High levels of BPA in major activewear brands - find out more!

BPA is a hormone-disrupting chemical that is used to make certain types of plastics. The chemical acts like estrogen after it is absorbed, allowing it to disrupt an individual’s metabolism and reproductive processes, and can cause behavioral issues. According to a recent CNN article, “the Center for Environmental Health, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group based in California, tested sports bras, leggings, athletic shirts and other activewear and found high levels of the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in those sold by Athleta, PINK, The North Face, Nike and Patagonia, among other brands.”

Generally, people absorb BPA by ingesting it from food or water. However, it is also possible to absorb BPA through your skin, such as by wearing clothes that contain BPA. When you work out, sweat acts like a solvent and can pull BPA out of these clothing items – think about how much sweat is happening in sport bras and undies!  The Center for Environmental Health sent legal notice to several of these big name clothing brands where significant levels of BPA were found in their products. Many of these flagged brands had BPA levels 22x the legal limit in the state of California.

Paradis Sport underwear is BPA-free! The BPA found in other brands' products was in their polyester. Our Seamless products are made from 94% nylon and 6% spandex and our natural fiber products are made from Oeko-Tex-certified modal that is derived from sustainably-harvested beech trees. In order to avoid absorbing BPA through skin contact, the California Center for Environmental Health recommends that individuals should avoid purchasing clothing with high levels of BPA and change out of their activewear immediately after working out. We design our undies to protect your lady parts and your overall health!

Works Cited:

CNN, CBS News, Forbes, Shape.com, Center for Environmental Health