10 Best Organic Towels - Friendly to the Environment and your Skin

Nothing feels greater than drying your dripping body with a super comfy towel after coming out of the bathroom (okay, maybe other things do). But hey, you can't under-appreciate the premium satisfaction that comes from using a bath towel that is very soft, plush, and ultra-absorbent.

Let's look over the soft feel of your bath towel- are you confident that your towel is among the best bath towels you can get for your health and your environment? Like every other fiber material, bath towels are made primarily from cotton. However, most towels are neither eco-friendly nor sustainably grown.

Consciously choose towels for your bathroom, so you can positively impact the environment and keep your skin harm-free. Cotton is either processed traditionally or organically. Organically grown cotton results in sustainable fiber materials, while the former produces fiber materials that aren't maintainable over a long period.

Before organic cotton towels came into play, farmers used fertilizers and chemicals to enhance cotton productivity as a conventional method. Conventional cotton production accounts for the usage of 16% of the world's pesticides. As a result, up to 77 million cotton workers suffer poisoning from pesticides per year. Let's have a quick dive into the specifics of organically grown and conventionally grown cotton to know which one is best for your environment and the safety of your skin.

Organic Cotton VS Traditional Cotton

Cotton is a major agricultural crop used in manufacturing different fabric materials, including bath towels, a bath sheet, bath mats, bed linens, kitchen towels, even hand towels. Depending on the making process of the bath towel you purchase, you can either contribute to enhancing biodiversity or add to the factors affecting you and the ecosystem in general. Although traditionally grown cotton has been the conventional way to produce cotton, you cannot disregard the harm from the high usage of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. On the other hand, organic cotton is completely free of toxins and harmful chemicals because the cultivation process doesn't involve fertilizer or pesticide usage.

The best cotton type for bath towels comes from how less the potential risk to the consumer and the environment. Unfortunately, traditionally grown cotton does not fare well in this contest because they contribute to a negative environmental impact.

Traditional Cotton

Traditional cotton, also known as conventional cotton is the type of cotton grown with the use of genetically modified seeds (GMO), synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and a lot of water. To cope with increasing demand and supply, cotton farmers used genetically modified (GMO) seeds to build resistance of cotton to pests. But, when the pests become stronger, farmers depend on more pesticides. This increases the number of harmful chemicals and toxins collected by the plant. Although this was the traditional method used to produce cotton before the rise of organically grown cotton, the downside of this method is that the harmful chemicals from pesticides pollute air and water surfaces, decrease biodiversity and shift the ecosystem's equilibrium due to the carbon footprints it leaves behind.

Traditional cotton is repeatedly grown on the same soil, which leads to unhealthy crops and degraded soil quality. This conventional method of growing cotton also unnecessarily removes nutrients from the ground and causes water wastage due to heavy irrigation. Even the weeding process of conventionally grown cotton uses chemicals that leave harmful toxins and heavy metals on the crop till its finished product. When washing the finished products of conventionally grown cotton, the remaining chemicals on the materials can cause allergies for persons with sensitive skin. Unlike organically grown cotton, conventional cotton fiber is picked by machines when processing. This can decrease the purity of the fiber and cause it to break, resulting in a not-so-soft fabric texture. 

Cotton production accounts for the usage of 16% of the world's pesticides. In other words, conventionally grown cotton is not the best type of cotton to produce fiber materials because they are non-sustainable and not eco-friendly.

Organic Cotton

Organic cotton is grown from non-genetically modified plants without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, which makes it environmentally friendly and overly safe for the human skin. As a substitute for using pesticides that will leave harmful toxins hanging on the cotton, organic methods of cotton cultivation use bug-eating insects to control bugs that affect the health of the crops.

Organic cotton cultivation is rotated from one soil to another, reducing the damage done to other crops when planted. This method enhances biodiversity and preserves soil quality. While traditionally grown cotton requires gallons of water while cultivating, organic cotton requires less water, so water wastage is not a problem when growing cotton organically.

Unlike the machine-picked system of fibers in traditional cotton, the fibers in organic cotton are completely handpicked, thereby preserving their purity. Hence, the softer feel of its finished products. Therefore, if you want to buy sustainable materials like bath towels, a hand towel, bath sheets, and high-quality beddings, be on the lookout for organic cotton materials. 

Benefits of Organic Cotton Towels

Your towel looking faded and worn out after some time isn't as normal as you think. The truth is major towel brands use conventional cotton for mass production. So, the lack of quality materials and conscious production makes it lose its vigour quickly.  If you're tired of having to purchase a new towel because your old one has thinned out and gotten too weak, why don't you switch to a more sustainable material? 

Because it is non-toxic and chemical free, organic cotton towels stand no risk of wearing out or having loose fiber threads unlike conventional cotton bath towels that get weaker after every use. Organic bath towels will last long, stay fluffy, thick and plush for your comfortability on every use.

