Written by Diana Robinson, MBA, Esthetician, lecturer, and Professional Blog Writer.
No matter where you are, soft, healthy-looking feet are attractive. It’s not only appealing to the eyes but it speaks volumes, it’s telling, that this person values self-care and cleanliness. Ok, so how can any normal person get attractive feet?
Today we have the option of getting beautiful, healthy feet with no harm to the planet.
Many people will quickly dismiss you if you approach them with “You should wear eco-friendly Sox”. This is annoying because most times they don’t understand the reason behind it. Furthermore, why would anyone want to pay a dollar more for a Sox that goes on feet? Here’s the first reason, The shipping method is harmful for all.
Why is it better to buy eco-friendly (eco-sox)?
Let’s make sense of this. These ocean-going ships have emitted around (600-900) thousand tones of CO2, This is the burning of traditional marine fuel oils onboard ships which has a significant impact on our environment, Some of the gases that come from these ships are Nitrogen oxides (NOx), Sulfur oxides (SOx), Di-oxide (CO2), Mono-oxide (CO), Particulates Matter (PM) and Hydrocarbons (HC). These gases are extremely harmful to the planet and living things in those forms.
Most of the fast fashion everyday Sox, are transported this way. On top of that, gallons of water are used to process a small amount of these regular Sox. To make matters worse these types of transportation are expensive, which makes the shipping charges expensive for manufacturers and even worse, makes free shipping almost impossible for customers. This later affects your return policy not to mention those who are doing international deliveries.
Harmful chemicals in clothes
Some harmful Chemicals that could be in conventional fabrics are ammonia, chlorine, phthalates, and petroleum. These chemicals sometimes don’t just stay in the material, they sometimes get transferred to the skin causing irritation and worst of all additional skin problems. They are bad for the environment and even worse when they end up in landfills instead of being recycled and reused.
Benzothiazole can be found in conventional materials, it was demonstrated to penetrate through, as well as being accumulated in the membrane mimicking the skin. After 24 h, up to 62% of benzothiazole can be found in the acceptor cell, while up to 37% was found absorbed in the skin-mimicking membrane.
Types of Eco-friendly Sox
Types of Eco-friendly Sox will include materials used as well as style.
We live in a fashionable world, people now even care about the details in their Sox. Well, if you care about your family’s health and well-being, care about the smaller details is crucial these days. Mechanically-manufactured bamboo and organic cotton are some of the most sustainable fabrics in the clothing industry, however many stick to fast fashion for quick money and less sustainable practices.
FEATURES OF ECO-FRIENDLY SOX
Product longevity
Bamboo and organic cotton produce the strongest textiles. Due to its process, it naturally caters to sustainable practices. such as reducing waste of water, and limiting harmful chemicals in every step. Being able to use sox made of these fabrics for an increasingly long time, saves the customer money.
Weight yarn
According to Wikipedia “Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibers, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. Ethical sourcing of yarn includes yarn from cotton and bamboo.
Recycled cotton socks feature rib knitting–
Recycled cotton Sox is the real winner, we are using and limiting waste as well as creating healthy protection for the feet.
Chunky socks –
Chunky cotton Sox are great for winters and cold weather. It’s soft to the touch and keeps feet soft and full of moisture. The fibers in organic and recycled cotton don’t irritate the skin.
long-wearing softness–
These need to be made from organic cotton, bamboo, or silk. Some fabrics such as wool could irritate the skin and cause damage to skin since sox is so close to the skin.
New thermal socks
smooth footpad – this is great for wearing inside. It provides cushion and support for the feet.
two-strand yarn – This is a technique used in Sox-making
Types of cotton sox
mid-weight cotton socks –
mid-weight cotton sox are great for wearing as everyday wear, cotton allows the fabric to be breathable which makes it comfortable and prevents odor.
thick recycled cotton yarn – perfect for extremely cold weather and doesn’t dry the skin.
up-cycle cotton scraps – Old silk Sox can make beautiful headbands or ribbons for hair, old cotton scraps can be used to make different styles of jeans, to cover stains or tears, and wool can make mittens. Organic cotton can make some type of mask as well as washcloths or even cloths for cleaning surfaces.
cotton crew socks
All year-round wear provides healthy material helping the skin to stay soft and moisturized.
Perfect to insulate the feet but keeps feet dry with enough moisture blocking out itch and odor
Cotton waste –
This is a great way to make beautiful Sox, taking different cotton fabrics to make Sox that are not only great for the planet but beneficial to the skin and prevent waste. These could be sold for a lesser price as an upsell. Either way, these would be fabulous for the seller and buyer.
Organic cotton tie-dye yarn melange sock–
Not only are these soft, comfortable, healthy, and fit perfectly they are beautiful with a beautiful mix of colors
Sum it up
Ecofriendly Sox benefits the person who is wearing them, they have no chemicals transferring to their skin, which could interfere with their skin texture and quality. Ecofriendly Sox are made of eco-friendly materials that don’t promote waste and use of harmful chemicals, it don’t promote waste of water. Recycled cotton sox are durable, healthy, and better for the environment. ITS A WIN WIN.
REFERENCES
Iadaresta F, Manniello MD, Östman C, Crescenzi C, Holmbäck J, Russo P. Chemicals from textiles to skin: an in vitro permeation study of benzothiazole. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2018 Sep;25(25):24629-24638. doi: 10.1007/s11356-018-2448-6. Epub 2018 Jun 17. PMID: 29911295; PMCID: PMC6133113.
Seddiek, I. S., & Elgohary, M. M. (2014). Eco-friendly selection of ship emissions reduction strategies with emphasis on SOx and NOx emissions. International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, 6(3), 737-748. https://doi.org/10.2478/IJNAOE-2013-0209
