, is often marketed as a natural fabric
because it starts with wood pulp, but that pulp is
dissolved into harsh chemicals and then spun into threads, and
then it emerges as something far removed from its origins.
(03:09):
Satin isn't a fiber at all, it's a weave. Most
modern satin is polyester satin, meaning you're really wearing plastic
with a shiny finish. When we wear synthetic clothing, we're
in constant contact with plastic. The friction from movement, combined
with body heat and sweat, can release microplastics and chemical additives.
(03:37):
Some of these chemicals, the thalates, bpa, formaldehyde residues, are
endocrine disruptors. That means they can interfere with our hormones.
The skin isn't a perfect barrier. It's porous. Heat and
moisture make it even more permeable. Think about leggings, sports bras, sweatsuits,
(04:01):
all of that snug fitting, synthetic and stuff that's worn
during sweaty activities. It's the perfect storm for chemical absorption.
Every time we wash synthetic clothes, they shed microfibers. These
microfibers end up in waterways, oceans, and even in the
(04:23):
air we breathe. Studies have found that people inhale and
ingest thousands of microplastic particles per year, and some of
it comes directly from what we're wearing inside the body.
Microplastics have been found in the lungs, blood, and placenta.
(04:45):
We still don't fully understand their long term health impact,
but the early research points towards inflammation, oxidative stress, and
potential organ toxicity. So let's talk about the vibrational frequency
of fabrics, which to some people's sound a bit mystical
(05:10):
or conspiratorial, but actually can be tracked with a device.
So if we step into this less discussed realm, the
idea that everything has a vibrational frequency, we have to
bring up doctor Bruce Taneo. In two thousand and three,
(05:31):
he developed an instrument to measure the frequency of materials.
A healthy human body typically measureds between sixty two to
seventy megahertz. Organic cotton and linen, especially when untreated and undyed,
register in frequencies that resonate with life. Linen in particularly
(05:56):
is fascinating. It's one of the only fabrics that's historically
used in ancient Egypt for burial wrappings because they believed
it preserves the body's energy. Wool and linen both measure high,
but they have a subtle rule. Wearing them together can
(06:18):
create a zeroing effect, neutralizing the energy. So what about synthetics, well, surprise,
they often register close to zero. They don't support your
body's natural resonance, and while some scientists would call this
fringe physics, cultures around the world have felt it instinctively
(06:42):
that certain clothes make you feel alive and others make
you feel flat. Natural fibers like cotton, linen, wool, silk, hemp.
They are breathable, renewable, and biodegradable. They wick moisture away
without trapping heat against the skin, and they don't shed
(07:04):
the same kind of microplastics. So switching your bedding to
organic cotton or linen can improve sleep, partly due to
better temperature regulation, partly because your skin is resting against
something that doesn't off gas chemicals. All night shoes lined
with natural leather or wool insoles let your feet breathe.
(07:28):
They reduce bacterial overgrowth in clothing. The reduced static electricity
from natural fibers may even lower daily oxidative stress. You
don't have to throw out everything you own, but you
can start transitioning. Replace underwear and sleep wear first, they're
(07:48):
in longest contact with your skin. Choose organic cotton sheets
and pillowcases when you start buying new clothes, check the
fiber content and aim for one percent natural materials. For
athletic wear, consider marino woolblands naturally antimicrobi or microbial, moisture
(08:11):
wicking and odor resistant. In your home, curtains, rugs, and
upholstery made from natural fibers reduce indore microplastic dust. Now
I've already started doing this in my own life. I
started researching and trying to get all of the fabrics
that I use in my bedding, my sleeper, clothing, socks,
(08:33):
even bras. Tried to get them as close to one
hundred percent natural cotton linen, natural fabrics as much as possible.
It's not always the easiest thing to do. At one point,
when I was researching on Amazon for one hundred percent
cotton socks, I had to go for the men's socks
because the women's socks always had a like like a
(08:55):
twenty percent ratio of nylon to eighty percent cotton or less.
So I ended up compromising and going for men's socks.
