Organic cotton men's briefs underwear layered out flat with organic cotton plant and coloured organic cotton

Organic Cotton vs Conventional Cotton - What’s the Difference?

Organic Cotton vs Conventional Cotton 

You may not know this, however, cotton is actually the most popular fabric all over the world and accounts for more than half of all fibre needs across the globe. To keep up with this demand, cotton growers resort to artificial means and excessive use of pesticides to make cotton grow faster. The products manufactured with this kind of cotton are inclined to be full of chemicals and can cause allergic reactions to your skin.


Non-organic products that are grown with the help of chemicals and metals are also harmful to our environment. The pesticides affect the soil and the water, damaging the natural resources in the process and disturbing the ecological balance. Conventional cotton mainly causes soil loss and leaves the field unsuitable for growing other crops. The environment is negatively impacted so significantly you might find it hard to comprehend and that's just to produce 1 single T-shirt!


Humans and society have become more aware and conscious of these problems in recent times. That's why now there is more & more attention to environmental problems, leading to the increased production and popularity of organic cotton garments. Organic cotton has been around for a while now and is used to make other products such as towels, bed linen, plus your clothing including men's underwear!


Products made from organic cotton used to be considered high end and are generally more expensive than conventional cotton products. Due to the demand for organic cotton products, the misconception of organic cotton only being high end is being debunked, and although manufacturing and production are more expensive as more and more people become aware of their benefits & more people choose organic cotton that is increasing the demand and helping reduce the prices. Allowing all walks of life to have access to organic cotton products.

Difference between organic and conventional cotton


There is a significant  difference between conventional and organic cotton. Anyone who has used organic cotton products will find it hard to return to conventional cotton. The benefits of organic cotton don’t just stop at the quality of products. Read on to find out a large number of benefits of organic cotton.


Purity of the Cotton

The purity of cotton fibres is judged by the way the cotton is picked. Cotton is either handpicked or machine picked. Organic cotton is completely handpicked, preserving the purity of every fibre and ensuring that no fibre is damaged in the process. Regular cotton is more in demand and supply and is usually machine-picked to cope with the rush. This doesn’t maintain the purity of the fibres, and also damages cotton fibres in the picking process, leading to loss and wastage. Organic cotton products are softer than regular cotton because of the longer fibres. Being handpicked ensures these fibres don’t get weakened or broken, resulting in softer and more durable products.

Cotton Farming

Conventional cotton farming starts with GMO or genetically modified seeds. They are modified to build resistance to bugs, but when the bugs become stronger, more pesticides are required. Organic cotton is made from natural seeds, and there is no use of pesticides or other harmful chemicals. Bugs are controlled with insects that kill the pests. As a result, organic cotton products are safer for the skin.

Conventional cotton is grown on the same soil over and over again, degrading the soil quality, removing nutrients, and leading to unhealthy crops. Since these crops require more water, they are irrigated heavily, resulting in water wastage. Organic cotton is rotated from one soil to another, and the nutrients retain water for long, requiring less irrigation. This leads to healthier crops.


Weeding

The weeding process of conventional cotton farming also uses chemicals in the form of herbicides that kill weeds. The use of such harmful chemicals affects the quality of crops, sucks out moisture and nutrients from the soil, and also harms the farmers. Out of the total amount of pesticides used in farming, more than 25 per cent is used for cotton. These include highly toxic insecticides and carcinogens. Constant use of such chemicals can lead to serious diseases in farmers, and affect the neighbouring environment. In organic cotton manufacturing, weeding is done by hand, hoeing, and different cultivation processes.

Manufacturing

The processing of conventional cotton uses a large number of chemicals. The use of heavy metals, chlorine, and chemical dyes are not unheard of in the manufacturing of conventional cotton. Even after washing the finished products, the residue of these chemicals remains and can cause serious skin allergies. Several people suffer from skin problems like eczema because of conventional cotton products. Organic cotton uses safer alternatives to chemical dyes and whiteners. Natural or water-based dyes, peroxide for whitening, and other safer products are used to manufacture the finished goods.


Organic cotton is softer, hypoallergenic, and last for a long time. But the most important benefit is protecting the ecosystem, reducing wastage of water, and ensuring a safer working environment for the farmers and manufacturers. Organic cotton is a sustainable and eco-friendly option to conventional cotton. Try it today to feel the difference yourself.

.SHOP ORGANIC COTTON UNDIES.