r our previous #ReadTheLabel post, we found ourselves flipping to the back labels of our bath products checking if they have synthetic surfactants or not. Today, let's move on from the bathroom to the laundry area and find out what's really "clean" when it comes to washing our clothes.

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As many laundry detergent advertisements always tell us, the brighter our clothes, the better … right? But what they don't tell us is that in order to achieve this, they put optical brighteners to work.

Optical brighteners – which may be known by other names such as brightening agents, fluorescent bleaches, optical whiteners, fluorescent brighteners, or fluorescent whiteners – are synthetic agents that work by absorbing ultraviolet light and turning it into visible blue light. It then masks any yellowing of your clothes that occur over time, tricking your eyes into seeing brighter colors and whiter whites. 

(Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash)

For optical brighteners to take full effect, they're designed to stick to your clothes even after rinsing. And this is where the problem lies: since they stay on your clothes and have constant contact with your skin, they can cause allergic reactions and skin irritations, especially if you have extra sensitive skin. One study shows that optical brighteners cause mutations in bacteria and some chemicals used as brighteners have also been linked to cancers, including breast cancer.

On top of that, because they're non-biodegradable, when they do end up being washed off from our clothes, they can accumulate in the environment and become toxic to aquatic life.

Get your clothes clean without the discomfort by ditching harsh optical brighteners and instead opt for laundry detergents that have biodegradable ingredients like Human Nature's Natural Detergents! (bonus: our Natural Powder Detergent is available in Fragrance-Free!). Both detergents are dermatologist-tested as non-irritating and safe, and even certified genuinely natural by the Natural Products Association (NPA). 

And that's it for today's nugget of naturalness wisdom!
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