"Discover the Natural Difference that
Only Organic Cotton Can Provide"

You've never experienced real comfort until you slip into our earth-friendly,
organic cotton clothing. Discover the softness and quiet sophistication
awaiting you, and get ready to look as great as you feel.

Organic food. Living a healthy lifestyle. Taking care of your body and the environment. These are all things you care deeply about.

And most likely, you strive to look and feel your best, in the healthiest way possible.

What about the clothes you wear? Do they reflect your personal style… your natural radiance? Do they reflect your commitment to your health and the environment?

The Power of Organic Cotton

If you own organic cotton, you can most likely answer an emphatic "yes".

A natural fiber, organic cotton possesses some remarkable benefits:

• Absorbs and controls moisture
• Provides warmth and comfort
• Keeps you cool by pulling heat away from your skin
• Prevents moisture from building up between your skin and your clothes
• High tensile strength – 30 percent stronger when wet allows it to stand up to repeated washings and durable, everyday wear

When you're active, organic cotton and other natural fibers wick away body moisture from your skin and allow it to evaporate naturally. In other words, natural fibers let your body "breathe".

Synthetic fabrics just don't provide the same ventilation that organic cotton and other natural fibers do.

When it comes to working out, in my opinion, you just can't beat organic cotton. Because of organic cotton's many benefits, you naturally feel more comfortable.

Here's something to consider… Cotton can hold up to one-fifth of its weight in water before feeling damp. That simple fact helps make hot, humid weather more bearable, especially when exercising outdoors.

Organic Cotton – Good for You and
Good for the Earth

Organic cotton is healthy for you and it's even better for the planet.

However, organic cotton's "evil twin" – conventionally grown cotton – can't make a similar claim.

Here are some eye-opening facts about conventionally grown cotton:

• Cotton farming takes up only about 3 percent of the total farmland around the world, but consumes 25 percent of the world's chemical pesticide and fertilizers.
• Each of the 13 million acres of cotton harvested every year in the U.S. is sprayed with an average of 13 lbs. of pesticides, herbicides, and defoliants.
• A third of a pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is needed to produce the amount of cotton needed for just ONE T-shirt.
• To make that same single T-shirt, the industry uses approximately 400 gallons of water, often taking that water from drought-threatened rivers and lakes in the warm areas where cotton is grown.
• HALF of the 2 billion dollars spent on chemicals each year to spray on cotton crops around the globe is classified as "hazardous" by the World Health Organization. The nine most common pesticides are "highly toxic"; five are considered probable carcinogens.

I haven't even mentioned the billions of pounds of nitrogen synthetic fertilizers used for cultivating cotton… The runoff from these synthetic fertilizers can create aquatic "dead zones" in waterways, killing off species of aquatic life.

And here's a troubling development: With insects developing greater resistance to current levels of pesticides, farmers are increasingly forced to apply even larger amounts for their effective control.

It Doesn't End There… From Seed to Harvest to Wearable Clothing, Cotton's Toxic Load Mounts

Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers make up only part of the story:

• Fungicides or insecticides are typically used to pre-treat conventional cotton seeds.
• Herbicides are repeatedly applied to soil to kill and control weeds.
• Toxic defoliating chemicals are used to harvest the cotton.

With conventional cotton crops, aerial spraying of toxic pesticides is commonly used, potentially drifting onto adjacent land and contaminating workers. At the same time these pesticides can harm beneficial insects, birds, fish, and livestock.

After cotton is harvested, it's chemically treated to process the cotton into cloth. Chemicals are used to soften the fibers and strip away their wavy texture.

Then they're bleached white. If chlorine is used, the process releases potentially dangerous carcinogenic dioxins into the environment.

Because of cotton's natural resistance to dyes, about half of the chemicals used as dyes or fixers end up as waste in rivers and soil.

How What You Wear Can Affect Your Health

Not only can toxic chemical residues remain in the fibers after conventionally grown cotton is made into clothing, additional "finishes" and "special treatments" may be applied.

Similar to the slippery treatment used in non-stick pans, athletic clothing manufacturers may add chemical treatments such as GORE-TEX® and Teflon® to fabrics in order to help repel insects, water, and odors.

Permanent-press and stain- and water-repellant finishes can out-gas formaldehyde and their manufacturing process releases PFOA as well.

According to the EPA, PFOA or perfluorooctanoic acid, a type of PFC, is a synthetic chemical that does not occur naturally in the environment. It's been found to cause "developmental and other adverse effects" in laboratory animals.

PFOA is now found at very low levels in the environment.

The bottom line is… the conventional cotton industry is contaminating soil, air and water.

Eco-Friendly Organic Cotton Clothing for Exercise or Play – Now at Mercola.com

You don't have to sacrifice your health with the clothes you wear. Especially the clothes you wear to relax, exercise, and enjoy all the other activities in your life.

Nor do you have to compromise comfort or style.

Because I want to support you in taking control of your health, I feel strongly that the clothes you wear shouldn't add to the possible toxic load you may already carry.

Just as I recommend organic food and a healthy living environment, clothes free of potentially toxic chemicals are also important for a healthy lifestyle.

We have teamed up with a manufacturer of organic cotton and other natural fiber clothes who I believe offers exceptional comfort, style, durability, and, last but not least, value.

The Clary Sage collection is designed and produced locally from organic and ecologically sustainable materials, combining smart styling with exceptional attention to detail.

Whether you desire comfortable clothing for a serious workout, yoga, cycling, or for play, the Clary Sage collection offers eco-friendly clothing that you'll enjoy wearing and be proud to own.

Some of the most innovative pioneers in the organic and sustainable clothing industry, these folks offer a whimsical and authentic sense of style while making a minimal impact on the environment.

These environmentally friendly clothes are made from natural materials and fibers, avoiding the use of pesticides as well as the potentially toxic chemicals sometimes used to treat fabrics to make them more durable or moisture-resistant.

So now you can have it all – extreme comfort that's safe for you and the environment, good quality plus smart design – all at a reasonable price, too.

I can't promise you an easier or more efficient workout from the Clary Sage collection, but I can guarantee that it will improve the environmental impact of your workout.

You'll love the feel of organic cotton as you move, and, who knows? These fun and functional pieces may even make your workout more enjoyable than it already is.

All in the spirit of helping you take control of your health… Check out our collection today – at Mercola.com.