Apart from lasting long, organic cotton towels consider to be the best type of bath towels because they're particularly beneficial; 

To the environment

Organic cotton towels, unlike their conventional counterpart, are free from heavy metals, toxins, and other chemicals, making them entirely safe for recycling and beneficial for the preservation of the ecosystem. The use of fertilizers and certain chemicals from pesticides while processing conventional cotton towels put the environment in a bad state. The state of green life and wildlife around you suffers too. At the end of the day, old and retired towels still return back to the earth with their dangerous chemicals affecting land and water bodies.

On the other hand, organically grown cotton towels have been proven to decrease carbon emissions in general by between 40% - 60% making them fit for eco-friendly sustainable materials like your bath towels. Conventionally grown cotton also deteriorates soil quality due to heavy water usage that washes away most nutrients away from the soil, thereby making it less potent for crop cultivation.

Also, the handpicking of fibers in the processing stage ensures that the towel doesn't turn out to have loose staples of fibers that fall off and cause environmental waste. No matter how you look at it, organic cotton towels are significantly eco-friendly.

To the health

The bath towels, face towels, or hand towels you use can be hazardous to your health depending on how it is made. Towels are basically used for the skin, and a poorly made towel will definitely cause harm to the skin. In view of this, conventional cotton towels are a great threat to the health of the skin, because they possess harmful chemicals, such as aldicarb,endosulfan, profenofos, e.t.c, that can deteriorate the wellness of the body, especially for people with skin sensitivities.

As a better option, organic towels are hypoallergenic, meaning that they are less likely to cause any skin allergy that can affect your health. Thanks to the chemical-free manufacturing process of organic cotton, using organic towels pose no threat to your wellness. 

Furthermore, organic cotton towels are as soft as they come, so they feel so good to touch. Feeling good alone releases happy hormones to the brain which in return raises mental wellness. We all know that happiness contributes to good health- clamping your super soft organic after every bath will leave you feeling satisfied and happy.

10 Best Organic Towels- Friendly To Your Environment & Skin

Practically, only time can tell how authentic and sustainable a bath towel is. Anyway, to be sure of the best bath towels you can choose from the get-go, here's a list of the ten best organic towels:

1. Coyuchi Organic cotton bath towels

Amongst the top leading organic cotton companies, Coyuchi offers 100% organic cotton towels are grown organically. They are GOTS Certified organic cotton (Global Organic Textile Standard) & Fair Trade Certified.

Material

Coyuchi organic is entirely made out of organic cotton. The varieties of its organic cotton materials include bath towels, beach towels, hand towels, a bath sheet, and washcloths.

Texture

Coyuchi Organic Towel is a 100% organic cotton towel brand well acclaimed for its lint-free, soft, and absorbent materials.

Ethical Practice

Accompanied by a MADE SAFE®, Air Weight® & Plush Cloud Loom™ seal, a zero-waste recycling method is used to make organic cotton bath towels. The products are also rid of carcinogens, behavioral toxins, high-risk pesticides, and heavy metals, making them highly safe for the skin and environment. Coyuchi is also involved in the FiberShed Program, a scheme supporting farmworkers by the expansion of regional manufacturing sites for organic and carbon farming.

Price

You can purchase a Coyuchi 6-piece set for $128, and if it's a single piece you desire, it goes for $18.

2. Ettitude Bamboo Waffle

Made with GOTS certified organic bamboo, Ettitude Bamboo Waffle Towel Set is OEKO-TEX certified and carries the Clean Bamboo™ seal.

Material 

Ettitude Bamboo Waffle Towels are made with 100% organic bamboo that is chemical-free and breathable.

Texture

Its texture is moisture-wicking, silky-soft, and cooling.

Ethical Practice

Ettitude Bamboo towels are processed in a closed-loop method using organic solvents rather than toxic chemicals. Compared to a cotton towel set that uses 8189 gallons of water, the Ettitude Bamboo set uses 18 gallons.

Price

Ettitude Bamboo Waffle Towel 6-piece set costs $64.

3. Delilah Home sustainable bath towels

This brand of organic towels is super comfy, spa-quality towels, and luxurious. They offer varieties of organic towels like face towels, hand towels, a bath sheet, bath towels, and washcloths that are Fair Trade and GOTS Certified organic cotton.

Material

Delilah Home organic towel is made from 100% organic cotton and hemp.

Texture

The organic towels are made from Turkish organic cotton, known for softness, absorbency, and extra-long loops. Also, the texture is okay to wash with a machine in a gentle, cold setting.

Ethical Practice

This brand of cotton towels avoids chemical-based preservation so as to make those quality products safe for people with skin sensitivities. Packing of the products is done in recycled bags also.

Price

You can get a 6-piece organic towel set for 199$. However, the company offers free shipping for orders over $100. 

4. Sol Organix towels

Made in environmentally friendly companies in India and the USA, Sol organix produce organic bath towels that are GOTS, Fair Trade ™ and OEKO-TEX certified. Sol organix organic cotton towels are cheaper than most organic towel sets on the market.

Material

The organic bath towels are made entirely from organic cotton.

Texture

The texture of Sol Organix bath towels is super plush, soft, and relatively absorbent.

Ethical Practice

This company aims to impact the planet's ecosystem by reducing its carbon-dioxide emission and conserving drinking water by avoiding toxic chemicals. For their various colors of bath towels, they use low-impact organic dyes.

