plastic detox // part one: what touches your skin first
- Lily Collard
- May 5
- 4 min read

here we go. today is going to be enlightening… or it’s going to be a little depressing. both can be true at the same time. I’m here to help you sort through the reality of how plastic has quietly taken over basically everything we touch, wear, drink, and use, including disrupting your natural hormone balance.
so, i’m starting a new series called “the plastic detox” based on years of my family slowly replacing and reworking our everyday choices. not overnight, not perfectly — just consistently pulling plastic out where it doesn’t belong. i’ll start today simple and grounded, but it will get more detailed, more practical, and a little more eye-opening as we go. one category at a time. no overwhelming nonsense. just clarity.
let's make the world more livable & a whole lot less plastic.
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today is simple: your clothes. especially what you wear closest to your body.
because before skincare, before supplements, before any “detox” trend — your skin is already in contact with what you wear for 12–24 hours a day. and most of it is plastic disguised as fabric.
polyester. nylon. spandex. acrylic.
they’re everywhere. cheap, stretchy, convenient — and built from petroleum-based fibers that don’t belong on skin meant to breathe.
over time, synthetic fabrics shed microfibers. they rub off in heat, friction, and washing. they end up in water systems, in food chains, and yes — they also sit directly against your body all day long.
so the first shift is not complicated:
start with your base layer
underwear, bras, socks, sleepwear. this is where synthetic fabrics matter most — because it’s constant contact. swap to:
100% cotton
organic cotton
wool (for wool undergarments, brands like wooly.com are a solid place to look if you want something built for daily wear without synthetic blends.) this isn’t about perfection. it’s about reducing what your skin is absorbing all day, every day.
zooming out: why people are paying attention to plastics + the body
this isn’t just a lifestyle preference. there’s an ongoing scientific conversation around plastics and how they interact with biological systems. many plastics contain or break down into compounds that are studied as endocrine disruptors — meaning they may interfere with hormonal signaling in the body. hormones regulate metabolism, stress response, growth, and reproductive function.
research is actively looking at possible links between:
long-term exposure to certain plastic-associated chemicals
changes in hormonal balance
reproductive health markers (including fertility-related measures in some studies)
environmental accumulation of microplastics in air, food, and water systems
this is not a simple cause-and-effect story. it’s a cumulative exposure question — long-term, layered, and still being studied. but what is already clear is this: modern life includes constant contact with plastic-derived materials in ways that did not exist for previous generations. clothing, packaging, dust, water systems, food storage — it’s everywhere.
how to actually transition
don’t overreact. but, all of this is true & we need to keep spreading the harm plastic is causing. replace things in your life.
things to start replacing (just an idea for now):
start with underwear
then bras
then sleepwear
then socks
Ahhh I am so excited for your future posts, Lily! I've stopped wearing polyester clothes as often as before, because cotton really is so so much more comfortable. But I really didn't think very deeply about how my skin could be absorbing the microfibers from the plastic. I'm glad you mentioned it haha - I now am very glad I wear cotton!! So many things are plastic now - food containers, water bottles, kids' toys, clothes - it's really terrible, but I'm glad I'm not the only person who's worried!