So there's some things you might want to look in
a different category and try to find, and other times
I'll just compromise and say, Okay, you know what I
really like that top, and it's got a seventy thirty
seventy percent cotton thirty percent nylon or polyester, and I'll
(09:20):
go ahead and buy that. But the less I have
in my closet the better. In my opinion, you don't
have to do it all at once. You can just
start slowly purging out these synthetic fabrics and starting to
introduce you to yourself more natural fabrics in your life.
So clothing, well, it's more than fashion. It's the second
(09:43):
skin we choose every day. It can carry the residue
of oil wells and chemical plants, or it can carry
the living memory of fields, sheep pastures and flax harvests.
Fast fashions, it sells quickly, but health is slow. It's
built in layers, in the sheets you sleep in, the
(10:05):
shirts you wear, and the shoes you walk in. Maybe
the path forward isn't about owning more stuff, but owning
better stuff. And one of my favorite sayings is quality
over quantity. So think about your clothing not just for style,
but for your life and for health itself. Thank you
(10:30):
for joining me today on Chasing Eden. If you want
to learn more or connect with us, we have a
website called Chasingeeden dot net. We'd love it if you
would subscribe and visit our website. I'd love it if
you would subscribe to our podcast and you wouldn't have
to miss any of the episodes. I've really enjoyed today's
(10:52):
journey in the hidden world of fabrics, and I hope
that you would join us again soon. They believe it,
say
They touch our skin every single day. They're with us
when we sleep, when we run, when we celebrate, and
when we grief. We call them clothes, but have you
ever asked what are they made of? And what are
they doing to us? This is Carolyn Thompson with Chasing Eden.
Thank you for joining me today. Today we're unraveling a
(00:29):
story that stretches from the soft cotton sheets on your
bed to the shimmering dresses in shop windows, from ancient
looms to neon lit fast fashion warehouses. We'll look at
how synthetic fabrics like viscos, satin, polyester, and nylon are
not just a question of style, but of health. We'll
(00:52):
explore how these fibers are born from petroleum and plastics,
how they can leach into your skin with heat and friction,
and why your wardrobe might be quietly shaping your well being.
And we'll also talk about the natural alternatives like cotton, linen, wool, hemp, silk,
and even their vibrational frequencies. A field of study that
(01:17):
blends the physics of matter with the poetry of life.
So let's begin by pulling at the very first loose thread.
Fast fashion isn't just a marketing term. It's a business model.
Think of brands producing fifty to one hundred new micro
seasons every year. Now. I watched a documentary on fast
(01:43):
fashion many years ago, and it used to be in
the beginning of the nineteen hundreds when they started to
create seasons of fashion, we only had two, and then
it slowly increased to three, four, five, and the and
it just kept going until now it's practically every week.
(02:04):
So what is the goal for micro seasons every year? Well,
it's to keep you buying clothes that are designed to
be cheap, trendy, and disposable. But behind that nine dollars
T shirt is a complex supply chain synthetic dyes, chemical finishes,
(02:26):
and fibers that aren't fibers at all. They're plastic, polyester, nylon, acrylic.
These are polymers petroleum products. They dominate because they're cheap,
wrinkle resistant, and easy to mass produce. Viscos, which is
(02:49):
also called rayon, is often marketed as a natural fabric
because it starts with wood pulp, but that pulp is
dissolved into harsh chemicals and then spun into threads, and
then it emerges as something far removed from its origins.
(03:09):
Satin isn't a fiber at all, it's a weave. Most
modern satin is polyester satin, meaning you're really wearing plastic
with a shiny finish. When we wear synthetic clothing, we're
in constant contact with plastic. The friction from movement, combined
with body heat and sweat, can release microplastics and chemical additives.
(03:37):
Some of these chemicals, the thalates, bpa, formaldehyde residues, are
endocrine disruptors. That means they can interfere with our hormones.
The skin isn't a perfect barrier. It's porous. Heat and
moisture make it even more permeable. Think about leggings, sports bras, sweatsuits,
(04:01):
all of that snug fitting, synthetic and stuff that's worn
during sweaty activities. It's the perfect storm for chemical absorption.
Every time we wash synthetic clothes, they shed microfibers. These
microfibers end up in waterways, oceans, and even in the
(04:23):
air we breathe. Studies have found that people inhale and
ingest thousands of microplastic particles per year, and some of
it comes directly from what we're wearing inside the body.
Microplastics have been found in the lungs, blood, and placenta.
