Why we chose OEKO-TEX® certified cotton over recycled: A thoughtful decision for your skin and our planet

When we set out to create Theodore Soap Co.®, we made a promise to ourselves and to you: every product we bring into our collection would be thoroughly researched, consciously chosen, and aligned with our values as a family committed to living sustainably.

As we prepare to launch with our handcrafted soaps and our beautiful Turkish peshtemals, we wanted to share one of the most important decisions we've made on this journey: choosing OEKO-TEX® certified cotton over recycled cotton for our towels.

This wasn't an easy choice. In fact, it kept us up at night for weeks.

STARTING WITH WHAT MATTERS MOST. YOUR SKIN

Your skin is your body's largest organ. It's your first line of defense, and it deserves our utmost care and respect. A towel isn't just something you occasionally use, it's a daily essential that touches your face, wraps around your babies after bath time, and comes into contact with your skin when it's at its most vulnerable.

A peshtemal isn't just another towel, it's the one that ends up everywhere both inside and outside of your home, used by everyone in the family, day after day. Because of this everyday, constant contact with skin, we needed absolute certainty that it would be gentle and safe for all: babies, children, and adults alike!

THE GREENWASHING CONCERN: LOOKING BEYOND THE LABEL

We love the idea of recycling. We buy second-hand clothes for our family, we repurpose, we repair. But when it came to recycled cotton, we encountered a troubling reality: the term "recycled" is often used as a marketing tool without the substance to back it up.

Here's what concerned us most:

THE MICROPLASTIC PROBLEM

Many recycled fabrics contain synthetic fibers or use binding agents in the recycling process. These can shed microplastics and even nanoplastics, these particles so tiny they can penetrate skin barriers and accumulate in our bodies and waterways. Every time a towel with these materials is washed, it can release thousands of these particles into our water systems.

We couldn't, in good conscience, introduce products to your home that might contribute to this invisible pollution.

THE DYE DILEMMA

Even with careful sorting of old textiles by color, recycled cotton still requires intensive cleaning and dyeing processes to achieve the consistency and vibrancy we expect from new products. And here's where our concerns deepened... while OEKO-TEX® certification rigorously tests for harmful chemicals at every single stage of production, including all dyes and treatments, many recycled cotton certifications simply don't extend that far. 

We couldn't verify what chemicals were being used or whether they were truly safe for daily skin contact. Then there's the journey itself: recycled materials often travel hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles between collection points, sorting facilities, processing plants, and manufacturers.

Suddenly, the environmental footprint we were hoping to reduce became murkier than we were comfortable with.

WHY OEKO-TEX WON OUR HEARTS

After months of research, late-night discussions, and consulting with textile experts, OEKO-TEX® certified cotton emerged as the choice we could stand behind with complete confidence.

100% PURE COTTON, 100% SAFE

OEKO-TEX® certification means our peshtemals have been tested for over 100 harmful substances. We can promise you - truly promise you - that what touches your skin is safe. No harmful chemicals, no hidden synthetics, no microplastics. Just pure, breathable, gentle cotton.

BUILT TO LAST. NOT TO LANDFILL

We're starting our business small, but we're building for the long term. True sustainability isn't just about how something is made, it's about how long it lasts. OEKO-TEX® certified cotton gives us superior durability and consistency. These peshtemals are designed to be your companion for years, not months. We kept coming back to this: Durability is sustainability. When you're not replacing something every year, you're not consuming new resources, generating new waste, or fueling the production cycle again and again.

WHEN IT'S FINALLY TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

Even after years of faithful service, our 100% cotton peshtemals remain fully recyclable, far easier to process than blended fabrics often used with recycled cotton. They can truly have a second life.

We're a family doing this together, learning as we go, and we won't rush. Good things take time.. and that's time we're willing to invest.