Knowledge of Workwear Fabrics and Safe Practices

1. What are the main fabric components used in workwear?

Answer: Workwear fabrics typically include cotton, polyester, cotton-poly blends, and functional synthetic fibers. During production, fabrics undergo dyeing, printing, and finishing processes (such as anti-wrinkle, water-repellent, or flame-retardant treatments), which often involve various chemical auxiliaries to achieve the desired performance.

2. Which harmful substances are commonly found in fabric production?

Answer: Based on current research and reports, the following two are the most common and harmful to skin:

• Azo dyes: Widely used in textile dyeing. Improperly treated azo dyes can break down into aromatic amines, which are allergenic and linked to skin irritation, dermatitis, and even potential carcinogenic risks (earthday.org, textilefocus.com, en.wikipedia.org).

• Formaldehyde and its derivatives: Commonly used in wrinkle-resistant, antibacterial, and easy-care finishing processes. Agents such as DMEU and DMDHEU may release free formaldehyde, causing skin irritation, contact dermatitis, and are recognized as carcinogenic by international bodies (iomcworld.org, en.wikipedia.org).

Other chemicals, such as heavy metals (chromium, cadmium, lead), plasticizers (phthalates), and PFAS, may also pose long-term risks through skin exposure, but azo dyes and formaldehyde remain the most representative hazards.

3. How do these substances affect skin health?

Answer:

• Azo dyes that release aromatic amines can cause allergic reactions, dermatitis, and increase the risk of certain cancers with long-term exposure (earthday.org, textilefocus.com).

• Formaldehyde and derivatives may cause itching, redness, and dermatitis, especially under heat or humidity, where emissions increase (iomcworld.org, en.wikipedia.org).

4. What is the correct approach taken by SAINIYA?

Answer: SAINIYA (sainiya.com) upholds rigorous, safe, and eco-friendly fabric production principles. The company takes the following steps:

1. Comprehensive supply chain chemical screening
   Following guidelines such as those from ChemSec, SAINIYA identifies and monitors potentially harmful chemicals in dyes and finishing agents, focusing on azo dyes and formaldehyde-releasing agents (chemsec.org).

2. Replacing hazardous auxiliaries with safer alternatives

   • For azo dyes: Use dyes certified as free of carcinogenic aromatic amines, or adopt natural plant-based dyes.

   • For wrinkle-resistant finishing: Avoid formaldehyde-based crosslinking agents (like DMEU/DMDHEU) and instead use low-formaldehyde or formaldehyde-free finishing technologies, such as ionic crosslinkers (en.wikipedia.org).

3. Third-party safety certifications
   Ensure all fabrics meet OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and GOTS certification requirements, verifying that they are free from excessive formaldehyde, allergenic dyes, heavy metals, and other harmful substances (earthday.org, en.wikipedia.org).

4. Transparency and consumer education
   On its official site (sainiya.com), SAINIYA publishes fabric composition details, safety certifications, and chemical replacement measures, helping consumers understand why these safer practices matter.

5. Summary: Why is SAINIYA’s approach valuable?

References

• EarthDay.org on the risks of azo dyes, formaldehyde, and the importance of OEKO-TEX certification (earthday.org).

• NCBI report on occupational exposure risks from formaldehyde in textile finishing (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).

• Textile Focus overview of restricted substances in textile processing (textilefocus.com).

• IOMC on allergies caused by formaldehyde, metals, and dyes (iomcworld.org).

• Wikipedia (DMEU) on formaldehyde-releasing agents and their skin risks (en.wikipedia.org).

• Wikipedia (Wrinkle-resistant fabrics) on free formaldehyde release from DMDHEU (en.wikipedia.org).

• OEKO-TEX Standard 100 information (en.wikipedia.org).

• ChemSec “The Textile Guide” on chemical management and safer alternatives (chemsec.org).