(04:45):
We still don't fully understand their long term health impact,
but the early research points towards inflammation, oxidative stress, and
potential organ toxicity. So let's talk about the vibrational frequency
of fabrics, which to some people's sound a bit mystical
(05:10):
or conspiratorial, but actually can be tracked with a device.
So if we step into this less discussed realm, the
idea that everything has a vibrational frequency, we have to
bring up doctor Bruce Taneo. In two thousand and three,
(05:31):
he developed an instrument to measure the frequency of materials.
A healthy human body typically measureds between sixty two to
seventy megahertz. Organic cotton and linen, especially when untreated and undyed,
register in frequencies that resonate with life. Linen in particularly
(05:56):
is fascinating. It's one of the only fabrics that's historically
used in ancient Egypt for burial wrappings because they believed
it preserves the body's energy. Wool and linen both measure high,
but they have a subtle rule. Wearing them together can
(06:18):
create a zeroing effect, neutralizing the energy. So what about synthetics, well, surprise,
they often register close to zero. They don't support your
body's natural resonance, and while some scientists would call this
fringe physics, cultures around the world have felt it instinctively
(06:42):
that certain clothes make you feel alive and others make
you feel flat. Natural fibers like cotton, linen, wool, silk, hemp.
They are breathable, renewable, and biodegradable. They wick moisture away
without trapping heat against the skin, and they don't shed
(07:04):
the same kind of microplastics. So switching your bedding to
organic cotton or linen can improve sleep, partly due to
better temperature regulation, partly because your skin is resting against
something that doesn't off gas chemicals. All night shoes lined
with natural leather or wool insoles let your feet breathe.
(07:28):
They reduce bacterial overgrowth in clothing. The reduced static electricity
from natural fibers may even lower daily oxidative stress. You
don't have to throw out everything you own, but you
can start transitioning. Replace underwear and sleep wear first, they're
(07:48):
in longest contact with your skin. Choose organic cotton sheets
and pillowcases when you start buying new clothes, check the
fiber content and aim for one percent natural materials. For
athletic wear, consider marino woolblands naturally antimicrobi or microbial, moisture
(08:11):
wicking and odor resistant. In your home, curtains, rugs, and
upholstery made from natural fibers reduce indore microplastic dust. Now
I've already started doing this in my own life. I
started researching and trying to get all of the fabrics
that I use in my bedding, my sleeper, clothing, socks,
(08:33):
even bras. Tried to get them as close to one
hundred percent natural cotton linen, natural fabrics as much as possible.
It's not always the easiest thing to do. At one point,
when I was researching on Amazon for one hundred percent
cotton socks, I had to go for the men's socks
because the women's socks always had a like like a
(08:55):
twenty percent ratio of nylon to eighty percent cotton or less.
So I ended up compromising and going for men's socks.
So there's some things you might want to look in
a different category and try to find, and other times
I'll just compromise and say, Okay, you know what I
really like that top, and it's got a seventy thirty
seventy percent cotton thirty percent nylon or polyester, and I'll
(09:20):
go ahead and buy that. But the less I have
in my closet the better. In my opinion, you don't
have to do it all at once. You can just
start slowly purging out these synthetic fabrics and starting to
introduce you to yourself more natural fabrics in your life.
So clothing, well, it's more than fashion. It's the second
(09:43):
skin we choose every day. It can carry the residue
of oil wells and chemical plants, or it can carry
the living memory of fields, sheep pastures and flax harvests.
Fast fashions, it sells quickly, but health is slow. It's
built in layers, in the sheets you sleep in, the
(10:05):
shirts you wear, and the shoes you walk in. Maybe
the path forward isn't about owning more stuff, but owning
better stuff. And one of my favorite sayings is quality
over quantity. So think about your clothing not just for style,
but for your life and for health itself. Thank you
(10:30):
for joining me today on Chasing Eden. If you want
to learn more or connect with us, we have a
website called Chasingeeden dot net. We'd love it if you
would subscribe and visit our website. I'd love it if
you would subscribe to our podcast and you wouldn't have
to miss any of the episodes. I've really enjoyed today's
(10:52):
journey in the hidden world of fabrics, and I hope
that you would join us again soon. They believe it,
say
Popular Podcasts
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!