Is your Swimsuit Making You (& the Planet) Sick?!
+8 companies making organic cotton bathingsuits for the whole fam!
Organic cotton Swimwear
I admit that the first time I heard about organic cotton swimwear what came to mind were images of swimming is an organic t-shirt material… in other words: no thank you. Growing up by the beach ( I lived in Miami, Puerto Rico and Venezuela) my standards for swimwear are quite high so I did not ever imagine I could find a bathing suit made of organic cotton that I would like.
Never have I ever been so happy to be proven wrong. Organic cotton swimwear can and is as good as synthetic, polyester, nylon or polyamide based swimsuits……. Few companies are making them but the final product truly can be great. If we support these companies I have no doubt that we will come to a day when plastic based swimsuits are a thing of the past.
Quickly, lets review chemicals that have been found in swimsuits
microplastics: researchers have shown that on a single day of human activity microplastic levels in the Salt River increased eightfold,
https://www.aau.edu/research-scholarship/featured-research-topics/new-asu-research-shows-swimwear-surprising-source
PFAS (although both NY and California have banned intentionally added pfas from most clothing as of 2025 so this could potentially change)
https://ipen.org/sites/default/files/documents/clothing-chemicals-v12.pdf
Titanium (linked to dermal sensitivity) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935119307480#:~:text=A%20total%20of%2039%20garments,T%2Dshirt%20(n%20%3D%201).%20The
Chromium (allergic contact dermatitis (rashes, itching, blistering), sensitization, and potential carcinogenic effects from long-term exposure.)
Phthalates
Companies making organic cotton swimwear
For: the whole family
Material Used: GOTS certified organic cotton and spandex
Comments: this is my favorite and actually the only one I have personal experience with. They have by far the widest range of models, colors, and sizing of any of the other brands mentioned below. My daughter and son have had organic cotton bathing suits from this company for over 2 years now and they are still going strong (ie they last!) and, more importantly, the kids cannot tell the difference between these and their other swimsuits.
I love that they have extended their collection to include the entire family and in doing so have models for all body types!
For: Kids
Materials: organic cotton swimsuits
Limited models available
Paid subscriber Exclusive! : 6 more comapnies making organic/ natural fiber swimwear for kids, women and men (thank you for supporting my work for less than the cost of a coffee a month!)
