I Thought Organic Cotton Was Safe Here's What I Found Out
I thought organic cotton was safe...until this interview.
I've spent years helping people reduce their toxic load — in their kitchens, their cleaning products, their food. But, what Courtney shared really surprised me.
Most of us who are paying attention to what goes in our bodies. But, we don't necessarily pay attention to the clothes we wear. Some of us buy organic cotton. We read labels & we wash before we wear.
It turns out that may not be enough.And, if you wear yoga pants, this one is definitely for you.
Sustainable fashion expert Courtney Barriger has spent over a decade inside the fashion industry — interviewing scientists, toxicologists, and manufacturers, and getting back the reports most of us never see.
What she shares in this episode about what's legally allowed on a certified organic garment, what happens every time you wash synthetic fabrics, and what certain fibers are doing to your hormones will change how you open your closet tomorrow morning.
This isn't about making us feel guilty, but it is about information you deserve to have — and practical swaps you can make one step at a time.
Guest: Courtney BarrigerSustainable fashion expert, award-winning artist, and author of ReFashion Workshop: The Planet Healing Mindset. Her brand Holding Court has been featured in Vanity Fair and GQ, and her work has been recognized by the United Nations nonprofit Fashion Fights Poverty.
🔗 courtneybarriger.com🔗 holdingcourtinc.com🔗 ReFashion Workshop: https://courtneybarriger.substack.com... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDZsNHNCN3hGUmROc3BtMEtScVctbmxMYTE2d3xBQ3Jtc0tuZ0dTWktnNmJxa3BXU1V2QjFNSFQxUDZXam1PakpheTBEYjJld0hCcHpveWRWVjYxOWRmSG80aE44RVNDeXhmdnJRbGFHemwxMWdhTDdFZEVrWXpNUzhYczVaVVVPZWVHcF9kSF9EN2Nfa2c1MTlSZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fcourtneybarriger.substack.com%2Fp%2Ffast-fashions-toxic-secret&v=y4cUldBpTEg]
00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg] Your Clothes Are Making You Sick
00:37 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=37s] Meet Sustainable Fashion Expert Courtney Barriger
01:36 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=96s] What Sustainability Actually Means
03:37 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=217s] How a Reality TV Prize Changed Everything
05:25 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=325s] The Fashion Industry's Dirty Numbers
The Organic Cotton Label Lie
08:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=480s] What Fast Fashion Really Is
09:57 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=597s] The LA Scam That Started a Movement
12:10 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=730s] How a Podcast Became a Book
14:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=878s] Polyester, Lycra, and Your Hormones
18:16 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=1096s] What Happens When You Wash Synthetic Clothes
20:39 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=1239s] Why There's Reason for Hope
21:16 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=1276s] Your Dishwasher Is Coating Your Plates in Plastic
22:14 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=1334s] The Guppy Bag That Catches Microplastics
23:07 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=1387s] The Mushrooms That Eat Plastic
24:11 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=1451s] The Fibers Worth Switching To First
26:36 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=1596s] The Mindset Shift Behind ReFashion Workshop
30:09 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=1809s] Heavy Metals, Dyes, and What's Really on Your Clothes
34:01 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=2041s] Courtney's Free 10-Day Detox
35:26 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4cUldBpTEg&t=2126s] One Swap at a TimeGet the Free 10 Words on Food Labels That Are Lying to You: https://www.greenlivingnow.com/food-l... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUUwLU0wYlY2Q1IzMElzOW9Yb0VrWlFzSms4UXxBQ3Jtc0tuRl9TdEY1d243YWZ6OFpueVBLY1V1N0g1bXBJa3VJdVhUN3ZpaXlSZ1IycXFnX2Fob1VMT21zOG02bk1POUwtU0VkbF9JN1F3X2lhd25ydnVCblZMYVVPdzhOelhRVXlQVG9hN1pPZVIwU1dtM2c2NA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenlivingnow.com%2Ffood-labels&v=y4cUldBpTEg]
Most of us are trying to do right by our health — but the food system, the labels, and the "expert" advice keep moving the goalposts. Green Living Now cuts through the noise with real conversations, practical tools, and the kind of knowledge that actually changes how you live.
Host Amy Hartshorn is a green living educator, certified organic farmer, and upcoming TEDx speaker who has spent over 30 years helping people navigate food, toxins, and holistic health — not with fear, but with clarity and a decision-making framework you can actually use.
Free Resources & Links📬 Notes from the Rebellion Newsletter (free) — straight talk on clean living, no fluff: https://8c02-amy.systeme.io/2f1bd82c [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbl9YQ05JckRTUE4tSFlUalJuWnRxQzVIQzRfUXxBQ3Jtc0tuZ1EtUHc5a3h5amhLUlFhREtJOFNOVlg4VVQ1VXJnVW9FNkI5UXhpemNZUWJ6T2J2VlI0QWREeVBpZ1F1b09vTDAzT255aVVLU2tFWm02MzJpRlRZZHNmVGRtTEZ0QUNZNjNNcnBJRE5COHRSeklTRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2F8c02-amy.systeme.io%2F2f1bd82c&v=y4cUldBpTEg]
🔬 Take the free Kitchen Toxin Assessment — find out where your biggest exposures actually are: https://www.greenlivingnow.com/kitche... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnNOM3E5WTI2dUtfbDdFcjh3YWYwN29MS0VjQXxBQ3Jtc0tudTN0SUwzVUQxRjc5YVZPU09RWHB1aGRrd1Jma1VTWnN1ajZjOG1TSDBwS290NnE4WVFrTG5uVG15Q2lYRVhOVktaRnRMQW1BQ01VR2xzTmpydWVZaFFBQl94MkFkSk9EQUtnY1FncHRrOHNrU0Y2Yw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenlivingnow.com%2Fkitchen-assessment&v=y4cUldBpTEg]Get the Free 10 Words on Food Labels That Are Lying to You: https://www.greenlivingnow.com/food-l... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkZpVHNHYkFlcXQ3cUZZcVFGSWZvTF80YkFGd3xBQ3Jtc0trcS1rN3pTM1ZMejNRVnlQMWo3c1FJM1lfSDQybXhwV3pMcFBTRUV4VnJ5MTVDanFTQnNONnFyZ0dMcFFkX2NScDdnbVowazBNSHVqckpORE9hOHZVazFmZHhiSzBhUERpRGNsRnU5V3NZcFE0V3MzUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenlivingnow.com%2Ffood-labels&v=y4cUldBpTEg]🍳 Your Nontoxic Kitchen, Reimagined — 5-day reset: https://www.greenlivingnow.com/kitche... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWZsRXhDdnA5c3htU1N1bEktYlh1cVF4a044Z3xBQ3Jtc0tsQmhvdGlpOGVFbnFRa1RlYkl4c2VTMnYtUEl3eGJCd1d2LVFrZFJHYVB4eWRVM3RVdjRTbzVxb0VLNlp0ampjZmxHVS1tT25zc3pUc3BJVmZHR2NydmptdHd3QnIxcHJvYlczZzVnNVl0eWh5VDlqYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenlivingnow.com%2Fkitchen-course&v=y4cUldBpTEg]
This podcast is for educational purposes. Always consult a qualified health professional for personal medical decisions.