I love good sheets. Clean sheets. I love white linen and white nighttime wear. Most importantly, I love the feel of good, organic fabric against my skin when I sleep. “The touch. The feel. The fabric of our lives.” So says, a cotton advertisement. And you know what? It really does do so much more for a healthier sleep and rest than its rival, conventional cotton. Yes, I’m a cotton convert.
I’m not some, do everything organic gal. I wish I could be. But, it’s impossible to live a perfectly green and organic in this highly polluted world. What I do however, is cut back and make changes the best way I can, with what I have and when I can. Some change is better than no change.
With so many facets of our lives begin contaminated by synthetics and harmful chemicals, the only thing that one can do is make wise choices in terms of where in their lifestyles to make changes, and for me those changes come in several forms. Foods, some fabrics like t-shirts, linens and under clothes, household chemicals and skin care products are all areas that i’ve made a point to clean up and make greener. This is a mouthful for someone who wasn’t always conscious about her clothing texture choices. But, change is good. And in this case it’s good linen.
Ok, back to organic cotton sheets. Here are some beautiful benefits to using cotton:
1. It’s great for the environment. Organic cotton is grown without toxic pesticides and fertilizers.
2. It’s safer for workers. Grown organically, the workers – who in some cases hand pick the cotton – are less exposed to the toxic and harmful effects of the fertilizers and pesticides.
3. It feels amazingly soft, fresh and clean against the skin. My skin always feels cooler and cleaner, that’s because the sheets always feel cool and soft.
4. No chemical residues. According to the Huffington Post, “We even feel the harmful effects of non-organic cottons and fabrics in our daily lives. Irritated skin, rashes and even headaches and dizziness can be caused by the chemical residue trapped in the threads.” I can assure you, there’s not of that with organic cotton.
5. It’s very affordable. Since the demand for organic cotton has risen, the prices has dropped, significantly. You can even find them at your local Target.
I decided to entirely change my linens to organic cotton because good quality sleep is on of the most important things we can do for our self care. Who wants a rash from their pillow or a pounding headache from being up close and personal and sniffing left over chemicals from their pillows? All that’s avoidable by using quality organic cotton. Not to mention, it’s an extension of my skin care regimen. I know this is not important to all, but to those who value the environment and their health. This may serve as a guide or inspiration to help you along the way.
Dixie Lincoln- Nichols is a biological science educator, health and wellbeing consultant and Qigong instructor. Her work has been featured in media outlets like, Oprah Mag, SELF, Yahoo and more. She is the founder of Inside Outer Beauty Market, a multi-cultutal retailer curating and creating products to support the body inside and out. Visit the site at www.iobeautymarket.com
