Guide
If you asked us for a straightforward guide to cleaner clothing, this is what we’d give you. Not perfect — practical. Read the tiers, use the checklists, and choose what fits your life.
The most important shortcut
You can’t tell what’s in a garment just by looking at it. The two certifications worth prioritizing are GOTS and OEKO-TEX — they test for and limit harmful chemical residues in ways that vague marketing terms like “natural” or “non-toxic” do not.
Global Organic Textile Standard. The most rigorous certification for textiles. A fully GOTS-certified product covers the whole supply chain — fiber sourcing, chemical inputs, environmental standards, and social compliance — from farm to finished garment. GOTS-certified fibers only guarantee the raw material; processing, dyes, and finishes may not meet the full standard.
Standard 100 tests finished textiles for harmful substances and sets strict limits on the chemicals that can remain in a garment. A reliable way to verify a product has been tested for concerning chemical residues.
* Some companies do skip harmful chemicals even without certifications. This is rare, but it's always worth asking a brand directly what they avoid and how their clothes are made. *
Directory
A quick reference to the certifications and marks you'll see on clothing tags and websites — what each one actually covers, and what it doesn't. Look for these logos before you buy.
Important: many of these certifications address labor, animal welfare, fiber sourcing, or general company ethics — not chemical safety in textiles. For confidence about harmful chemicals, you still need a textile-specific chemical certification like GOTS, OEKO-TEX, or Bluesign alongside them.
Global Organic Textile Standard
The most rigorous textile certification available. Covers organic fiber sourcing, permitted chemical inputs, wastewater treatment, and social/labor standards across the entire supply chain — farm to finished garment.
Fully GOTS-certified means the whole product meets the standard, not just the fiber. It is the single strongest signal that harmful chemicals were restricted at every stage of production.
Tested for harmful substances
Independent lab testing of finished textiles for hundreds of regulated and non-regulated substances — including azo dyes, formaldehyde, heavy metals, pesticides, phthalates, and PFAS.
The most reliable way to verify a finished garment has been tested for chemical residues that can migrate onto skin.
Approved inputs and processes
Screens chemicals, dyes, and materials before they enter production and audits factories on resource use, emissions, and worker safety. Focused on eliminating hazardous substances at the source.
Tackles chemical safety upstream rather than testing only the finished product. Common on performance and outdoor apparel.
Certified organic fiber
USDA certification of the raw fiber (typically cotton or wool) — grown without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or GMOs, and processed under National Organic Program rules.
Confirms the fiber is organic, but does not cover dyeing, finishing, or manufacturing chemicals. Pair with GOTS or OEKO-TEX for full coverage.
Circular, non-toxic materials
Evaluates products across five categories: material health, product circularity, clean air & climate, water & soil stewardship, and social fairness. Material Health specifically screens out chemicals of concern.
Broader than a pure chemical certification — but the Material Health score is a strong indicator that a garment has been vetted for toxic ingredients.
Fair labor & restricted chemicals
Best known for worker protections and fair prices for producers. The Fairtrade Textile Standard also prohibits many of the most hazardous chemicals used in dyeing and finishing.
Not a chemical certification on its own, but Fairtrade-certified textiles restrict a defined list of harmful substances alongside strong labor protections.
Company-wide social & environmental performance
Certifies the whole company — not an individual product or textile — across governance, worker impact, community impact, environmental impact, and customer impact. B Corps must meet verified standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.
A B Corp label means the brand is thinking holistically about its impact, but it is NOT a chemical certification. Always pair B Corp with GOTS, OEKO-TEX, Bluesign, or another textile-specific chemical standard when you're evaluating what's actually in the fabric.
100% pure new wool
Verifies that a product is made from 100% pure new wool (or a stated blend percentage) and meets performance specifications for shrinkage, colorfastness, and strength.
A fiber-content and quality mark rather than a chemical safety standard. Look for Woolmark alongside OEKO-TEX or GOTS wool for chemical assurance.
Animal welfare & land management
Certifies wool from farms that meet defined animal welfare, land management, and social requirements, with full chain-of-custody tracking.
Addresses how the wool was raised. Combine with a chemical-focused certification (OEKO-TEX, GOTS) for confidence about processing.
Tier 1
What most people in this space would call the cleanest choices available today. Certifications like GOTS are the strongest signal that chemicals are kept below strict limits throughout production.
Tier 2
Not the gold standard, but a meaningful step up from conventional. OEKO-TEX certification is one of the best ways to know a finished garment has been tested for harmful chemical residues.
Avoid
The things most consistently linked to harmful chemical exposure and environmental damage. When in doubt, look for GOTS or OEKO-TEX — without them, you have little way of knowing what chemical residues remain.
The bigger picture
There’s an easier future ahead.
Education and awareness drive market demand, which drives an increase in supply. Every purchase — and every question you ask a brand — is a vote for what gets made next.