Could your activewear be making you sick? It may contain PFAS.

Trends that disappear for decades eventually find their way back into our wardrobes. Over the last several years, the nineties and early 2000s have steadily resurfaced after something of a 20-year hiatus.

Back then, athleisure looked very different.

It was giving more cotton, and less... flammable.

But the natural fibres of which it was once constituted are now much harder to come by. Perhaps that changed when brands like Lululemon redefined what activewear could be.

By the mid-to-late 2000s, yoga pants had become more than workout gear. They were quickly becoming school pick-up pants, coffee pants, airport pants.

At the same time, advances in synthetic fabrics made activewear softer, stretchier and more durable, while wellness culture accelerated through celebrity influence, social media and fitness trends like Pilates and F45 into the 2010s.

Then came 2020.

As lockdowns blurred the boundaries between work, leisure and exercise, activewear became less of a trend and more of a uniform.

Meanwhile, trend cycles shortened. What once took decades to return can now leave and re-emerge within years, driven by rapid production, constant visibility and life online.

And yet, activewear barely moved an inch. Instead, it became a mainstay, with production and consumption increasing year on year.

It is not hard to see why. Soft, stretchy, moisture-wicking and often water- or stain-resistant, activewear is designed for convenience.

In 2023, Lululemon stated that it phased out the use of PFAS, particularly within a water repellent range—chemicals that had previously been used in a small percentage of its durable water‑repellent products. Claims such as “water resistant”, “odour resistant” and “stain resistant” can often signal the presence of PFAS coatings.

Because the bond between carbon and fluorine is extraordinarily strong, PFAS do not readily break down in the environment or the human body, earning them the nickname “forever chemicals”.

As Dr Sarah Dunlop explains, they are among the strongest chemical bonds known to science.

But PFAS are only part of the story.

As Dr Sarah Dunlop explained to 9News:

“We are clothed in chemicals. Chemicals can be sprayed onto fabrics – and that could be natural ones such as cotton, and also the synthetic ones, including polyester and the suchlike.”

Synthetic fabrics, such as polyester and elastane, are plastics themselves. This means they can release a variety of other chemicals as well.

For PFAS and plastic chemicals to be in our clothing is a big problem, because they can be absorbed directly through the skin.

When asked about the relationship between plastic chemicals and fertility, Dr Sarah Dunlop noted that while PFAS have been linked to harms such as kidney and testicular cancer, other chemicals used in clothing may also contribute to reproductive health concerns, including links to fertility challenges and conditions such as PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, previously PCOS, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).

While any of your clothes might be coated with PFAS, activewear is of particular concern because, being synthetic, it also contains many other different chemicals. It clings closely to the skin, and we get hot and sweaty in it at the gym. It just so happens that friction, heat and perspiration speed up the absorption of these chemicals through the skin.

(Sometimes it feels like we just cannot have nice things.)

PFAS specifically is found in a lot of babies’ and kids’ clothing, including school uniforms, which is concerning given that young children are a lot more vulnerable to chemical exposures.

Reducing exposure does not mean throwing out your wardrobe.

Think fewer “performance” coatings and adopt more of a “could it have existed in 2000?” mindset.

(Not every trend deserves a comeback.)

Another helpful tip: When shopping for activewear, on top of searching for natural fibres, look for clothing with certifications such as ‘OEKO-TEX’, ‘GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)’ or ‘Bluesign’ on labels, which signal lower chemical risk. Some activewear brands even do both.

To learn more about the five chemicals of concern, visit: www.globalplastictreaty.com/human-health

There, you can explore where plastic chemical exposure occurs, what the research says about potential health impacts, and practical ways to reduce your exposure.