This Week, According To Rani...
What You Sweat In Matters More Than You Think...
We have all become so careful. We filter our water, we read the label on everything that goes into our bodies, we think twice about what we put on our skin. And then we pull on a pair of synthetic leggings, sweat in them for an hour, and never give it a second thought.
It might be worth a second thought.
What is actually against your skin
Your skin is your largest organ, and during a workout it is doing overtime. Warm, flushed, covered in sweat. That is exactly when your activewear is pressed hardest against you, from your chest to your waist to your thighs. So it is fair to ask what, exactly, is against you when you are at your most absorbent.
Some independent lab testing has started to answer that question. A well-known environmental health organisation in the United States tested activewear from nineteen major brands and found two chemicals worth knowing about.
The first is BPA (bisphenol A), a chemical used in a lot of plastics. The reason people worry about it is that it can mimic oestrogen in the body, which means it has the potential to interfere with your hormones. It is the same chemical that was banned from baby bottles years ago, and the testing found it in activewear at levels above the safety threshold some regulators use.
The second is PFAS, nicknamed "forever chemicals" because they are built to be so durable that they essentially do not break down, in the environment or in your body. They are often added to clothing to make it water resistant or quick drying, and they have been linked to a range of health concerns with long term exposure.
One detail stood out. In that testing, these chemicals turned up almost entirely in polyester and spandex blends. The natural fibre pieces, like cotton and wool, came through clean.
Why natural fibres
There is a simple piece of logic at the heart of this. If a garment made from natural fibres carries none of these concerns, why choose the one that might?
This is where merino wool comes in. It is a natural, renewable fibre that regulates your temperature, keeping you cool in the heat and warm in the cold. It is naturally odour resistant, breathable, and soft enough to wear against bare skin for hours. It does everything you bought your synthetics to do, without the chemistry you never signed up for.
A brand that built its whole philosophy around this
This is exactly the thinking behind Nagnata, the Byron Bay label we are proud to stock. Founded in 2015 by Laura May Gibbs, Nagnata set out to disrupt the activewear market by moving away from synthetic fibres altogether, pioneering seamless knitwear made from superfine merino wool.
Their approach is guided by a philosophy they call "sustainably minded design," and their view on this could not be clearer. Our skin is our biggest organ and it absorbs the toxins and chemicals from the textiles we wear on our bodies. Synthetic fabrics are largely derived from petroleum, and those petrochemicals are not something you want your skin absorbing, especially in yoga and breath focused practice when your pores are most open.
So rather than reaching for synthetics, Nagnata blends merino with Tencel to achieve stretch and stability, uses non toxic dyes, and sources wool certified under the Responsible Wool Standard. The result is activewear designed for yoga, pilates, cycling, and everything in between, built to move with you rather than expire at the end of a trend. Their mantra, "Movements Not Seasons," says it all. These are pieces made to last, and to be kind to your body while they do it. The work has not gone unnoticed either, with the brand named Sustainable Designer of the Year at the 2024 Australian Fashion Laureate.
You have already done the hard work of being thoughtful about your wellbeing. This is one more small easy place to let that care carry through, right down to what you sweat in.
Come and feel our Nagnata pieces in store. Once you have worn wool, you will understand.