Price

Sol organics is a reasonably inexpensive choice compared to most organic towel companies as they offer an 8-piece set for $180.

5. Boll & Branch

Produced from environmentally certified factories, this organic cotton company deals with luxury sustainable cotton materials like spa-quality organic towels or high-quality bedding. Also, Boll & Branch organic towels are GOTS, Fair Trade, and OEKO-TEX certified.

Material

Boll & Beach organic towel materials are made from 100% organic cotton, 

Texture

The materials have long-staple fibers, which are very soft, plush, and absorbent.

Ethical Practice

Boll &  Branch uses eco-friendly materials such as recycled to package their products to they contribute to the growth and diversity of plant & animal life on the planet. 

Price

They sell a 13-piece spa-quality bath towel set for $318.

6. West Elm

As the first home retailer to join Fair Trade USA™, the company offers various Fair Trade certified products in Portuguese and Turkish. Their towel range includes face towels, beach towels, luxury bath sheets, and bath mats.

Material 

Their organic cotton towel materials are made from 100% Portuguese and Turkish organic cotton.

Texture

West Elm bath towels are absorbent, soft, and fluffy. Other sustainable materials produced by them are beddings, rugs, and furniture.

Ethical Practice

West Elm has saved 2.3 billion liters of water by using only organic cotton in 2019. They have also done well with sustainable wood materials for their product and have trained 550 farmers in more sustainable ventures.

Price

They sell a 6-piece organic bath towel for $117.

7. Under the canopy

Under the canopy uses GOTS certified organic cotton and a small amount of biodegradable fabric to produce luxury towels, organic textiles, and textured towels. The towels are made in OEKO-TEX® MADE IN GREEN-certified dyes that are vibrant in color and do not contain harsh chemicals.

Material

Under the canopy organic cotton towels are made with 97% organic cotton and 3% lyocell (a biodegradable fabric).

Texture

Their signature collection of towels is strong, soft, and absorbent due to its two-ply, ring-spun, and low-twist construction cotton. 

Ethical Practice

The use of organic cotton and little percent of the biodegradable fabric increases absorbency and durability and prevents bacterial growth. Their products are not 100% organic and are less sustainable than a fully organic cotton towel.

Under the canopy towels are manufactured in environmentally friendly factories in Turkey, China, and the USA.

Price

A 6-piece organic towel goes for a token of $66.

8. Pact organic cotton bath towels

Pact is an organic towel brand with GOTS Certified organic cotton and Fair Trade certified. Alongside bath goods, they also produce bed linens.

Material

The material is made entirely from 100% organic cotton. They also sell bed materials like bath towels, duvets, melange towels, and terry towels. 

Texture

These towels are super soft, absorbent, and quick-drying due to their moisture-wicking texture.

Ethical Practice

The company offsets emissions and uses recycled plastic bags to package its towels.

Price

A 6-piece towel goes for $120.

9. Grund organic cotton bath towels

Grund is a luxury cotton bath linen company that is GOTS Certified organic cotton. This brand features luxury organic bath towels like bath towels, hand towels, face towels, bundle towels, bath sheets, Pinehurst, and Prague

Material

The material is 100% organic and designed with uber plush cotton.

Texture

Grund luxury towels feel so good to touch because they are super soft and fluffy. The extra-long loops make it easy for the towel to absorb water

Ethical Practice

The organic bath towels are not only luxurious but entirely eco-friendly as they contain no toxins or chemicals, given that they are 100% organically grown.

Price

You can purchase a single piece for $28, a 4-piece for 188$, and a 6-piece bundle for $225.

10. Misona bath towel

Misona is a UK brand that produces organic towels made entirely from organic cotton and is both GOTS and OEKO-TEX certified, meaning that they are eco-friendly. They sell sustainable organic materials in different fantastic colors.

Material

Their organic towels consist of both 100% organic cotton and 100% organic bamboo towels. Their towel types include bath towels, bath sheets, bed linens, hand towels, and face towels.

Texture

These towels' soft, absorbent, and plush texture allows for gentle post-shower scrub without irritating the skin.

Ethical Practice

Misona's making organic towels significantly saves water, uses zero plastics, and is packaged in recycled bags. They use a drop-off recycling method whereby they collect 1kg of your plastic waste on each delivery to foster a healthy ecosystem.

Price

They sell organic and bamboo towels in six fantastic colors for £12 ($14.48). The company offers free shipping for orders over £50 ($61.80).

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Conclusion

After thorough research and evaluation, this list was compiled, so feel free to pick any of these organic bath towel brands for your organic towel today. Irrespective of the organic towel brand you choose, know that you are doing something good for yourself and the environment. Not to mention, they will feel great on your skin!

Purchasing an organic bath towel is a fantastic way to be eco-friendly and gentle on your skin. With so many different types of towels on the market, it can be hard to decide which one is right for you. We want to help you make the best decision, which is we've put together a list of the 10 best organic towels. Will you like to know more about living a sustainable life and which eco-friendly brands to trust? Just say yes by browsing through the Green Hive directory right away.