Plastic-free underwear

Underwear is the worst-case skin contact category — direct contact with the most absorbent skin on your body, all day, every day, sometimes wet from sweat. Synthetic underwear means plastic + plasticizer residues + any antimicrobial finishes are doing maximum hours against your most sensitive tissue.

• ·100% cotton, merino wool, and hemp underwear are the safest defaults.
• ·Avoid antimicrobial-treated synthetic underwear — silver nanoparticles and triclosan are common finishes with documented health concerns.
• ·Sweat increases dermal absorption of any plasticizer residues in the fabric.
• ·Even small amounts of spandex (≤5%) for fit don't meaningfully change the skin-contact profile.

Westerhoff et al. (2008). Antimony leaching from PET — feedstock context for trace antimony in PET-based polyester.